To think electric company threatening a warrant is not needed!

[MissMarvoloRiddle]

We've been with airtricity for the past year with no problems with our meter. It's an older pay as you go model but still in working order. Yesterday Northern Ireland Electricity (who airtricity work for) called to ask to replace the meter to which I told them was too short notice as we were just leaving for one of the DC's hospital appointments. They said that was fine and left a card to call back to rearrange. I've had a missed call today from an unknown number which turned out to be airtricity, they then called DH and told him that since we hadn't arranged a day they would getting a warrant! We've only had one day and this call was at 9:am this morning! Can they actually do this? AIBU this is extreme and not needed?

so when dh spoke to them did they arrange an appointment?

Are you sure they didn't say that if for some reason you did not let them in at all then they would need to get a warrant (which sounds more likely)?

The conversation started with them telling DH that they were getting a warrant but DH did make an appointment for them to come out. I just thought it was extreme for them to phone the next morning and threaten this.

its true- they can get a warrant

but dh sorted it

so they won't

am i missing anything?

The electricity company own the meter and can (and do) get warrants. Usually if people refuse access there is a reason for it and occasionally this reason is because they have tampered with the meter for free electricity which is a health and safety concern for neighbours.

Seems a bit ott since you only had a day. However don't all the meters need to be replaced by X date by law?

Sounds extreme, but yes, they can and do get warrants if they're refused access to their meters.

However, it's sorted now.

Energy supplies are not always the most sensible of people when it comes to these types of things.

I was involved in a case with a client at work, an energy supplier issued a warrant to disconnect the gas supply and subsequently forced access. The client in question did not have a gas supply at all and never had. They kept being logged as refusing access when people came to the door and they tried to explain they had no gas supply.

The stupidity of energy supplies in various other cases has still never ceased to amaze me.

I had a tiresome argument with another one trying to get someone out to fix someone's meter, apparently I am not qualified to decide if a electricity meter is broken or not. It was a digital display and looked the same as when the display on a calculator is smashed and you can just see the star shapes and no numbers. I accepted that yes I am not an expert but I am also not stupid, it was definitely broken - you couldn't read any numbers to provide a meter reading.

Some people wouldn't ever let them in, without court action.

As said, it can endanger your neighbours, if the meter, is faulty, or showing a fault in the supply.

They've got to use the same principle for everyone, even if, they can't get access, because of appointments/work etc.

They definitely threatened too early, not exactly nice customer service! Don't dwell on it though, they're just being arses judging you based on other people who haven't let them in. It will just come up as 'refused access' on their system rather than 'hospital appointment' etc for the real reason.

We're defiantly more than happy for it to be replaced, it's just yesterday we were literally going out the door when they called and this morning we hadn't had time to rearrange the appointment. Just thought it was a huge reaction for a misunderstanding. 😅