I assume they fitted it in an awkward space so

[HelloYouGuys]

They should take responsibility for any accidental injury or worse.

Ok. So my electricity meter was installed (before I moved in) roughly eight foot high.

I'm unable to use a ladder or anything else to read the meter, so I can't ring the numbers into the company's office.

The meter reader chap called in today to read the meter himself.

He would've been unable to see the numbers by not using anything to raise him.

When asked if his employer supplies him with a step ladder - or similar, for situations like this, he said that they didn't because of liability.
He was also told that if he used equipment to enable to be high enough to read the meter, and he fell and caused himself significant injury, then it was his fault.

Surely to heavens if the meter was installed at an unreasonable height, then the reader should be supplied with safe equipment to help them read and record the numbers, and then if the poor person was unlucky enough to come a cropper, someone should be liable to pay proper compensation?

I've asked (more than once) to have the meter moved... outside ideally.
I have always been refused.

If meter readers can't be compensated, then the meters should be moved to a place that doesn't require any equipment in order to read and record numbers, and no or low risk of injury to compensate.

Is there an answer to this dilemma.

A phone on a selfie stick?

That is ridiculous, I agree.

That wouldn't work, coz you need to use one of your hands to read each set of numbers = one set is daytime use, the other, night use.

Why can't a ladder be used?

What? Are they in Braille??

Why don’t you call your supplier and ask them to do a H&S resite which is lowering the meter by up to three meters (depending upon the tails)? They should have ladder trained engineers who can visit to carry out the work. Alternatively change it for a smart meter and, assuming it communicates, the readings will be sent remotely. If you want the meter outside, you’ll have to pay and it will be expensive.

I think the poster means it’s a multi rate meter and you need to press a button to change between rates to get all of the readings.

Seriously @PrettyYellow30 ?

Ours is about the same height (ceiling 275cm and box is in cupboard touching the ceiling). I have a dodgy foot so if I'm not up to climbing on a chair, I use a litter picker to open it, hold my phone as high as I can to take a photo and then zoom in. 😁

I dont think the employee who reads the meters should put himself at risk to read it. Not his fault its in a stupid place. Compensation rarely makes up for pain or suffering from an accident.

i don't understand why you can't provide on of those little stool/steps that are used in libraries.

I have one to reach the top of my kitchen cupboards. The meter man can use it if you are unable. Problem solved.

I'd rather not waste useful space on something that needs looking at once a quarter.

Ask for a smart meter?

This is exactly what all meter readers do here 👍

My aunts is in an equally ridiculous place, practically on the ceiling. Ironically she lives in a purpose built assisted living flat.
I've often wondered if it was designed like that to be out of reach, perhaps to reduce the risk of residents with dementia/alzheimer's fiddling with it. It causes issues constantly because the on site staff aren't allowed to use ladders, again in case of falls.

My electricity meter is similarly in a stupid place. In this case at the back of the cupboard under the stairs! I kid you not! Right at the back. Utterly stupid. I have to move the DIY stuff if it needs to be read. If you do get them to move yours could you update, as I would like mine moved to a more accessible place, and am interested in what your supplier says.

It's odd isn't it?
We have a gas meter that one has to lie on the floor to read whilst the electricity meter is at the back of of cupboatd which you can only read with a torch.

I suspect at the Meter Reader and Installer's Christmas Jamboree they have a whale of a time projecting slides of bizarre installations they have seen and fitting and have a real good old laugh.😂

I have an electric fuse board up in what almost looks like a bread box on the ceiling. I was with N power, they came out and screwed a board to the end of the kitchen cabinet unit and had the meter on it at easy reachable height, was like than with no issues for a decade.

N power the got sold to E.on and they came out and said it was suddenly unsafe as it had to be mounted 'on the wall' and 'next to' the fusebox. So now the meter is above the door, a much more inconvenient location.

Mine is at the back of a cupboard right at the bottom, you have to lie on the floor with a torch to read it

Us too. It's a right pain!

Thank you for all your thoughts and replies.

I always offer a means to reach the almost ceiling height meter box.

A selfie stick sounds like a good idea, but as another po said, you need to use a hand to switch the reading results from daytime use to night time use.

I can't simply ask whoever's to move it down, as it's above an entrance door.

It seems like an unsolvable problem, as I agree that the meter reader should not be put at risk, but then the question remains at how to get a meter reading without risking life or limb?

I do not wish to be asked "why", but a smart meter is not wanted.

Also, I can understand that moving the meter to an outside wall would be expensive, but what price is someone's life, or quality of life if they get seriously injured.

They're not allowed to use ladders because of the risk they might fall off - their employer won't pay insurance to cover them in this event. I've had a meter reader tell me exactly the same thing when I offered to let him use my ladder to read the meter.

I understand that, I meant why couldn't OP use a ladder to get the readings?

My previous meter was right at ceiling level so nearly 11ft up, I had to use an extra tall step ladder for readings. I requested a smart meter eventually and the issue was solved.

I did say in my very first post that I'm unable to use a ladder or anything else to access the meter to read the two sets of numbers.

I posted in the hope of finding an answer I hadn't thought of.

It's seems I'm not alone in the "difficult to access" meters.

Thank you again for all contributions.

2 selfie sticks, one to take photos and one to press the button?

I have to stand precariously on a toilet and reach up to take a picture of my electricity meter and crawl into a corner to take a photo of my gas meter which is in a corner of a kitchen cupboard.

A gas engineer I used to work with used a mirror on a stick, like those used for checking for car bombs.

Obviously you need to be able to read backwards.

Ours is right up by the ceiling in the garage. When people come to read the meter they just go up the step ladder we offer them. Not once have they questioned it or said they can't use a ladder.