New Grump of the Day

[Penners]

I'm not going to add to Malcom's grumpiness

Then what are you doing on this thread?

Come on, Yer Ladyship, you must have something to grump about! :wink:

 

[Flyfisher]

We did however get a bill for £8,000 not long before they gave us a new one.

Since you've mentioned it Milady, I'll add a little follow up to my earlier post, though our rogue bill was only for about £1600.

Prior to our new meter the house had two meters and both were removed when the new one was installed (I can see you're ahead of me already :lol: ). For the next couple of years I would show the meter reader the new meter but he always asked where the 'other one' was and I had to explain it had been removed. Eventually he stopped asking and I thought that was that. A few years after that I received an estimated bill for said £1600ish :roll:

I called the supplier company, explained the situation, gave them the meter reading from when it was removed and they said don't worry. I subsequently received a final demand, so called them again, related the same story and invited them to visit to see if they could find the meter! This time they said they would send me a revised bill based on my final meter reading and close the account. The revised bill showed the account was in credit for about £7, which was surprising I had long ago paid what I thought was the final bill based on the final meter reading :lol:

It seems to take a while for such changes to filter through the bureaucracies involved. We also continued to have regular visits from EDF linesmen to check up on the overhead wires that had been removed, though that eventually stopped after a couple of years. Fun and games.

 

[88v8]

I wanted the meter and associated gubbins moved three feet up the wall.
Western Power came out and looked, said they couldn't move the main fuse without putting in a new cable, would have to be dug all the way around the outside of our lean-to.
However, nothing to prevent the gubbins being moved to the extent of the meter tails, which luckily were quite long.
Arranged for Scot Power, or rather their contractor, to come round.
First engineer photographed the installation, said it could be done, but I'd have to book another engineer to actually do it.
Engineer, booked, never arrived, 'couldn't find us'.
Next one said he didn't have the right paperwork.
Next one again 'couldn't find us'.
Next one said the paperwork was wrong - we had two meters in series, and the paperwork cited the wrong one.
Final engineer - we were well into the Complaints procedure by then - did the job but insisted on replacing our perfectly good and easy to read analogue meter with a digital one.
Then our electrician came and moved the fuse board and other gubbins.
All this took months. Had we been working, it would have meant several wasted days' holiday.
The whole installation is still rather low and will be in the way of the work we need to do.
The digital meter is illegible unless I climb on a stool to read it.
And the daytime readings (Economy 7) are far too high. We now await another visit to fit another meter. Whether we will recover the overpayments we have made since it was changed, I very much doubt.

On the plus side, a couple of years ago we had a power pole & transformer moved out of our vegetable field for free, a process that involved the sort of manpower Flyfisher describes. We kept the pole stub for growing beans, and the cut-off portion for... something I haven't got round to yet.

Ivor

 

[Penners]

We recently had a 'smart' meter fitted by our electricity supply company. I didn't ask for it - they just sent me a letter telling me the exciting news that it was going to be done, free of charge. (Yes, I know it's all part of a national initiative).

The engineer who fitted it gave us an exhaustive explanation of all the whizzy things the meter's remote digital display could do, allowing us to analyse our electricity consumption in many different ways from pretty well anywhere in the house.

Do I do this? No! Has it made any difference to our electricity consumption? No. Was it worth the cost of the digital gizmo and the engineer's time fitting it? No. Am I really supposed to spend my time with half an eye permanently on the display, worrying about how much my electricity is costing? :roll:

I have always been well aware of how much electricity we use, because I pay the bill! We're not profligate, but I'm certainly not going to refrain from a cup of coffee, a cooked lunch or a hot shower, just because the digital meter goes up the scale a few notches. So, many thanks British public for funding this thingy for me, but I'd really rather you'd bought me and Mrs P a nice meal at the pub (cooked by electricity of course).

 

[Feltwell]

Warning, major grump coming, whilst we're on the topic of utility companies......

British Gas. Whom I now point blank refuse to countenance using.

We moved out of a rented house, many years ago, phoned BG up, paid our final bill and thought that was it. Oh no.

They continued to try to bill us under a new account number for the period after we'd moved out. Every phone call to them was met with a "Ohh yes we can see it's an admin error" - and then a few days later another, increasingly threatening letter would arrive. Writing to them had no effect. It got to the stage where I was almost looking forward to them taking me to court, such was the staggering depth of their incompetence.

It all finished when one day I phoned them up and, I'm not proud to say, lost it. Completely. No swearing or personal abuse - well, maybe a bit of mild swearing - but lots of opinions expressed on their levels of procedural competence and customer care, shall we say. After my rant had subsided, the poor individual at the other end of the phone confessed to me that they were in a total mess, he usually worked in another department, had been press-ganged into assisting in their bad debt team, but that he would fix it for me once and for all. To his credit, he did, I heard no more.

 

[Feltwell]

I finished typing that and went to check my emails. As I did a new one came through - from "CustomerServices@British-G" was all I could see on the preview - along with "Your account status".

Ohh no, the British Gas hit squad have tracked me down for saying nasty things about them and are going to chase me for that debt again!

It was British Gymnastics, for my daughter....... :lol:

 

[Flyfisher]

We recently had a 'smart' meter fitted by our electricity supply company. I didn't ask for it - they just sent me a letter telling me the exciting news that it was going to be done, free of charge. (Yes, I know it's all part of a national initiative).

Are they smart enough to send their own meter readings back to HQ?

Our recent bills have said that smart meters are now available if we'd like to have one fitted. Interesting that they just fitted yours anyway. Perhaps they are just more polite in Norfolk than in Suffolk. :wink:

 

[Flyfisher]

We kept the pole stub for growing beans, and the cut-off portion for... something I haven't got round to yet.

Yes, I've also kept the unused cut-off portions for . . . . exactly the same thing! :lol:

 

[LadyArowana]

I'm not going to add to Malcom's grumpiness

Then what are you doing on this thread?

Come on, Yer Ladyship, you must have something to grump about! :wink:

I have spent since June last year organising a new rental contract with some tenants! Finally got something signed this week after I said they would be given notice. They have driven me to distraction, and will no doubt continue to do so..... and don't get me started on what the previously nice small courtyard garden looks like! I visited with the neighbours last time I was in the UK and had to apologise for what has been inflicted upon them.

 

[Penners]

Warning, major grump coming, whilst we're on the topic of utility companies......British Gas.

Excellent rant, Feltwell. You have few peers!

I wonder why the utility companies seem to be so universally incompetent in their customer relations/service. Does anyone want to post a heartwarming story of efficiency in their support? (Sits back and anticipates a long silence in response).

 

[Penners]

We recently had a 'smart' meter fitted by our electricity supply company. I didn't ask for it - they just sent me a letter telling me the exciting news that it was going to be done, free of charge. (Yes, I know it's all part of a national initiative).

Are they smart enough to send their own meter readings back to HQ?

Our recent bills have said that smart meters are now available if we'd like to have one fitted. Interesting that they just fitted yours anyway. Perhaps they are just more polite in Norfolk than in Suffolk. :wink:

Yes, FF, it telepathically sends our electricity usage back to its Puppetmaster in an orbiting laboratory (or something like that). I should clarify that our meter wasn't fitted on a 'like it or not, it's what you're getting' basis. I suspect I could have refused if I'd wanted to. But the letter telling us that it would be fitted was so breathlessly excited that I just thought I would go along with it to see what it was like!

 

[Keith Bowman]

We recently had a 'smart' meter fitted by our electricity supply company. I didn't ask for it - they just sent me a letter telling me the exciting news that it was going to be done, free of charge. (Yes, I know it's all part of a national initiative).

Are they smart enough to send their own meter readings back to HQ?

Our recent bills have said that smart meters are now available if we'd like to have one fitted. Interesting that they just fitted yours anyway. Perhaps they are just more polite in Norfolk than in Suffolk. :wink:

Yes they send their readings back to their puppet master - but they belong to the puppet master and when you change supplier they have no-one to talk to! The poncy gizmo screen goes blank and cannot work out how much you have used. You have to go back to peering at the tiny digital administrative screen on the meter to try to find a reading to send to your new supplier :lol:

 

[Flyfisher]

I wonder why the utility companies seem to be so universally incompetent in their customer relations/service.

I wonder if it's to do with scripted computer systems limiting what the call centre staff can actually do?

My experience with EDF was faultless, but I suspect it was because, purely by accident, I was able to speak with their 'man on the ground' who clearly had the authority to actually make things happen, apparently without very much bureaucracy. I assume HE had to do some form-filling (though perhaps not?) but there was nothing formal for me to fill-in or sign. Normally, customers would never be able to contact such people by any of the published contacts for the company, even though he (and his team) provided exemplary service and were great ambassadors for their company.

I guess I just got lucky.

 

[Feltwell]

Warning, major grump coming, whilst we're on the topic of utility companies......British Gas.

Excellent rant, Feltwell. You have few peers!

What? That was just a warm up :wink: . You are easily my equal Penners!

I have to say though that Wobs takes the prize for his recent Car Battery rant. I know when I'm outclassed!

Mind you, when the combined radio/satnav/phone/teasmaid/command centre for the space shuttle in my car decided to die this week, when I was in an unfamiliar town and hadn't quite reached my destination, I was probably capable of an equal rant. Not to mention the 3 hour drive home with no music. Have you any idea just how bad my singing is???

 

[Penners]

they belong to the puppet master and when you change supplier they have no-one to talk to! The poncy gizmo screen goes blank and cannot work out how much you have used.

Really, Keith - do you know that for a fact?! I asked the technician who fitted the device what would happen if I changed electricity supplier. He just shrugged and said, "the new supplier will take over the smart meter".

Was that his coded way of saying, "Don't know, don't care. I just fit 'em."

 

[Penners]

I guess I just got lucky.

I remember your experience, FF, and yes - I think you got very lucky!

 

[Penners]

when the combined radio/satnav/phone/teasmaid/command centre for the space shuttle in my car decided to die this week, when I was in an unfamiliar town and hadn't quite reached my destination, I was probably capable of an equal rant.

Cars? Don't talk to me about cars!

Mrs P and I were heading into Norwich, the other day, when her little car (a Toyota iQ) developed a puncture. Like an increasing number of cars today, it has no spare wheel. Instead, it's supplied with a 12V tyre inflation pump that also dispenses a liquid tyre 'sealant' (note the inverted commas) into the tyre, allowing it to be reinflated.

Or not! :evil: :evil: :evil:

The sealant simply didn't work, so we were forced to call out Green Flag (I took out membership a couple of years ago when I reluctantly acknowledged that I'm too old to carry out roadside car repairs). The driver loaded up our car and drove us to a nearby tyre centre. They informed me that the sealant makes the tyre a write-off, so I had to buy a new tyre! They also told me that, more often than not, these tyre sealant rescue kits don't work.

Apparently the reason why so many cars nowadays have no spare wheel is because the manufacturers are trying to save weight, in order to reduce carbon emissions. So in order to reduce some travelling rep's company car benefit-in-kind tax burden, an increasing number of us risk being stranded at the roadside.

Cars? Don't talk to me about cars! They give me a pain in all the diodes down my left side.

 

[Zebra]

To get us back on a more grumpy trajectory has anyone tried to have an electricity meter moved? I thought it would be nice to move mine from the side of an alcove to lower down and in a cupboard at the back of the alcove with some nice book shelves above. The electricity company suggested they could do that, but after several months they decided they might be prepared to move the meter down the same wall but couldn't move the fuse.

I know this is not the place for helpful suggestions, malcs, but is the whole thing mounted on a board, which you can just unscrew and relocate by yourself, without them ever knowing?

 

[Feltwell]

Cars? Don't talk to me about cars!

:lol: See, I said you were at least my equal Penners! Or should that be Marvin? :?:

 

[Penners]

You make me feel very proud, Feltwell.