Gas Meter Dodgy?

[googlenospam]

I am convinced our gas meter is miscalibrated and making us pay too much. It is a pay as you go card job. A year or two back British Gas said they were going to replace it - this was volunteered by them with no specific reason. They then said it had been put on hold and I never heard gain. Hence:

1) It is possible they know the meter has a problem and have neglected to do anything yet? 2) How can I get the device independently tested? I've seen in the press sometime that miscalibration does occur, but the last thing I want is for Transco to swap the meter and I'm left in the dark, I do not trust the owners of the thing to give me an honest result.

Skint but Warm

[Lobster]

I may be wrong, but isn't it the case that prepayment meters are easily set to whatever tarrif the supplier wants, and that whereas in the old days a supplier would simply cut off a bad bill-payer, nowadays they typically install a compulsory prepayment meter instead, set to a higher tarrif than normal in order to recoup the debt?

I don't know if (a) you particularly want the prepayment meter or (b) have had it forced on you by your supplier or (c) it was forced on a previous occupant who didn't pay.... but if it's (b) or (c) then it's entirely possible that you are paying over the odds.

Unless you have real problems budgeting for an ordinary credit meter (and you can pay by monthly direct debit), you'd be far better off asking the supplier to change to a credit meter instead if you can - charges are then much more transparent.

David

[Psst]

I presume we are talking about a pinky/brown coloured thng called a Quantum meter?.

First things first,the tariffs for prepayment meters such as yours are higher than those for credit meters

Second thing is,if you are buying your gas from British Gas then you are almost certainly paying too much so get yourself along to uswitch and check out how much you can save.

Do you owe a debt? is the meter deducting money towards a debt?

You can have your meter independantly tested at a department of Energy approved testing facility. You can request this via your gas supplier. If the meter is proved inaccurate,your account is adjusted. If the meter is found accurate,you receive a bill for the cost of removal and testing.

I would suggest that your meter is almost certainly ok and that your high gas account costs are related to my first two points.

Incidentally,i would be interested to know how often (if ever) you have to phone up becuase your meter says call help or otherwise doesnt function?

[David Hansen]

On 27 Jan 2007 02:28:29 -0800 someone who may be " [e-mail]" wrote this:-

Take a look at

see if you can change to them. That would probably halve the price you are paying. It is specifically designed not to discriminate against those with card meters, unlike the likes of British Gas who offer very expensive gas and rely on customer inertia to keep them in the style to which they are accustomed. See whether their ethical stance appeals to you though, it does not appeal to all.

They do operate through the incompetent wankers who own Scottish Hydro Electric and their equivalents down south, but they are a bit less incompetent and a bit less wankers than the cretins who work for British Gas (I am referring to the accounts departments, the engineering people are a different matter).

Ebico have also had problems where card meters have been set at high rates by the likes of British Gas who have "not got round to" setting them at the correct rate. However, in this situation Ebico have made credits to the accounts to get the prices back to where they should be until the meter can be set to the right rate.

Although Ebico and their sub-contractors are not perfect, compared to slimeball organisations like British Gas [1], they are a great step forward in terms of a sensible pricing structure and caring whether you remain a customer of theirs.

[1] in my view not fit and proper people to run any business which involves charging anyone money.