New Meter Cupboard Key

[Wooster]

On my estate the landlord is removing all the external meter cupboard doors that need the regular triangular key to open. In their place, white cupboard doors with (what seems to be) a standard key hole. See photo. Is this standard practice? Do the new doors all take the same key? If so, where can i buy one?

 

[ebee]

you need to ask your landlord

 

[333rocky333]

It could be what's known as an FB key, originally for the fire brigade to have access but you can now get them on Internet.
Only the person fitting it will know the correct answer

 

[morqthana]

Wooster - who is responsible for reading the meters?

 

[Murdochcat]

Is your meter in this cupboard?

If the answer is yes, you have a right to have a key

 

[ericmark]

I got into trouble with HSE over the triangular key on panel doors, some doors had the panel key left in the doors, and they said it would be too easy to remove the key from one door and fit it in another, lucky all they required me to do, was to remove all the keys in panels which there was no problem with any employee opening.

I have seen single insulated cables in meter cupboards, and we have on this forum talked about the problems, if an ordinary person, has assess to single insulated cables.

As to if a meter reader has enough training to be allowed access to single insulated cables is up for debate. And the same applies as to if an "in home display" (IHD) and a phone app is enough for a tenant to know how much energy he is using.

I as a retired electrician can't directly read my smart meter, does not really worry me, as I can read the app, and the IHD, and also have other metering devices, so don't really need to read the meter direct, and as to who I would complain to not sure, as British Gas fitted the meter, but I am now with Octopus, but really I should be able to read the meter.

I know where I work we have pad locks in pad locks, as some have my companies key or code, and others have the electric companies key, so either company has assess.

As to if the landlord has been told to change locks or not, we don't know, or why he has changed them, clearly you need to know how much energy you are using, maybe someone has omitted to change the doors to ones with windows in? But we on a forum are really not able to say why the locks have been changed, you need to ask the landlord.

 

[morqthana]

I as a retired electrician can't directly read my smart meter, does not really worry me, as I can read the app, and the IHD, and also have other metering devices, so don't really need to read the meter direct, and as to who I would complain to not sure, as British Gas fitted the meter, but I am now with Octopus, but really I should be able to read the meter.

All I know is that I'm with Octopus and they ask me for meter readings (non-smart meters) on a monthly basis. I'd be stuck if I was in rented accommodation and the landlord put a lock in my way.

 

[morqthana]

I know where I work we have pad locks in pad locks, as some have my companies key or code, and others have the electric companies key, so either company has assess.

I saw that idea once in a video on YT of some guy's property in the USA, (not a house), where there was a gate, secured by a chain wrapped around it and the post, which was secured by many linked padlocks - one for each utility, state agency, propane supplier, whatever, who needed access to the site.

 

[ericmark]

All I know is that I'm with Octopus and they ask me for meter readings (non-smart meters) on a monthly basis. I'd be stuck if I was in rented accommodation and the landlord put a lock in my way.

Pre-Smart meter, in fact even with a smart meter on a single rate tariff, I had no problem reading the meter, and clearly the buyer of the power, and the seller of the power both need to read the meter, but we don't know who buys the power, it would depend on the rental agreement. If all-inclusive, then the tenant is not really the buyer.

I was trying to be careful not to jump in saying how to swap the locks was wrong, which may be the case, it could be very wrong, but there also could be something which has not been declared.

My meter is in the flat under the main house, which the council keep trying to tell us is separate accommodation, in spite of them sharing the same water, oil, and electric supplies. And we need access into the flat to service the central heating and read the meter, if we did let out the flat, then we would have no assess to the consumer unit, electric meter etc. So clearly Powis council thinks it is OK to lock access to the electric meter.

 

[morqthana]

My meter is in the flat under the main house, which the council keep trying to tell us is separate accommodation

Because they want more in council tax?

 

[plugwash]

I had a similar issue in my previous place (private rented flat in housing association block), no key was provided to the meter cupboard and attempts to borrow one off a neighbour and take if for copying failed. The landlords agent did manage to get a "move-in", though I had no way to tell if it was accurate.

I did eventually manage to get one but it took a while. In the meantime the supplier just kept sending me bills based on a combination of estimates and readings taken by meter readers (who I presume got a key off one of the other residents).

 

[ericmark]

I noted when we moved in here, there was a key with GAS clearly printed on it left for us, with the triangle type end, but we don't have any external meter cupboard, or for that matter any gas.

 

[ebee]

Maybe it was an "Electric Meter Cupboard" Key but the only one to hand was marked Gas so that was the one that was used! ??

 

[helplessowner]

Ours, one key fits both the electric and gas meter boxes.
When we moved in, the existing key was helpfully left inside the locked gas meter box - no idea how they managed to lock it with the key inside, but we had to go and buy another key to get to it.

 

[ebee]

They might have had an additional key to lock it in?