Gas Smart meter

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I have a question about how these meters work for anyone with any experience of them.

We only recently noticed that the meter is not sending data to the smart monitor in the kitchen, and when talking to the energy supplier they said I could get the reading off the meter display, but had to press button A to activate the display.

Pressing button A did not activate the display, so they said press button B for 10 seconds then press button A again - but still no display.

At this point the call handler checked our account and realised that there was no reading from the meter being registered on their system, and as it had not been registering for a while they would arrange for the meter team to come and check the meter - saying that this would take a while and may not even be this side of Xmas.
They went on to say that it if they meter display had 'died' and it was not transmitting to their system then it would probably not be possible to get any readings and they would probably have to estimate our gas usage for the period between the meters failure and its repair/replacement.

Is there a possibility that they are correct and that the meter is not recording usage if the display and smart transmitter have failed, could I be facing an estimate on the next bill.
 
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Is there a possibility that they are correct and that the meter is not recording usage if the display and smart transmitter have failed, could I be facing an estimate on the next bill.

Yes, if they are unable to obtain a meter reading.
 
Yet another backward step by 'technology' Get ready to have a lengthy argument with your supplier over their estimate of usage versus your estimate.
 
Once its back with them they can interrogate it and possibly get reading but they dont always attempt . The internal battery still has power in it otherwise your meter would have turned off
They will base estimate on historical reading over the past few years
 
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Thanks for your input guys.

Once its back with them they can interrogate it and possibly get reading but they dont always attempt . The internal battery still has power in it otherwise your meter would have turned off
They will base estimate on historical reading over the past few years
So the meter is still recording even though the display and transmitter aren't working, and it is possible for them to interrogate the meter?
Their customer service agent implied that was not the case.
If it is the case and I don't like their estimate I could insist that they do that and charge for actual usage - particularly as we have not been living in the property over a similar period in the past - we only moved here in the spring of this year.
 
Thanks for your input guys.


So the meter is still recording even though the display and transmitter aren't working, and it is possible for them to interrogate the meter?
Their customer service agent implied that was not the case.
If it is the case and I don't like their estimate I could insist that they do that and charge for actual usage - particularly as we have not been living in the property over a similar period in the past - we only moved here in the spring of this year.
COULD still be recording depending on fault . by time that happens the meter will be in the skip but the estimates are based on the same periods for previous year so if you didnt have a large bill for this time last year then it will be based on that but they always err on customers side they dont try ad take the pish
 
If you haven't been in residence for several years and if they have no way of interogating the meter then they have no historical basis for estimating a reading of your consumption. I suggest you get ready to argue your case.
 
If it is the case and I don't like their estimate I could insist that they do that and charge for actual usage - particularly as we have not been living in the property over a similar period in the past - we only moved here in the spring of this year.

If they cannot charge for actual usage, then they have to fall back on estimated use. If they have no historical figures, or your normal usage changed over the period in question, you have good cause to question their estimate and seek a lower figure.
 
Standard licence conditions apply here to your provider

“SLC21B
Suppliers must make online account management available on request. They must also provide historical consumption information to a customer or other person designated by the customer (e.g. third parties) and explain how a customer’s bill was derived if requested.”

Any estimated bill has to be based on your historical consumption data, not the property, but your consumption. If they cant do that they are required to estimate,what they believe the consumption may reasonably be expected to be.

You have the right to have the charges explained and how they arrived at that consumption data and this is your golden opportunity to negotiate a lower bill if you disagree with their estimate.

The enrgy ombudsman could come into play here so keep copies of all correspondence, emails, text messages etc. If communication is by telephone, ask them to put it in writing and take notes of who you speak to and when, dates, times, names etc. All of these calls to suppliers are recorded so can be referred to at a later date if necessary.

Ofgem has a disputes process and CAB can offer advice.
 

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