Bullying by SWALEC

[apprentice87]

Hi all,

Here is a bit of an unusual one, hope one of you can help!!

Ok, about 2 years ago i got a letter from SSE [SWALEC] informing me that i MUST contact them to arrange to have a smart meter installed, as i was required to have one by law.... Letter consigned to bin..

About three weeks ago i got a letter telling me that i HAD to contact them to arrange to have a new meter fitted, as, my old one, "had reached the end of its useful life". Sure it has!! it is only 9 years old!!

Here it is;

http://s1178.photobucket.com/user/resistance87/library/Meter

Anyway, i ignored the letter.

Today i get a new letter telling me in no uncertain terms that i MUST telephone them within 10 days to arrange to have a new meter, or they will get a warrant to break in and do it anyway..

Now, their letter gives no contact details other than a phone number, and for reasons i will not go into i cannot use the phone. [disability discrimination act and its successor the equality act apply] so if they really want to go to court i will counterclaim..

I read on the internet that lots of the power companies are sending out similar letters.... [We all know it is a ploy to force you to have a smart meter that i do not want] Google the problems people have with these contraptions, i do not need the hassle of worrying about it all

What would you all do??

1, Ignore them

2, Complain

3, Exercise my right to provide my own meter instead of using one provided by them [Oh dear oh dear, they will not like that...]

4 Change supplier and tell them to courgette off..

john..

 

[Andy™]

complain. ask them which law states they must replace it with a smart meter

but since its you, maybe go with C. that will be interesting

 

[Tony S]

There is a statutory requirement to maintain revenue meters within permissible limits. Usually carried out by changing them.

They have another option, it’s called a pot end. Disconnect your supply and when you bow down they’ll charge you for the disconnection and subsequent reconnection.

EON and WP have me registered as disabled and bend over backwards to help. Why won’t you allow access?

 

[Tony S]

There is nothing to stop you fitting your own check meter between the revenue meter and your installation, you can’t insist on it replacing the revenue meter.

Take it to court, I’ll lay money on the outcome.

 

[Sharpend]

http://stopsmartmeters.org.uk/dont-smart-meter-me-notice-of-non-consent-for-smart-meter-installation/

????

 

[apprentice87]

Hi Tony,

I have not refused access, the meter is outside. i have merely declined to answer their letter as they have not provided any contact details that i can use....

What you think will happen in court then..??

As for cannot provide your own meter... Umm afraid i very definitely can..

See here;

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1989/29/schedule/7

Section 1 para, s2 and 2a

and here,

https://www.meteroperators.org.uk/faqs

See the ninth FAQ down...

john..

 

[Evans Electric]

Personally I don't want a Smart Arse meter transmitting on the cell phone frequency , through my house to the plug-in gismo that tells me how much money the Smart Arse meter is saving me , every 15 minutes.

Two ways to save energy :- 

1.   Insulate the house to 2016 Building Regs .

2.  Use less energy. 

 

[Blue Duck]

One way save money:

Don't let them fit a smart meter!

Thames water are on this now and they wish to fit a smart meter under my kitchen sink.

They can Foxtrot Oscar.

edit: @apprentice87After waiting what seemed like years for your image to load, is that not already a smart meter?

further to my point about smart water meters it appears that it's official legislation and we will be forced to accept them and be charged more during peak demand and even more during water shortages.

Water comes from the sky doesn't it?

Thames water is owned by an Australian bank.

 

[binky]

complain to OFGEM about thier behaviour, and may be worth contacting the likes of Watchdog to get a bit of TV coverage for such bad behaviour

 

[apprentice87]

Hi All,

The thing is, the internet is full of stuff about people being overcharged after having a smart meter, it turns out that they are total lettuced.. Can you imagine the hassle you will have trying to sort things out?? Think it is bad enough dealing with suppliers now?? well read this..

"Billing information is currently transmitted from smart meters to energy firms via their own communications systems.

But from April 2016 this will be handed over to the Data Communications Company (DCC), owned by Capita, the firm commissioned to provide the communication service between smart meters, energy suppliers, and the National Grid."

So, the DNO provide the cables, the generators supply the power, the suppliers provide the meter, own the meter [usually] and bill you based on information given to them by the foreign owned cretins Capita.. Google "Capita fraud" Fancy trying to sort out the resultant mess when anything goes wrong?? [as it will]

The original meter that was installed lasted all of a week before it broke. [The "reverse energy detection" light came on] Swalec were accusing me of fraud!!! They were saying that i had tried to "reverse the meter" They looked a bit tango'd stupid when i pointed out that it had only been there a week and had recorded precisely SEVEN units. I told them that i presumed that it was something to do with back emf from my welding sets. They got right ****ty and told me that i was not allowed to connect welding sets to my single phase supply. I told them it was not, and it was a proper three phase one and they would not believe me!!!!!

Suit your tango'd selves..... Oh dear, next the girl in the office [who has been typing away all this time] comes out with; "he is right, it is a three phase supply and it was only installed last week" Who is an idiot now then....

Next thing a bloke come to fit a new meter. He was great.. He told me, "these meters with "RED" are lettuced. We go to flats with little old ladies of 90 and the light is on. There might be a power cut and then the lights come on in the meters in half the street"

Anyway, smart meters are lettuced. They would like you to believe that the law says you HAVE to have one, but you most certainly do not..

From Hansard...

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he plans to take to ensure smart meters are provided to all residential gas and electricity customers.

Charles Hendry: The Government will place regulatory obligations on energy suppliers that will require them to take all reasonable steps to install smart meters for all their domestic and smaller non-domestic customers by the completion date in 2019.

Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether households will be able to choose not to have a smart meter installed if they have concerns about the health effects of exposure to radio frequency, such as non-thermal health effects.

Charles Hendry: We expect the benefits of smart meters, such as providing consumers with control over their energy usage and an end to estimated bills, will lead to demand for them from consumers.

To ensure that all customers are able to benefit from smart meters, we will require suppliers to take all reasonable steps to install smart meters. However, we recognise that there may be some circumstances where it would not be practical to install a smart meter.

We have made it clear that we do not expect suppliers to seek an entry warrant simply to fit a smart meter and it will not be an offence for householders to refuse to accept a smart meter.

They can get stuffed..

People are also worried about the "radio waves" from smart meters affecting their health. Turns out that the things are classed as carcinogenic.... I will post more on this if anyone wants.. [and before you ask, no, i do not have or want a mobile phone]

john..

 

[Blue Duck]

It's different for the water bastards

What happens if I refuse to have a water meter fitted?

Thames Water has legal powers to install meters at customer’s properties, even if they do not want one. If a customer refuses a meter, Thames Water will install in the pavement and follow the normal process. If a meter can only be installed internally and the customer will not give Thames Water access, they will change the customers tariff to the ‘No Access’ charge, which is likely to be considerably higher than their current rateable value charge.

How much is the ‘No Access’ charge going to be?

The 2014/2015 no access charge has been set at £586.89.

 

[Andy™]

quite a few streets here with flats that only ever had 1 pipe / external stopcock feeding up & down so fitting meters is a bit awkward

 

[apprentice87]

Happliy for me i have not got a water meter!!

john..

 

[Richard-the-Ninth]

We have a water meter, didn't really want one, we did get a letter saying they were going to do it, I didn't actually see it being done but it must have taken all of 5 minutes as there was a "blank" next to the stop cock outside, he must have turned the stop cock off, unscrewed the blank and fitted the water meter. Then turned the stop cock back on. There were a couple of washers laying on the ground and a note with sketch showing where it is.

 

[Sidewinder]

App,

Just don't let them do it, it is not required by law, and, you have them over a barrel with the phone thing for one.

If they have only provided a phone contact method, which is in breach of statute law in itself, and they have not explained how to contact them in other ways in the letter, then they are banged to rights.

 

[apprentice87]

Hi Paul,

Thanks for that.. I think you are right.. Can you imagine then trying to get a warrant and then me [complete with my, errrm certification!! you know what i mean!] going and pointing out to the judge about no contact details.. There would be only one winner there, and it would not be them..

I was going to physically go and see the swalec people in cwmbran, as they are nice enough, but not sure what would happen.. Why are they telling me the "meter is at the end of its life"?? It is only 9 years old.. Perhaps they do only last 9 years, but i thought i read somewhere that it was part of the approval of the things that they had to be built in such a way as to stay in calibration for 20 years..

I was thinking, you know the bit where you can provide your own meter, well, i was thinking of buying one like this http://www.meters.co.uk/electricity/three-phase

It is exactly the same as the one i had before, ofgem approved, comes with a calibration cert too. What would they say if i turned up with it and just said; "I have got a new meter, suggest you fit it!!!!"

Would be worth the price of the meter to see what their reaction is..

Please nobody misunderstand, i am not trying to be awkward, but i can see a smart meter being a recipe for terrible arguments when it all goes wrong. How do i know that the smart meters can handle all the back emf surges and general magnetic fields caused by my welding sets??? I have 400 amp welders here, the cables make iron filings on the floor take up pretty patterns due to magnetism...

What would happen if i fitted a new one myself and told them to come and read it?? What law would i be breaking??

john...

 

[apprentice87]

Hi Canoe,

How do i make sure that they do not try to replace it with a smart one??

How would i recognise a smart one??

What happened when you sent that funny letter in??

Did you get any response??

john..

 

[Blue Duck]

What would happen if you wrapped your smart meter in lead? Would that make it dumb?

Or is that just dumb?

 

[Evans Electric]

Sounds like a plan to me :innocent

 

[kerching]

Sounds like a plan to me :innocent

Could be Plan b.........which when abbreviated would be Pb

sorry, it's late, and it seemed funnier when I thought of it than when I actually wrote it