Read your own gas/electric meter?
#1
Read your own gas/electric meter?
Do you?
I have been doing and have been given Nectar points by EDF for doing it.
They recently wrote to say the Nectar points will stop, but will I please continue to read my own meters?
Would you? I don't think I will, for nowt.
I have been doing and have been given Nectar points by EDF for doing it.
They recently wrote to say the Nectar points will stop, but will I please continue to read my own meters?
Would you? I don't think I will, for nowt.
#4
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iTrader: (1)
I read my own electricity meter
Mainly because they call during the day(when I'm at work) and leave a card saying they will call tomorrow
Then they call tomorrow and so on blah blah
After 2 tries they give up and you get an estimated bill
So now they call, I read metre that night, write on the calling card and stick to window for them to read the following day.
Mainly because they call during the day(when I'm at work) and leave a card saying they will call tomorrow
Then they call tomorrow and so on blah blah
After 2 tries they give up and you get an estimated bill
So now they call, I read metre that night, write on the calling card and stick to window for them to read the following day.
#5
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For a consumers benefit, it's always better to provide a Customer Actual than allow them to bill on an Estimated read.
If you miss the meter reader, a lot of companies send you a text / email to remind you to do it yourself and you just drop them a reply with the details to ensure it's a C.A without having to rely on a reader or hanging on the phone to speak to an operator.
The added nector points are a nice bonus, but I spose if you want to guarantee your utility bill is as close to correct as can be, it's in your own benefit to make sure it's done.
Saying that, I always forget to read the meter
If you miss the meter reader, a lot of companies send you a text / email to remind you to do it yourself and you just drop them a reply with the details to ensure it's a C.A without having to rely on a reader or hanging on the phone to speak to an operator.
The added nector points are a nice bonus, but I spose if you want to guarantee your utility bill is as close to correct as can be, it's in your own benefit to make sure it's done.
Saying that, I always forget to read the meter
#6
Moderator
iTrader: (1)
I always read them myself; I take a picture with the camera phone every month so I can stick the usage into my spreadsheet.
That way I track my usage, and know what the meter reading is roughly when they change the billing rates (notice whenever the rate changes to a higher amount, the reading done at the point of change is often estimated and done retrospectively, not giving you a chance to check....who is to say they weight more estimated use on the higher rate? ).
Put simply, I just don't trust them :
Plus if a pikey decides to tap-off my eleccy, I'll notice before I get the quarterly bill.
That way I track my usage, and know what the meter reading is roughly when they change the billing rates (notice whenever the rate changes to a higher amount, the reading done at the point of change is often estimated and done retrospectively, not giving you a chance to check....who is to say they weight more estimated use on the higher rate? ).
Put simply, I just don't trust them :
Plus if a pikey decides to tap-off my eleccy, I'll notice before I get the quarterly bill.
Last edited by ALi-B; 08 December 2010 at 04:23 PM.
#7
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iTrader: (1)
A smallish business we do some work for had this issue with the gas board; they didn't have a bill for over 12 months. Eventually the gas board sorted it out and then slapped them with a £12,000 bill!!!
If they can prove the reading before you moved in, (say from a previous billing point or final settlement) they'll hold you liable for the amount used from that point to the current reading. You can argue it if that last reading/billing point was for a long period before you moved in (which was the case with the business above), which will reduce the amount, but you won't get away with everything.
Just saying as a warning as its worth keeping in mind; These incompetants still want their money if they found out they are owed. I should know; it took me three attempts for the water board to get my address right, two attempts for the electric and five attempts for the gas! I was being billed; but the bills were not getting to my house as the address made no sense (luckily if its my usual postman, he knew which house it was, but if it wasn't, it'd probably end up in the bin).
Last edited by ALi-B; 08 December 2010 at 04:35 PM.
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#12
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We have one of those OWL meter things, really really interesting. Npower gave them away for free and I think other companies did.
I bought mine though and its great.
I bought mine though and its great.
#13
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Careful, when they do eventually pull their finger out they may decide to change you for that six month. Best keep some money aside for when they do.
A smallish business we do some work for had this issue with the gas board; they didn't have a bill for over 12 months. Eventually the gas board sorted it out and then slapped them with a £12,000 bill!!!
If they can prove the reading before you moved in, (say from a previous billing point or final settlement) they'll hold you liable for the amount used from that point to the current reading. You can argue it if that last reading/billing point was for a long period before you moved in (which was the case with the business above), which will reduce the amount, but you won't get away with everything.
Just saying as a warning as its worth keeping in mind; These incompetants still want their money if they found out they are owed. I should know; it took me three attempts for the water board to get my address right, two attempts for the electric and five attempts for the gas! I was being billed; but the bills were not getting to my house as the address made no sense (luckily if its my usual postman, he knew which house it was, but if it wasn't, it'd probably end up in the bin).
A smallish business we do some work for had this issue with the gas board; they didn't have a bill for over 12 months. Eventually the gas board sorted it out and then slapped them with a £12,000 bill!!!
If they can prove the reading before you moved in, (say from a previous billing point or final settlement) they'll hold you liable for the amount used from that point to the current reading. You can argue it if that last reading/billing point was for a long period before you moved in (which was the case with the business above), which will reduce the amount, but you won't get away with everything.
Just saying as a warning as its worth keeping in mind; These incompetants still want their money if they found out they are owed. I should know; it took me three attempts for the water board to get my address right, two attempts for the electric and five attempts for the gas! I was being billed; but the bills were not getting to my house as the address made no sense (luckily if its my usual postman, he knew which house it was, but if it wasn't, it'd probably end up in the bin).
#15
Scooby Regular
anyone seen the BG smart meters they are going to start fitting?
http://www.britishgas.co.uk/energy-e...-benefits.html
http://www.britishgas.co.uk/energy-e...-benefits.html
#16
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Posts: n/a
anyone seen the BG smart meters they are going to start fitting?
http://www.britishgas.co.uk/energy-e...-benefits.html
http://www.britishgas.co.uk/energy-e...-benefits.html
Dave
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