Gas off - who do I phone?

[Jay]

A little off topic for the group but I hope someone can help.

I have a Quantum pre-pay gas meter and it has just cut off my gas and has the message "Battery" on its screen. I rang Southern Electric and their office is closed until Tuesday. I rang Transco who own the meter and they said they can only come fix it with a work order from Southern Electric!

On Southern Electrics voicemail it said in case of emergency contact your local network provider itemised on your bill.... but I havent had a bill from them....

Anyone got any ideas? Or am I without gas until Tuesday.

Thanks, Jay

[George]

0800 111 999

[Andy Cap]

Southern Electric's emergency number is 0845 770 80 90

HTH Andy

[George]

Thats the electricity number ya f...

[Jay]

I rang this number, they said they can't do anything unless there's a gas leak...

[Andy Cap]

Yes indeed. Sorry about that. Still it's a sort of power cut and no doubt they could point him in the right direction.

[Jay]

Useless ****ers gave me the number for transco who then gave me then told me that the battery in the meter is not their responsibility!

[George]

Theres only two anwsers to that then...change you're supplier or pay by standard metering. :-)

personally I'd change y supplier if they cant supply you with the product you need.

ps did you know that prepay customers are at the back of the que when it comes to problems with their gas or electric.

[Jim Alexander]

no idea whether it works but there is a Southern Electric number here for no gas which claims to put you through to their emergency centre.

A

[Jay]

Thanks, but that doesn't get my gas back on does it? :-)

I think I may just aquire a leak......

[George]

> Jim A

Read that PDF Jay particulary where it says if you report a fault with meter after hours then "We will come out the day after the fault is reported" if not we will pay you £20?

[Jay]

> Jim A

Thanks. :-)

[Si]

In message , Jay writes

Can you see what battery it needs? - you might be able to buy a replacement

[Jay]

I can't get into the meter it's sealed.

After speaking to National Grid and also Southern Electric the conclusion is that I have to wait until Tuesday.

[Colin Wilson]

I work for a REC (electric side), and can guarantee there should be contact numbers available relating to gas problems, no matter who you get to speak to.

If at first you don't succeed, ask for the supervisor - failing that, ask them for their name, and Energywatch's number (always gets their attention)

The meter is probably not owned by the supplier, they will employ either the local gas co. or Transco as a meter operator (equating it to the electric side).

You have a FAULT, not a bill related problem, so the meter operator should resolve it.

[Colin Wilson]

Not good enough IMO - you're off supply.

Get onto Energywatch, and start demanding payments under the guaranteed standards of service :-)

For some reason my site is playing up, so the page might not be available for a few hours pending investigation, but...

(it's an old doc, but most of it will still be valid)

[George]

Exactly,the phone call was probably directed to the continent whom the person would read the bumpff from a book.

The aggreement with any supplier is 24 hours to get it sorted even on bankholidays.

[Frank Erskine]

Doesn't all this go to show how cocked-up the privatisation of the energy industry is...?

AFAIAC, I buy my energy from one supplier. This supplier is responsible to me regardless of their "sub-contractor" (Transco in this case), even if such is a monopoly. It shouldn't be up to me as the end user to chase around my supplier's supplier. If I buy a rotten egg from Sainsbury's, should I be complaining to the egg farmer (or even the responsible hen!)?

This concept of 'meter operators' as a body seems ludicrous.

The company to whom you pay your energy charges is TOTALLY responsible to you for continuity of supply. If they fail in this, you seem to have a case for compensation.

[Colin Wilson]

No-one said they made a good job of it :-}

Way back when, things might have been a bit slow at times to happen, but the odds were that it was being done by the book, and with full consideration as to the integrity of the network...

Now look at it, where you have sub-contractors who are allowed to work on a RECs network (quite possibly without the REC knowing where they are), and IDNO sites ("independant distribution network operator" - a way of gaining revenue for laying the final 200 yards of network !) - the REC isn't allowed to work on those parts of the network either, but I wonder what will happen 10 years down the line when customers go off supply and they can't find who owns it any more, or anyone who can repair it in a hurry (in line with the industry standards on customer minutes lost)...

[Colin Wilson]

It should of course be: