EDF change meter screw-up

ChrisDA95 · 22 February 2019 at 5:35AM

Hello,

So basically, I phoned EDF 28th Jan to change my electric meter from a Prepayment meter to Credit meter. I had the appointment yesterday (21st), engineer arrived exactly at 4pm (Appt was 4pm - 8pm), so far so good. He then looked at the meter and told me he couldn't do anything today because he doesn't have the correct meter and then said EDF gave him the wrong information for what meter I needed, then he left.

After, I phoned EDF and the woman I spoke to didn't know what to say because the engineer did not leave any notes on the system to state why he couldn't complete the meter installation, though she did state that EDF DID provide the correct information and the appointment had been booked for 3 weeks, which she stated "was more than enough time for the engineer to get the right meter". She then told me that what she would do is put it down as a "guaranteed services failure" or something like that, and have the situation investigated.

The woman then tried to put me through to the appointments team to rebook me another appointment, but was unable to. She then told me she got through to a colleague who was apart servicing team who could contact the engineers and see what the situation is. She said she will contact her colleague and await an email from him, and regardless of whether or not she hears back, she will contact me sometime up till 8pm to give me an update.

So, call ends just around 5pm and after 4 hours of waiting, despite bad fatigue, muscle aches and severe tiredness, guess what? No phone call. I mean seriously, this was supposed to be a simple meter change, how the hell can they **** this up so badly, and as if they didn't p*** me off with the failure to install a new meter, then there was the engineer and EDF blaming each other, then they proceed to provide poor customer service, leaving me somewhat confused and by the whole situation.

Anyone have a similar experience? Also, where do I stand with this? Do I go back to the EDF to submit a complaint? Do I contact the energy ombudsman? Apologies, I am a bit inexperienced with this, so any help will be greatly appreciated.

pinknsparkly · 22 February 2019 at 8:47AM

I can't help in your situation, but at least this problem has occurred before the meter was exchanged. 18 months ago my broken electricity meter was replaced. Old meter was an economy 7 (day/night rate) meter, the engineer only had a single rate meter when she attended so put that in but somehow British Gas recorded it on their system as a dual rate meter. I am STILL fighting to get it updated on the system. Sending weekly emails to Together Energy, who were my supplier from October 2017 to October 2018 without success and now to E.On who have been my supplier since October 2018. Unfortunately the Energy Ombudsman have been as useful as a chocolate teapot.....

[Deleted User] · 22 February 2019 at 10:01AM

Yes I have seen similar, and much worse with contracted meter fitters turning up then doing the "can t do it " because of eg, lead pipes leading towards the gas meter and not trained on lead , wrong sort of fittings in his box, Gas meter too near to the electric meter, gas and electric meters both hard to get to (when they were easily accessed ). Regulator not screwed into the meter far enough is another excuse for a fitter to walk away. Electric meter positioned too high
.I m a meter reader for BG and have been listening to these sorts of excuses the fitters dish out to customers for years. The worst one is the gas meter too near to the electric meter which they say is now illegal !! yikes .Its been fine for 25 years !
All you can do is accept the £30 compensation, which most suppliers will keep quiet about and hope you forget to claim it..
At least your fitter actually turned up on your doorstep because the most common complaint is customers losing a days pay and waiting in all day with no sign of any fitter turning up..That is the worst of the lot.

wavelets · 22 February 2019 at 10:08AM

ChrisDA95 wrote: »

... Do I go back to the EDF to submit a complaint?

If you feel you have cause for complaint, yes - it's what the process is there for

ChrisDA95 wrote: »

Do I contact the energy ombudsman? ..

Not until you have followed the complaint procedure and allowed the supplier to resolve it themselves.

ChrisDA95 · 22 February 2019 at 10:28AM

Hey Pink, thanks for comment, so much hassle and grief just to change meters.

**Update**
So contacted EDF again, this morning. This time the woman I spoke to stated that the original agent I spoke closed my original complaint because she was suppose to get back to me, but didn't. The new agent reopened the complaint and reassigned it a new number, then stated that I should have been warned originally that it could take up to 10 days to hear back about it. She then stated she would get back when she hears anything.

Shortly after I receive a call from the agent I spoke to this morning, she stated the same thing the engineer did, "they didn't have the correct type of meter in stock", but assured me that the incident has been passed over to the relevant team who will determine if compensation is owed, then she put me through to the appointment team to "get a quicker than usual appointment". So I reach the appointment team, who proceeds to then tell me they don't have the correct meter in stock in my area, so I would have to wait 2-3 weeks wait for a new appointment, which is not quicker then I waited for the first appointment. Now, waiting for call back.

----

This entire situation is starting to give me a headache.

Quentin · 22 February 2019 at 11:14AM

You repeatedly refer to all the medical/mental symptoms this comparitively minor inconvenience is causing you (If they don't have the correct meter in stock they can't magic one for you!)

maybe time to get an appointment with your doctor!

ChrisDA95 · 22 February 2019 at 11:55AM

Quentin wrote: »

You repeatedly refer to all the medical symptoms this comparitively minor inconvenience is causing you (If they don't have the correct meter in stock they can't magic one for you!)

maybe time to get an appointment with your doctor!

I take it your referring to this:

"So, call ends just around 5pm and after 4 hours of waiting, despite bad fatigue, muscle aches and severe tiredness, guess what? No phone call"

Care to point out where I directly associated my ill health to this problem? I don't see me as having done that at all?

Second, are you joking? The engineer had 3-4 weeks to order the correct meter, this was even stated by the customer service agent on the phone. He wasn't expected to "magic one up". Also, what you may consider to be a "comparitively minor inconvenience", to others may be the reason they are unable to pay bills or reduce their weekly/fortnighlty shopping because they missed a day of work.

Quentin · 22 February 2019 at 12:38PM

ChrisDA95 wrote: »

..........
Care to point out where I directly associated my ill health to this problem? I don't see me as having done that at all?
.

Here. :

ChrisDA95 wrote: »

......then they proceed to provide poor customer service, leaving me somewhat confused .......

ChrisDA95 wrote: »

**Update*.........
This entire situation is starting to give me a headache.

Raxiel · 22 February 2019 at 2:07PM

Quentin wrote: »

Here. :

To be fair, you don't need a medical condition to be left confused and with a headache with this industry.

I'm sure Iresa gave me a twitchy eye with all their shenanigans!

ChrisDA95 · 23 February 2019 at 11:52AM

Quentin wrote: »

Here. :

Again you haven't shown me anything, both quotes do not show me associating this incident with EDF with affecting my health. The only time I even mentioned my health was in regards to having to stay up and wait for a phone call from the customer service agent, which in the end I never received

The first quote is rather ridiculous to point out as proof I associated my health with this incident, considering it is about conflicting accusations, by EDF and the engineer, as to who is at fault for the engineer not having the correct meter, and the fact I was never given the call back to fully explain the situation that I was told I would get.

The second quote is obviously a figure of speech, a 12-year-old would know that.

Once again, care to quote? This time, please don't just find any little sentence you can and try and twist the narrative of it

Thomas_Edison · 23 February 2019 at 12:36PM

You should automatically get £30 compensation for any failed meter job.

Also are you paying for the exchange as most suppliers are installing smart meters for free?

From the sounds of things you probably have a 2 rate prepayment meter and want a 2 rate credit meter.

Unfortunately with the move to smart meters, there are now shortages of 2 rate meters, as well as Smets 2 and dumb credit meters. It's all a mess really.

Communications between suppliers and their metering teams are often a game of Chinese whispers and then you have from the metering team to the engineers so unfortunately these sort of issues are quite common

EDF change meter screw-up

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