Broken meter - no ones wants to fix?!

GreyGoat · 15 January 2019 at 4:16PM

Hi all,

Avid reader but first-time poster, just after any advice as i am going round in circles.

I purchased my house approx. 2 and 1/2 years ago, signed up with my provider and gave readings.

6 months later i gave the electric reading and i was advised on the online portal it was too low, someone called and said they needed to send an engineer.

The engineer came out and said it looked as though the meter had stopped and he needed to send someone else out to replace the meter.

All fine and no problems, however it took over 2 months for the second engineer to come out. When he did, he advised the meter was an older type with no fire board behind which i am told now is regulation. He went onto state there is simply no room to fit a fire board under the stairs and even if there was, he was too big to change the meter.

He left and i was contacted about 4 weeks later and advised it was not my providers problem and to speak to UKPN.

UKPN have said they want £3,000 to move the meter (i have nowhere for it to go as the garage has now been converted) plus I don’t want to pay £3000 for something that isn't my fault to be honest.

I have now had my driveway re-done at a cost of over £10,000 and it is not possible to dig up the driveway without replacing the entire thing.

I have explained this to my provider who have simply said not our problem.

They continue to send people out to read the meter and i am charged about £50 a quarter for electric, my gas is approx. £300 a quarter.

I am not trying to cheat anyone but I don’t see any alternative other than spending what will be approximately £13,000 to simply start paying for electric!

I have always had a direct debit set up of £150 per month and now my account shows in excess of £1500 in credit...

Any ideas / thoughts / anyone else been in a similar situation? It doesn’t feel right not paying for something i am using but i really am at a loss.

thanks

chesky · 15 January 2019 at 4:51PM

There's an energy ombudsman who you could eventually appeal to but you have to have gone through the formal complaints procedures first.

[Deleted User] · 15 January 2019 at 5:43PM

Here are my thoughts on your problem.As a meter reader for 20 years the problem of stopped electric meters is a very common one.The worst meter is the small white digital meters made by Ampy and Landys and Gyr have an identical copy of the same meter. They stop at an alarming rate..Over the year I find an average of one a week give up the ghost and go blank screen
On my rounds I have at least 6 customers who have had a stopped electric meter for many years.They are very happy with this situation. They pay a probably quite low fixed estimate which then means they can use as much electricity as they want because their properties are unmetered. One occupier admitted he heats his property with electric fires to keep his gas bills down.
The suppliers are usually either EDF ( the worst ) or Scottish Power, who don t seem to be able to manage to arrange with their meter fitters to come and replace their faulty £10 Ampy meters.
I can t remember seeing electric meters not mounted on some sort of backboard Most are wooden with some on some sort of Asbestos larger boards for commercial meters.
Edit..if your meter is an old analogue meter which has stopped it will be the Sangamo Weston meter which will stick when the last 3 digits are on 999..A heavy thump on the side of the meter will restart it..

Bigphil1474 · 16 January 2019 at 10:17AM

Get a refund from your energy supplier - put it away somewhere safe and get the interest yourself. Put a bit in each month for the leccy you aren't paying for. Let them carry on being underpaid - you are paying for what you are being metered for. Eventually, they'll do something, in which case you've got the money in the bank if there's any cost to you.

tacpot12 · 16 January 2019 at 10:34AM

You could probably fit a fire board yourself. The issue is probably that the supplier only has one size of board and it is that size of board that won't fit. So make you own custom-sized board from 12mm ply faced with 6mm of concrete board (Aquapanel). Use short lengths (5-10mm) of pvc pipe between the wall and the back of the board. If the existing meter has concealed fixings you will need to drill the holes for mounting the board then get the engineer back to fit your board for you. Might take a bit of negotiation, but you should get there in the end.

GreyGoat · 18 January 2019 at 2:34AM

Thank you all,

Tacpot - Great idea i hadn't thought of this i will ask a friend to see if he can put a fire board in, i hope the electricity company wont question if it is regulation or not?

Bigphil - They want the last meter reading and it doesn't fit into the automated system so they ask me to call and we go round in circles. I keep the DD going as they can never argue i wasnt trying to pay etc. I have read about the 12 month 'rule' in which case the bill can't be more than £1k which they owe me already!

Houbara - yes it is one of the white meters i think, not sure of the make but sounds very much like one of the ones you describe.

Just a silly situation to be in which is frustrating!

Thomas_Edison · 19 January 2019 at 6:07PM

I'd go with it currently being dangerous if it's now regulation to have a fire board.

As such your supplier should raise it with UKPN and they then normally have 40 days to contact you about this.

Your supplier can't do the work if the service head/ main fuse need moving as this is the responsibility of UKPN

JC_Derby · 19 January 2019 at 9:51PM

Thomas_Edison wrote: »

I'd go with it currently being dangerous if it's now regulation to have a fire board.

As such your supplier should raise it with UKPN and they then normally have 40 days to contact you about this.

Your supplier can't do the work if the service head/ main fuse need moving as this is the responsibility of UKPN

Unfortunately the backboard is not owned by the DNO, it is the customers property as is the meter box(not relevant in this situation obviously) so UKPN do not have to do anything.
Personally I’d also be inclined to do nothing

OPMDaze · 20 January 2019 at 2:28PM

I'd get a refund then close the bank account open a new one and change to paying by receipt of bill quarterly over the counter. Not your fault and I wouldn't give them the opportunity of going into your bank account for arrears. Sounds like a dream situation to me.

Thomas_Edison · 20 January 2019 at 5:49PM

If the DNO's equipment is on the meter board then they're the ones who would need to replace it as you can't move their equipment.

www.
ukpowernetworks.co.uk/electricity/replace-meter-board

I think this is what you mean by fire board, but never seen one without a meter board before.

GreyGoat · 21 January 2019 at 6:20PM

Thomas - yes that is what it is lacking i believe, the meter is fixed directly onto the wall...

Thank you all, they have said that as the meter is not working they cannot offer a refund now! i think the balance sits at £1,600 in credit, i think i will just cancel the d/d and let it eat into the credit for a year, shame really.

Broken meter - no ones wants to fix?!

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