Gas meter not working

[Haunchy]

Our gas meter was a smart one when we moved in here a few years ago but we changed supplier so it just became a dumb meter.

I give meter readings each month which then generates an online bill. Was due to give readings on the 1st but when I went to read the gas meter the display was blank, no matter what buttons etc I pressed there was nothing. Its like the battery has ran out or something?

I've emailed our supplier but haven't heard anything back yet, gas is obviously still working but just worried that my readings will be lost and I'll end up with a horrendous bill.

Based on this article, gas smart meters are powered by batteries that are supposed to last at least ten and on average about fifteen years. They're supposed to send a signal to your supplier before this happens, so that in most cases an engineer can be sent out to replace the battery before it dies.

According to the article some people have had problems in that the gas has shut off when the battery went, but this shouldn't happen - as in your case, battery failure shouldn't cause the valve to shut off, but just causes the meter to stop, well, metering.

I assume, though I can't easily find a reference for this, that the meter failing will be a problem for the supplier: they won't be able to prove how much, if any, energy you have used since you last submitted a reading.

www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/bills/article-8850277/Will-smart-gas-meter-suddenly-die-Christmas.html

Good luck. We had exactly the same issue and have been waiting since April last year for anyone to come and fix ours... We are currently waiting to see if ofgem will step in

My 89 year old Mum has the same problem with SO Energy. We have been trying to get her energy company to do something about it since early last year, IIRC- she has had bills showing zero gas usage all that time. Even the meter reader said it wasn't working and he would report it. Nothing. They answered no emails until DH emailed just before Christmas that this time if they didn't answer in x working days he'd complain formally.
And they did answer. They 'required' (their word) my Mum to photograph and film the gas meter before they would do anything. So basically they are 'requiring' an 89 year old lady, who is listed with them as vulnerable, to climb stepladders and photograph their **ing meter with a camera she hasn't got, when she hasn't used a camera since she had a box brownie, then, whilst still on the ladder, press a button on the meter while filming it at the same time with a video camera she also has not got. Then send the film and the photo to them, when she can't master emails never mind attachments. Oh, and they still haven't amended her account to reflect that she was widowed in August (we told them at once when it happened) so the account and bills are all still in Dad's name.😡

(We have already told them that pushing said button gets no response- I fail to see the point of filming a meter that isn't doing anything- maybe I should send the a video of paint drying, it would be far more exciting.)

Wow, @BlueMongoose that's pretty poor. Time for that formal complaint!