Electricity meter question

[Scotty boy]

The Mrs is now on maternity leave & so I've transferred the gas/ electric bills into my name. Sent my our latest meter reading & it's been the same since last year so I checked again & found out the electric meter is broke.

So my dilemma is, should I call them, change companies & hope they don't notice & then report it broke ???
http://www.ccmb.co.uk/images/smiley_icons/sherlock.gif

[Thomas Thomas]

Unfortunately you'll need to tell them as they'll find out anyway

Once they mend the meter they're likely to hit you with a large bill

Try and get this reduced - as a gesture of goodwill etc

Also, they will probably try and base the amount on the current prices

If the price has increased you should insist that some of the bill is based on the lower amount (if the price has gone down then you're probably better off keeping quiet about this)

Also, there are different summer and winter rates. Insist that part of the bill is based on the summer rate as this will be less

[Scotty boy]

Cheers, my issue is that my wife is off work now & we use loads more eletric. Last year no one would have been in the house Mon - Fri, 8 - 6. As you say, will probably need to negotiate this loads.... Never trust a woman to deal with the bills !! http://www.ccmb.co.uk/images/smiley_icons/hehe.gif

[dave jones attacking sub]

Best bet is to put the money aside of what you think you use. It depends how its broken as to whether they could find out what the dial should have done. Me personally i would ring the supplier and tell them that you dont plan to be incthe property anymore so could they put you on a nil standing charge tarriff. But im as dodgey as they come, and have worked for an electric company before.

[Barry Dragon]

It is their equipment so it is their responsibility. Surely someone came round to take a meter reading in the last year?

I would report it. What you do next depends how much you have been paying. It might be you are in credit, or you could owe them money. I would certainly not pay them any money, and would say they must owe you money. Tell them you have been away or around parents loads in the last year, so yo would not have used as much as expected. If you wing it right you could get a couple of hundred off you last years electricity.

[qccfc]

It is their equipment so it is their responsibility. Surely someone came round to take a meter reading in the last year?You've got to be in credit if your meter hasn't been working for a year.

[Scotty boy]

It's a dual bill, so we still pay Gas monthly to them. The mrs just had the direct debit going every month & thought it was all ok.

I'm dodgy too & just want to limit the expense as much as possible. However, my mrs wants to be honest as possible & that's my worry... http://www.ccmb.co.uk/images/smiley_icons/hehe.gif

They hardly check the meter these days & you just text the reading to them.

[qccfc]

It's a dual bill, so we still pay Gas monthly to them. The mrs just had the direct debit going every month & thought it was all ok. You have been paying a d/d so it should be out of control.

[Barry Dragon]

Just give them a ring. As long as you are nice I very much doubt they will try charging you more than you have already paid. But I would definitely try and get a refund. IF possible all the electricity you have paid for since it broke. Likelyhood is you will meet in the middle somewhere.

Before you get it fixed, get some gro lights and get a batch of smelly on the go.

[Scotty boy]

Sounds like the start of a new Breaking Bad series .... http://www.ccmb.co.uk/images/smiley_icons/Dsmile.gif

[Fatty Føggøn]

My utility co. fitted a new digital electricity meter a couple of years ago. It broke down during billing periods and I reported the fault to the co. via e-mail, but they never sent anyone for about 6 months, even after I and the meter guy had submitted meter readings in showing no change. They finally called and replaced the meter with the old analogue version.

[Former Labour leader]

My utility co. fitted a new digital electricity meter a couple of years ago. It broke down during billing periods and I reported the fault to the co. via e-mail, but they never sent anyone for about 6 months, even after I and the meter guy had submitted meter readings in showing no change. They finally called and replaced the meter with the old analogue version. My advice is report it, talk nicely to the electric company and if it is their fault you might be pleasantly surprised with the outcome.

[pathay]

Report it . It's their responsibility to examine and test these meters not yours. Having worked in the Industry I believe you will find theat they will just change it and providing the fault is not caused by interference by someone else then they will not charge you anything. I had the same experience a couple of years ago and they simply changed the meter. In my case they had estimated the reading throughout the year but then asked for a reading which showed the same reading as before. They cancelled all the estimated readings credited my account with the money I had paid and started again. Now from a legal point of view now that you know it's faulty if you continue to use electricity with the intention of avoiding paying for it you could get into serious trouble and charged with two criminal matters. Abstraction of Electricity, and false Accounting ( this is when you cause electricity to be used knowing the meter was not recording ) . Take my advise and pick up the phone and report it without delay.

[Banc Blue]

Report it . It's their responsibility to examine and test these meters not yours. Having worked in the Industry I believe you will find theat they will just change it and providing the fault is not caused by interference by someone else then they will not charge you anything. I had the same experience a couple of years ago and they simply changed the meter. In my case they had estimated the reading throughout the year but then asked for a reading which showed the same reading as before. They cancelled all the estimated readings credited my account with the money I had paid and started again. Now from a legal point of view now that you know it's faulty if you continue to use electricity with the intention of avoiding paying for it you could get into serious trouble and charged with two criminal matters. Abstraction of Electricity, and false Accounting ( this is when you cause electricity to be used knowing the meter was not recording ) . Take my advise and pick up the phone and report it without delay.Or wait until your kid is born and the Mrs is back in work http://www.ccmb.co.uk/images/smiley_icons/hehe.gif

I'm no expert but I can't see how it's down to you to pay for the repai/replacement of the meter as the supply company owns it not you.I reckon they will have to replace it and give you an estimated bill.

[Scotty boy]

Cheers for the advice, yeah will contact them & do a bit of negotiating

[pathay]

Cheers for the advice, yeah will contact them & do a bit of negotiating No need to negoiated . Just tell them you think your meter is faulty and no more. If the come back on you for payment which I don't think they will then that's when you should discuss it. The least you talk the less you put in their mind the better.

[ian gibson]

TO DELAY paying your electric bill, simply lock the electric-board man in the cupboard under the stairs whilst he reads the meter. This will not work if you have a coin meter.

[ElyBlueAJ]

I work for British Gas and believe me you'll end up paying for it one way or the other

The Mrs is now on maternity leave & so I've transferred the gas/ electric bills into my name. Sent my our latest meter reading & it's been the same since last year so I checked again & found out the electric meter is broke. Let us know the outcome