MadModder
The Breakroom => The Water Cooler => Topic started by: DavidA on June 01, 2016, 09:07:18 AM
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I received an Email from British Gas a few week back stating that they were coming on 31st May to fit my new Smart Meter.
And the man duly arrived yesterday. On time.
So, he fit the meters (we have both as and electric from BG), Installed the remote display.
Then checked out the gas appliances in the house.
And he condemned our cooker.
And the reason ? Proving that we do not live in the Age of Reason, one of the burners had a yellowish flame. That's all.
This particular cooker, although I bought it, had been used by one of my daughters. She moved house and had no need for it. So I hauled it home (I had just spent £400 on this thing, I wasn't going to let her give it to the scrap man) and wrapped it in plastic. Leaving it out by the shed. Unfortunately there was a leak in the plastic and water got into the burners.
Anyway, I had been having trouble with the oven door on my own cooker and decided to use the 'spare' one. And as one of the jets was blocked I ran a very small drill through it to clear it. Not small enough. So it burned slightly rich. Hence the yellowish flame and the soot on the bottom of my pans. I got around this by not using that burner. No problem. Or so I thought.
So he condemned it. And said that he could cap of the pipe (depriving us of a cooker) there and then, or if I wanted a second opinion he would inform the supplier who would come and look at it, then cap of the system. I chose the second option and told him I would change the cooker.
So he left. My wife said that someone will be here within the hour. She was right, twenty minutes later there was a knock at the door and the man was there.
But by then we had removed the cooker and told him we were replacing it.
He was happy and went away.
Fortunately I had managed to get my original cooker into a shed and it was in good condition. The only reason we stopped using it was because the oven door wouldn't latch properly ant it was losing heat. I managed to fix the latch today. So we are back in business. 'Cooking on gas' as they say.
What annoys me about this whole business is that all it needed was a new jet. A ten minute job that I know I should have done way back when. But the cooker wasn't dangerous.
I'll probably fit a new jet and sell it.
Dave.
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We had a visit on the 17 may, both meters changed and was left with the smart gizzmo....
Its surprising how we 'seem' to take more interest now in what we use than we did before... :coffee:
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Apparently we all have to pay for them so will they add the cost to your bill?
http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/bills/article-2681954/Unveiled-New-200-smart-meters-household-pay-not-work.html
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I thought they had scrapped the compulsory bit on the grounds the equipment proved CRAP.
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Not compulsory as far as I can tell.
http://www.britishgas.co.uk/help-and-advice/Meters-meter-readings/Smart-Meters/the-smart-meter-revolution/Do-I-have-to-have-a-smart-meter.html
http://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/advice/do-i-have-to-accept-a-smart-meter
There seem to be quite a lot of issues surrounding them so I won't be having one if I can help it.
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We had the boiler serised by British Gas and it sooted up and smelled , caled them up the man took one look and said you can't use that and capped off the gas , middle of winter and no cooker or boiler for ten days , and they wanted paying to reconnect sod that took them to court and won only got £200 .
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There's no gas supply to our house. Never has been.
That didn't stop them from sending letters asking to be allowed in to fit a smart gas meter.
Not an electric one, just the gas.
Every time a letter arrived we would ring them and explain the situation.
"Right, we'll update your records. You shouldn't get any more letters." was the usual reply.
Sure enough, a couple of weeks later another letter. Each one more insistent than the last, and implying that we would be in trouble if we kept refusing access.
In the end we simply gave up, arranged a date, and let them send the man around.
He was less than amused at finding no pipe to connect the meter to.
My wife said she could see him sat in his van yelling at someone down his mobile phone for about ten minutes.
Still, at least the letters stopped after that...
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In the end we simply gave up, arranged a date, and let them send the man around.
He was less than amused at finding no pipe to connect the meter to.
My wife said she could see him sat in his van yelling at someone down his mobile phone for about ten minutes.
Still, at least the letters stopped after that...
:lol: :lol: :lol: I love it :lol: :lol: :lol:
A little surprised they didnt want to charge you a call out fee though :loco:
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I am just so glad I moved from UK to Ireland.
No such nonsense here in Dubland:
"We put the water meters in",
"We charge you a bit for what you'ved used",
"We stop reading the meters",
"We are going to be fined by the EU for more than the water revenues that would be raised",
"Ah well it will be alright on the night"
What the Fekk!
Good luck with Brexit!!
For Paddy's sake and us ex-pats in Dubland make the right decision!
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The Germans appear to have more sense:
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2013-08-01/germany-rejects-eu-smart-meter-recommendations-on-cost-concerns
And they aren't the only country in Europe to do so.
And some states.
http://www.fliuch.org/states-begin-increasingly-to-let-people-reject-smart-meters/
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I've had a "smart" electrical meter for the last 7 months or so. To date, 4 of the monthly bills have contained errors.