Meter readings

[Dave2002]

I can't read my gas meter. It's set a long way back under the stairs, so reading it involves crawling on the floor and even then my eyesight isn't good enough to see it. Last time I made a fuss, and they did send someone. Rather dreading going through all this again soon when my next reading is due. I hate estimated readings.

For our electricity meter I now use a battery pack plus a USB light to illuminate the area - a torch is less good because it has to be held and I need my hands for the next step. Then I photograph the meter as well as I can, which may take several attempts, and finally I then zoom in to the captured image and read the numbers off.

[Sir Velo]

Funnily enough we've never had any problems with having our meter readings accepted. Some years ago they used to estimate our usage and set up a monthly direct debit on that basis. It would always be the way that in the winter when, surprise, surprise, usage went up, that the direct debit would increase to about £200 pcm. When it came to Spring and lighter days, warmer weather etc, surprise, surprise the DD never came down correspondingly - can't imagine why - until we rang to complain. Used to get some cr@p about oh, your last month's usage was £200. I would then point out that the last month was February and now we were in April and that the weather was 10 degrees warmer and, therefore, our energy usage was less.

Consequently, it made sense to switch to monthly payments based on exact readings. Of course, this means that expenditure goes from about £50 (combined gas/electricity) in high summer to about £200 pcm in the depths of winter, but at least we are in control and we're not contributing to assisting the energy company's cash flow.

[mangerton]

I wonder how one gets one's gas meter moved outside the house? When I had the central heating installed, that's where the meter was fixed, and I imagine all new builds would have it there.

One gets in touch with an outfit called nationalgrid (formerly known as Transco) and asks them to move it. Of course, they will charge for doing this, and the cost will vary according to the difficulty of the job.

Edit: I've just had a look at their website, and parts of it out-Birt Birt of the BBC. It features the word "trilemma" which I'd never met until today, and includes this:

"Transparent holistic paths through uncertain landscapes to help Government, our customers and other stakeholders make informed decisions."

Changed days indeed from "The gasman cometh"!

[P. G. Tipps]

I wonder how one gets one's gas meter moved outside the house? When I had the central heating installed, that's where the meter was fixed, and I imagine all new builds would have it there.

National Grid will do it very efficiently though it will cost you a few hundred. Details on its website.

I had my gas meter moved outside in March for £600-odd pounds. I had a 'surveyor' out first. Then a gang to dig a hole outside followed by the actual meter movers. Then another gang of men to fill the hole back in! Expect to also pay for an electrician to make sure the new meter is ' equipotential bonded' with the electrical supply. I was left an official card by the meter-movers to do this and paid an electrician £117 to finally tell me there was no need as the original bonding inside had not been touched! He did give me some good advice though advising me to paint the new bare copper pipes attached to the outside meter to reduce the likelihood of theft.

Well worth it, though, to cease waiting in all day for meter-readers or, as in my particular case, to also prepare for a kitchen renovation.

PS: I see mangerton beat me to it!

[Anastasius]

It's not always plain sailing as it depends on how easy it is to isolate your gas supply from other properties. If other properties need to be also isolated then they can get fussy as they need to make sure pilot lights in those properties are relit which can be difficult due to holidays of occupiers etc.

Unless they have a team who are trained to work on a live supply

[Serial_Apologist]

It's not always plain sailing as it depends on how easy it is to isolate your gas supply from other properties. If other properties need to be also isolated then they can get fussy as they need to make sure pilot lights in those properties are relit which can be difficult due to holidays of occupiers etc.

Unless they have a team who are trained to work on a live supply

Presumably the brightest sparks.

(Shocking, innit...)

[antongould]

Having worked in the industry, man and boy, for 45 years I could write a book or more correctly a horror story. The privatisation of the industry has left it a shadow of its former self in terms of efficiency and control especially on the supply side.
If I were to offer advice it would be, yes, to read your meters weekly, if you can reach them, and check your bills against the readings as readers and clerical staff are "not what they were"....
Also check monthly if you are with the cheapest supplier and if not - move to the now cheapest. There is - really - a very fair chance you will get lost in, what is laughably called the system, and will not get billed again until Jezza Corbyn re-nationalises the mess!!! If "they" do catch up with you the most they are allowed to bill you is back for a year - so with your readings and your charges in a CD fund you are safe.
But it's a book already ........

[wenotsoira]

OVO are pretty good and one of the cheapest. I send them on line readings every moth and my monthly (DDR) bill has stayed the same for at least 3 years.

I hope it all gets nationalised eventually under the leadership of our wonderful Jeremy Corbyn who I've already voted for. (Get rid of those dreadful Tories and their pals the LibDems, all of whom are conmen [and women]).

[alycidon]

That's interesting, Anton. Thirteen years ago we moved into a new bungalow in a new development, were there for sixteen months, and did not receive one single electricity account. Oh, I tried so hard to pay, but nobody was interested and we knew who our supplier was, which was the really odd thing.

Needless to say, when we moved, I appraised both my solicitor and the purchaser of the property of the situation, giving all relevant meter readings, etc., but I doubt that anything much happened. Perhaps a lesser mortal might have made capital out of such a situation, but I like to do everything by the book.

[P. G. Tipps]

Having worked in the industry, man and boy, for 45 years I could write a book or more correctly a horror story. The privatisation of the industry has left it a shadow of its former self in terms of efficiency and control especially on the supply side.
If I were to offer advice it would be, yes, to read your meters weekly, if you can reach them, and check your bills against the readings as readers and clerical staff are "not what they were"....
Also check monthly if you are with the cheapest supplier and if not - move to the now cheapest. There is - really - a very fair chance you will get lost in, what is laughably called the system, and will not get billed again until Jezza Corbyn re-nationalises the mess!!! If "they" do catch up with you the most they are allowed to bill you is back for a year - so with your readings and your charges in a CD fund you are safe.
But it's a book already ........

Oh come on. at least privatision is exciting and 'challenging'!

My bills from NPower have varied from £111 per month to £"29 per month within a year. They keep telling me I'm hundreds of pounds in credit but they still keep charging me, bless 'em. And, oh, that customer service ... wonderful! Still, it's not a patch on BT's where you speak to a nice, friendly-sounding lady computer who never seems to understand what you are saying so you end up right back where you started at the press-button stage. Oh, what fun!

And that spoilsport Corbyn wants to return us to the boring old days of nationalisation when you get a grumpy, uninterested-sounding human-being instead who tells you to sod-off because he's on a work-to-rule and just about to attend a strike-committee meeting?

Some folks are never content ...

[wenotsoira]

What we need is a re-incarnation of Margaret Thatcher, and that will put a chill up yer spine, not to mention the stream of diarrhoea that will block your brain connections and give all them politicos the excuse to insist on the death penalty for all those over 55 years of age ... (and PG tips is rotten tea ... (wink)).

[ahinton]

What we need is a re-incarnation of Margaret Thatcher

Who are "we"? Having a PM who has not only heard of but actually played some Bartók isn't everything, you inow!

and that will put a chill up yer spine

Only up to the point of emigration.

not to mention the stream of diarrhoea that will block your brain connections and give all them politicos the excuse to insist on the death penalty for all those over 55 years of age

To be carried out by those of under that age, under controlled conditions? That would be a not dissimilar impossibility to that which would arise were just 1 in 10 of all the world's refugees to come to any given western European country...

(and PG tips is rotten tea ... (wink)).

Nonsense! It's not "tea" at all! Not even Scot-tea...

[wenotsoira]

They have never drunk (notice that word) tea in Scotland.

P S the Scot-tea dogs are OK - if not a little aggressive, but then their human? examples are a bad example. (wink ...)

[antongould]

Q

That's interesting, Anton. Thirteen years ago we moved into a new bungalow in a new development, were there for sixteen months, and did not receive one single electricity account. Oh, I tried so hard to pay, but nobody was interested and we knew who our supplier was, which was the really odd thing.

Needless to say, when we moved, I appraised both my solicitor and the purchaser of the property of the situation, giving all relevant meter readings, etc., but I doubt that anything much happened. Perhaps a lesser mortal might have made capital out of such a situation, but I like to do everything by the book.

Sadly your experience is far from unique - one, of many, stories to illustrate how messed up the industry is with new supplies. A friend of Lady Gould's split up from her husband and he went to live on a new estate and boasted he had never received a gas or electricity bill. After more than a year I decided to take a further look having already established we did not supply the estate. I contacted a manager of the supplier of the estate and after about a week he got back to me to express his amazement that only 10% of the houses were being billed and these were the homes of honest citizens who had contacted the supplier!
So what we have is honest people subsidising others .... Scotty would, I presume, say free market rules OK ...

[alycidon]

Yes. Scotty most certainly would say that! Anyhow, where is Scotty? Did I read somewhere that he goes under a different pseudonym now?