Untitled

[BHANNAE]

Am not entirely sure this is the place for it but...

I am getting seriously peeved with the ridiculous amount of gas and electric meter readers that visit my house.

I am all for the fact they have a job to do and have always accomodated them (safety gated the kids away, moved the dog out of the back porch into the garden and got on all fours whilst heavily pregnant to remove the casing that my dh built round the meter finishing off by offering a cup of tea)

HOWEVER I have just had my THIRD visit since Friday(two from gas but apparently with a different company) and am mightily annoyed so have told them to bugger off. I got a snotty 'we have to come in' to which I replied that they have no right to tell me who enters my property, they said that they would have to leave a note about my unhelpfullness and refusal so I pointed to the letterbox and said so post it then shut the door and locked it.(I had already explained that he was the third one but apparently that made no odds)I would not have been so rude had he not been arsey with me though plus I have a growth scan and hospital appointment this afternoon so time was an issue.
My bills are always paid and not once have the readings reflected the true usage.I had one bill for nigh on £700 which turned out to be £97 lol.As a rule someone comes once every three months to read them but I have been told thet once every two years for gas is all that is required.
My friend lives a bit down the road and hs not seen a meter reader in 7 years so why are they queuing up at my door
Can anyone tell me my legal obligations and just to make it worthy of being in this topic was IBU to tell him to bugger off?

I forgot to put a title in lol.Sorry.

I would phone your gas supplier and explain what is happening and get them to look why your meter is being read every day.

Sorry should have added i hope your scan goes alright this afternoon.

Bhannae - this was happening to me about 6 months ago. When I rang my supplier it transpired that when I changed suppliers years before, the original supplier had forgotten to tell their subcontracted meter reading firm to terminate readings. So although readings were being taken, they were being sent into the ether. When you ring up you need your contract supply number and your meter number. Next time a reader comes ask them for the reference number they have for your property as this will pin it down.

HTH

Bhannae - this is totally ridiculous and you are not obligated to let them in at all, especially when on your own - I think they have to get a true reading every 3 years but other than that you are totally within your rights to refuse entry and can schedule another time. They do not HAVE to come in and you can give them your own reading anyway.
Next time someone is arsey with you, look at their id and take a note of their name and number etc then call the company to complain.
We haven't had a proper reading for 2.5 years and the bills were way out (not as nice as yours though) We ended up paying over 750 last Winter .

maybe they all heard you offer tea?

Provide your own meter readings online or phone in

Stop offering cups of tea (bet thats noted down and why they cue at your door)

If your rushed for time, open the door say you dont know where the meter is, come back another time and shut door no discussion...dont explain or you will get dragged into a discussion that lasts as long as a reading would

Good luck with the scan

God knows - I actually called to find out why they hadn't read our meter as I was sick of getting inaccurate bills, and was told that they'd been but I was out - complete lie as the meters are outside anyway !! Seems very unfair that some are inundated and others ignored!

Pisses me off too. I tell them it is not a convenient time and no sorry they can't come in. I did that a couple of times and they seem to leave us alone now. I mean, how can I stop halfway through tea time to check that some guy is doing what he says he's doing and not like robbing the house or something?

Three does seem excessive. And I think you are fine to deny access. Afterall what happens when you're not in, they just leave a note and you bill arrives with an estimate!

Wisteria - I had the same problem, I have external meters(right next to each other), gas and electric are supplied by same company and yet either on or the other is calculated on an estimated reading - rang up and complained in the end as the bills were wildly wrong!

hope they weren't as bad as ours, £750 after you've just moved house is not good!

Thanks everyone for the replies.

I think its time to stop the tea!
Funnily enough, I have changed suppliers in the last 6 months so this will probably factor in-thanks Balls
I always send in my own readings anyway as the bills are miles off everytime so am just going to refuse in future.
I spoke to my Dad today and he said the job is commission based so thats probably why they are so desperate to get in!

Thanks for the kind wishes re the scan. I haven't been back long as I had to meet with the team.
Baby weighed in at a whopping 5lbs 4oz at 30 weeks so looks like Im in line for another biggie

I never understand why so many of them need to come round... I'm with scottish power and I provide my own readings online, and yet I seem to get about four a month coming round.

Have you checked there badge for id? as it sounds odd, ours come to check the meter but must have super eyesight as they jot something down and then drive off we then get bill with outrages units