Legal obligation to replace electricity meter

[HoofHearted]

We've avoided the repeated exhortations and incentives from Eon to "upgrade" our meter to a smart meter but they're now trying a new tack. We've had an email which says:-

Your electric meter has reached the end of its life. When this happens there’s a legal obligation to check and exchange your meter with a new one

Has anyone encountered this?

I will of course be asking them for the relevant statute

They do say that we can still opt for a normal meter, so that will be our ultimate choice although I don't feel in any great hurry.

As an aside I notice they've not upgraded their "incentives" (You can choose between a free Costa Coffee eGift or opt to have a tree planted in your name with our partner, the charity One Tree Planted)

[Zigenare]

We've avoided the repeated exhortations and incentives from Eon to "upgrade" our meter to a smart meter but they're now trying a new tack. We've had an email which says:-



Has anyone encountered this?

I will of course be asking them for the relevant statute

They do say that we can still opt for a normal meter, so that will be our ultimate choice although I don't feel in any great hurry.

As an aside I notice they've not upgraded their "incentives" (You can choose between a free Costa Coffee eGift or opt to have a tree planted in your name with our partner, the charity One Tree Planted)

Well, for a start, you don't own the meter.

[Paralytic]

You've answered your own question. Yes, they can enforce an update if its EOL. No, they cannot force you to take a smart meter (yet).

What I suspect will happen, once the market gets competitive again, is that the best deals will only be available to those on smart meters, and that incentive will be of more value than a cup of coffee.

[xoggoth]

Glad you posted this. Reminded me I have not had a request for a meter reading for ages. My smart meter doesn't work, so they can't be using that.

PS Hmm, checked my account and it says readings taken by Smart Meter. How did they get it working again??? Anyway, I'm £335 in credit.

[ladymuck]

Electricity (and Gas) meters have a finite life span after which time their ability to accurately record consumption wanes. This could mean you're under or over reporting your energy use. The supplier is under a legal obligation to effect a swap out to ensure that customers are not incorrectly charged.

[malvolio]

Glad you posted this. Reminded me I have not had a request for a meter reading for ages. My smart meter doesn't work, so they can't be using that.

PS Hmm, checked my account and it says readings taken by Smart Meter. How did they get it working again??? Anyway, I'm £335 in credit.

It's not working because your indoor monitor isn't talking to it, or not working at all? Check your online billing and see if the readings are estimates or not. The meter will still talk to its owners, even if you can't see it.

If they are estimates and the meter is faulty, I suggest you get it sorted. One day they will get an accurate figure...

[northernladuk]

Glad you posted this. Reminded me I have not had a request for a meter reading for ages. My smart meter doesn't work, so they can't be using that.

PS Hmm, checked my account and it says readings taken by Smart Meter. How did they get it working again??? Anyway, I'm £335 in credit.

Submit your own meter readings then. Best do that and avoid any suprises/problems rather than let them drag on forever.

[wattaj]

Glad you posted this. Reminded me I have not had a request for a meter reading for ages. My smart meter doesn't work, so they can't be using that.

PS Hmm, checked my account and it says readings taken by Smart Meter. How did they get it working again??? Anyway, I'm £335 in credit.

So, on this, I took a quick look at my "smart meter" a few weeks ago... it does NOT appear to have been recording my gas usage.

I called Scottish Power to let them know that I'm not being charged and was given the run around. I guess that's what one gets for trying to be helpful. Anyway, I have now arranged for an engineer type person to come along and fix it... the earliest appointment is June.

As far as I can tell, it looks as though I've had free gas since October.

[malvolio]

So, on this, I took a quick look at my "smart meter" a few weeks ago... it does NOT appear to have been recording my gas usage.

I called Scottish Power to let them know that I'm not being charged and was given the run around. I guess that's what one gets for trying to be helpful. Anyway, I have now arranged for an engineer type person to come along and fix it... the earliest appointment is June.

As far as I can tell, it looks as though I've had free gas since October.

Ours failed a while back, and BG merely continued using estimates. Only when we got a silly end of period bill did we realise what was happening. Sent them a current reading and the bill was amended, in our favour as it happened. Meanwhile the meter was visited by their engineer who had to replace it with a later model (ours couldn't take the firmware upgrade apparently) and has worked properly ever since.

But whatever happens, you will eventually get a bill for the gas used since the last warranted reading, so best to chase them up.

[wattaj]

But whatever happens, you will eventually get a bill for the gas used since the last warranted reading, so best to chase them up.

One would think so, but I've been told that I "won't be charged" for my gas usage... indeed, how could they with no record of that usage... we shall see how that turns out once the meter has been fixed. Any attempt to estimate a bill will be met with a curt FRO... again, we shall see how that turns out.