I have had a smart meter for yoncs, which I know is feeding regular
readings back to base, but this morning had a meter reader appear at
the door. The last reading the received was just the Sunday past. Am I
missing something, I thought the SM's were supposed to obviate the need
for the readers to go round?

Harry Bloomfield wrote:

I have had a smart meter for yoncs, which I know is feeding regular
readings back to base, but this morning had a meter reader appear at
the door. The last reading the received was just the Sunday past. Am I
missing something, I thought the SM's were supposed to obviate the need
for the readers to go round?

I had one visit from an actual meter reader while my meters were smart
(they're back to dumb now) he only wanted to see the gas, I offered him
to see the electric while he was there (same supplier) in case it
avoided an extra visit in future, but he refused.

I suppose it's more about safety and fraud prevention, than meter
readings ...

Andy Burns explained on 20/02/2018 :
I suppose it's more about safety and fraud prevention, than meter readings
...

Maybe - as I was out there anyway dealing with wheelie bins, I opened
the cupboards for him and did the reads for him. He read both meters,
both from the same supplier.

On 20/02/2018 17:34, Chris Hogg wrote:
On Tue, 20 Feb 2018 17:14:55 GMT, Harry Bloomfield
wrote:

I have had a smart meter for yoncs, which I know is feeding regular
readings back to base, but this morning had a meter reader appear at
the door. The last reading the received was just the Sunday past. Am I
missing something, I thought the SM's were supposed to obviate the need
for the readers to go round?

I thought they did a visit once a year just to make sure it was all
working properly and transmitting the right readings.


Ofgem repealed in 2016 the obligation to (try to) check every meter
every 2 years. They reckoned other safety/security obligations were
sufficient these days. We've had only one look at the indoor smart
meter - and none for the past 5 years.

--
Robin
reply-to address is (intended to be) valid

OK they do say they reserve the right to check it, but what can a meter
reader do other than read the display of what they must have been able to
get by their link unless there is a major bug we do not know about.
Maybe its been hacked for bit coin processing.. grin.
Luckily I still have a dumb meter and still need a reader to come.

I'm sure any day now one will turn up when I'm out leave a written card and
they will dd my account for too much money even though I'm on the priority
client list to be contacted by email should they need to come by.

Brian

--
----- -
This newsgroup posting comes to you directly from...
The Sofa of Brian Gaff...

Blind user, so no pictures please!
"Harry Bloomfield" wrote in message
news
I have had a smart meter for yoncs, which I know is feeding regular
readings back to base, but this morning had a meter reader appear at the
door. The last reading the received was just the Sunday past. Am I missing
something, I thought the SM's were supposed to obviate the need for the
readers to go round?

On Tue, 20 Feb 2018 20:46:30 -0000, "Brian Gaff"
wrote:

OK they do say they reserve the right to check it, but what can a meter
reader do other than read the display of what they must have been able to
get by their link unless there is a major bug we do not know about.

They check the security seals on the meters and the main supply fuse, also the
condition of the flexible stainless pipe on the gas supply.

Possibly the integrity of the earth bonding too.
--

In article ,
The Other Mike writes:
On Tue, 20 Feb 2018 20:46:30 -0000, "Brian Gaff"
wrote:

OK they do say they reserve the right to check it, but what can a meter
reader do other than read the display of what they must have been able to
get by their link unless there is a major bug we do not know about.

They check the security seals on the meters and the main supply fuse, also the
condition of the flexible stainless pipe on the gas supply.

Possibly the integrity of the earth bonding too.

Not for decades.
Replaced my parents' CU in 1999, and made a call asking for supply
fuse to be resealed. After a couple of years and several meter readers,
it hadn't been done, so I called again. It was still on file, but meter
readers no longer do it, so almost 20 years later (and many meter
readers), it's never been done.

--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]

Andrew Gabriel explained :
Not for decades.
Replaced my parents' CU in 1999, and made a call asking for supply
fuse to be resealed. After a couple of years and several meter readers,
it hadn't been done, so I called again. It was still on file, but meter
readers no longer do it, so almost 20 years later (and many meter
readers), it's never been done.

Same here - I broke the seal to do some re-jigging and it was never
sealed until the SM was fitted a couple of years ago. I never requested
it to be resealed after cutting it, it seemed pointless.

In the middle of the broken seal era, we had the cut-out fuse blow and
a distribution engineer round checking a lost supply - neither bothered
to reseal it. SM meter installer did though fit a seal on an isolator
in the meter cupboard, which I had fitted the day before he arrived, I
can't think why he did, because it was downstream of the meter and my
own property.

Andrew Gabriel wrote:

In article ,
The Other Mike writes:
On Tue, 20 Feb 2018 20:46:30 -0000, "Brian Gaff"

wrote:

OK they do say they reserve the right to check it, but what can a meter
reader do other than read the display of what they must have been able to
get by their link unless there is a major bug we do not know about.

They check the security seals on the meters and the main supply fuse,
also the condition of the flexible stainless pipe on the gas supply.

Possibly the integrity of the earth bonding too.

Not for decades.
Replaced my parents' CU in 1999, and made a call asking for supply
fuse to be resealed. After a couple of years and several meter readers,
it hadn't been done, so I called again. It was still on file, but meter
readers no longer do it, so almost 20 years later (and many meter
readers), it's never been done.

They don't seem to care much about these things where we live. Perhaps
it depends on the likelihood of the local population stealing
electricity. The electricity board (whatever) replaced our local
distribution transformer and put no seals back on the meter or fuse,
having taken them all off for some reason during the process. And
no-one has commented in the last ten years or so.



--

Roger Hayter

On Wed, 21 Feb 2018 18:54:35 +0000, Harry Bloomfield wrote:

Andrew Gabriel explained :
Not for decades.
Replaced my parents' CU in 1999, and made a call asking for supply fuse
to be resealed. After a couple of years and several meter readers,
it hadn't been done, so I called again. It was still on file, but meter
readers no longer do it, so almost 20 years later (and many meter
readers), it's never been done.

Same here - I broke the seal to do some re-jigging and it was never
sealed until the SM was fitted a couple of years ago. I never requested
it to be resealed after cutting it, it seemed pointless.

In the middle of the broken seal era, we had the cut-out fuse blow and a
distribution engineer round checking a lost supply - neither bothered to
reseal it. SM meter installer did though fit a seal on an isolator in
the meter cupboard, which I had fitted the day before he arrived, I
can't think why he did, because it was downstream of the meter and my
own property.

I broke the seal on our main fuse in about 1997. It was eventually
replaced, I think when we got the new 'electronic' meter a few yaers
later.

Strangely, he also put a seal on the Henley block I'd added on 'our' sude
of the meter!



--
My posts are my copyright and if @diy_forums or Home Owners' Hub
wish to copy them they can pay me £1 a message.
Use the BIG mirror service in the UK: http://www.mirrorservice.org
*lightning surge protection* - a w_tom conductor

On 20/02/2018 17:36, Harry Bloomfield wrote:
Andy Burns explained on 20/02/2018 :
I suppose it's more about safety and fraud prevention, than meter
readings ...

Maybe - as I was out there anyway dealing with wheelie bins, I opened
the cupboards for him and did the reads for him. He read both meters,
both from the same supplier.


We used to have a water meter in the garage. Then, we had a new main
installed, with the meter under the pavement. Even so, the water company
sent people round to read the old meter in the garage on a regular basis.

I did away with all the old mains piping in the garage, but I kept the
old meter. The meter man would come to inspect it. I'd burrow away in a
corner of the garage to unearth the meter, and I'd hand it to him. He
would then carefully note down the reading on his machine and hand it
back to me. Not once did the meter man say that this performance was at
all surprising or out of the ordinary.

So, fraud prevention? No.

GB wrote:

We used to have a water meter in the garage. Then, we had a new main
installed, with the meter under the pavement. Even so, the water company
sent people round to read the old meter in the garage on a regular basis.

I did away with all the old mains piping in the garage, but I kept the
old meter. The meter man would come to inspect it. I'd burrow away in a
corner of the garage to unearth the meter, and I'd hand it to him. He
would then carefully note down the reading on his machine and hand it
back to me. Not once did the meter man say that this performance was at
all surprising or out of the ordinary.

:-)

Chris
--
Chris J Dixon Nottingham UK


Plant amazing Acers.

On Wednesday, 21 February 2018 22:34:00 UTC, GB wrote:
On 20/02/2018 17:36, Harry Bloomfield wrote:
Andy Burns explained on 20/02/2018 :
I suppose it's more about safety and fraud prevention, than meter
readings ...

Maybe - as I was out there anyway dealing with wheelie bins, I opened
the cupboards for him and did the reads for him. He read both meters,
both from the same supplier.


We used to have a water meter in the garage. Then, we had a new main
installed, with the meter under the pavement. Even so, the water company
sent people round to read the old meter in the garage on a regular basis.

I did away with all the old mains piping in the garage, but I kept the
old meter. The meter man would come to inspect it. I'd burrow away in a
corner of the garage to unearth the meter, and I'd hand it to him. He
would then carefully note down the reading on his machine and hand it
back to me. Not once did the meter man say that this performance was at
all surprising or out of the ordinary.

So, fraud prevention? No.

Would you be happy for us to put that on the wiki?


NT

On 22/02/2018 13:15, wrote:
On Wednesday, 21 February 2018 22:34:00 UTC, GB wrote:
On 20/02/2018 17:36, Harry Bloomfield wrote:
Andy Burns explained on 20/02/2018 :
I suppose it's more about safety and fraud prevention, than meter
readings ...

Maybe - as I was out there anyway dealing with wheelie bins, I opened
the cupboards for him and did the reads for him. He read both meters,
both from the same supplier.


We used to have a water meter in the garage. Then, we had a new main
installed, with the meter under the pavement. Even so, the water company
sent people round to read the old meter in the garage on a regular basis.

I did away with all the old mains piping in the garage, but I kept the
old meter. The meter man would come to inspect it. I'd burrow away in a
corner of the garage to unearth the meter, and I'd hand it to him. He
would then carefully note down the reading on his machine and hand it
back to me. Not once did the meter man say that this performance was at
all surprising or out of the ordinary.

So, fraud prevention? No.

Would you be happy for us to put that on the wiki?


NT


Yes, perfectly happy.

On Thursday, 22 February 2018 13:23:11 UTC, GB wrote:
On 22/02/2018 13:15, tabbypurr wrote:
On Wednesday, 21 February 2018 22:34:00 UTC, GB wrote:
On 20/02/2018 17:36, Harry Bloomfield wrote:
Andy Burns explained on 20/02/2018 :
I suppose it's more about safety and fraud prevention, than meter
readings ...

Maybe - as I was out there anyway dealing with wheelie bins, I opened
the cupboards for him and did the reads for him. He read both meters,
both from the same supplier.


We used to have a water meter in the garage. Then, we had a new main
installed, with the meter under the pavement. Even so, the water company
sent people round to read the old meter in the garage on a regular basis.

I did away with all the old mains piping in the garage, but I kept the
old meter. The meter man would come to inspect it. I'd burrow away in a
corner of the garage to unearth the meter, and I'd hand it to him. He
would then carefully note down the reading on his machine and hand it
back to me. Not once did the meter man say that this performance was at
all surprising or out of the ordinary.

So, fraud prevention? No.

Would you be happy for us to put that on the wiki?


NT


Yes, perfectly happy.

http://wiki.diyfaq.org.uk/index.php/Water_meter_reading



NT

On Tue, 20 Feb 2018 17:14:55 GMT, Harry Bloomfield
wrote:

I have had a smart meter for yoncs, which I know is feeding regular
readings back to base, but this morning had a meter reader appear at
the door. The last reading the received was just the Sunday past. Am I
missing something, I thought the SM's were supposed to obviate the need
for the readers to go round?

It'll be a random thing. A cousin had someone turn up to check the
meter for their solar panels a couple of years ago.