Reading the meter - rude awakening

[Polly D]

Yesterday morning we were rudely awoken from a rare Saturday morning lie-in at 7.45am by some very persistant ringing on the bell and knocking on the door. It sounded so urgent that we thought maybe a neighbour needed some help so went to answer and husband found a man claiming to want to read our electricity meter. He asked him for ID and he showed some kind of card which definitely didn't say EDF but maybe Akon or something and given the bleary-eyedness of the moment (and the fact he was in his pants, husband not the meter men) he let him in. He was in and out in a matter of 10 seconds but didn't appear to record any reading.

Sure nothing dodgy but we were surprised by 1) the persistancy of the guy (though it was pouring outside) and 2)the time of the day. To be fair the last few times we've paid the fuel bill it's been an estimated reading and maybe he was under strict orders to get a real reading. Our supplier is EDF. Has this happened to anyone else and does anyone know whether EDF contract out to another company for the readings, if so the name?

[zephyr]

The various companies tend not to read the meters themselves but use other companies. Ours is read by someone from Accuread (we are with EON).

[Dez]

Yes, we had a guy do a similar thing and hammered on our front door despite that there's a doorbell. It was late at night and dark and he flashed some ID at me so I sort of told him to go away and certainly didn't let him in. If they're so insistent on getting actual meter readings from folk who still have indoor meters then why don't they offer to relocate those meters to the exterior of the house like they do in new builds? Then they could read them whenever they liked.

[HonaloochieB]

Polly, I like to think I'm politeness itself, but I'm in possesion of the words 'f*ck' and 'off' and am aware when it's appropriate to use them.

Print this post off and paste it to your refridgerator.

Print a second copy and staple it to your husband's night pants.

Just in case.

[2degreesfrommadness]

I had a similar experience recently as well. When I answered via the intercom the rather insistant pressing on the bell I was told " Let me in to read the meter". When i enquired as to which of the 3 flats he wanted the demand was again repeated. I opened the door to him and asked to see his ID, a cursory flash was given and my comment that he would be wise to learn some good manners as he was being very rude was met with laughter! My request for his ID number stopped the amusement and I got an apology for his lack of manners.

Moving the meters to the outside doesnt always solve the problem, I still get them ringing the doorbell to read the external gas meter, or even if I had a pass key so they could open the box!

[matthew123]

As well as asking for ID, I ask them to provide the name of the person in which the electricity / gas is charged. People can easily print off bogus ID cards so if they cannot provide that other information then time to send them packing.

[AcedOut]

This is why I'm going to invent a doorbell that will only make a sound between the hours of 9am and 10pm! If it's someone I want to talk to, they will have my mobile number. And the letter box will only open between certain hours to reduce junk-mail!

[LordLane]

they come so early because they are performance rated so they realise the times your home is later at night and really early in the morning so they can get bonuses at our expense!

[Michael Palaeologus]

I opened the door to a chap who insisted that he was going to read the gas meters in the building.

The building being Altima Court.

He got quite stroppy when I told him he was wasting my time and his time.

We has a bit of a stand-off until I relented and told him that Altima Court is all electric.

He left.

[lilolil]

I had the same thing a while back when the meter reader got really nasty when he couldnt open the electric meter door to read it!

I complained to my service provider and they said that they used outside companies to read the meters but they would track this person down and give him a good telling off.

If I hadnt of had my nice slippers on I would have thrown one at him...moron

[AcedOut]

So the question is, what are they doing!?

[fractionater]

....sound like they are doing a rec'y on your place before they come and burgal it!

They are probably coming at odd hours to see if anyone is in during those times.

[AcedOut]

Well next time someone comes around to my place, I'll ask them if I can take a photo of them for security purposes! And a few fingerprints whilst I'm at it.

[ChavWivaLawDegree]

I don't know why these things never seem to happen to me - it's like i'm living in a different area or something - or it might be the scary sounding dog who roars up to the front door whenever any one touches the front gate, or the scary looking peeps coming in and out of my house at all hours of the night and day. Don't tell anyone that they are harmless tho.

[AcedOut]

Ditto. And I'm still waiting for someone to clone my credit card....

[Izodia]

I've always though the same. But reading that reminded me to check my online banking. Saw a payment for ?14.20 that I didn't recognise. Gave them a ring and there's thousands in the process of being authorised...well it's not being authorised any more! It's on my credit card so it's their problem anyway...but thanks for the reminder!

[matthew123]

They came to read my Gas and Electric. I said it was not convenient to allow him entry, so he said it would be okay if I read it myself. So that is what I did whilst he waited outside. Problem solved.

[Polly D]

And yesterday we received a card asking us to read both meters and leave the card out so if the guy who came on Saturday morning was bona fide, why did we receive a card?

[matthew123]

Reading your original post it does seem bizarre he'd have been knocking your door that early on a Saturday - and especially since you then get a card a week later to fill in same details. Would a burglar be operating that early on a Saturday morning to establish if anyone was at home.. you'd imagine they'd wait til middle of the day so not really sure what went on there, obviously 10 seconds is hardly enough time to jot down the reading never mind do the whole operation.

[Sue]

I had two "meter readers" recently within a week of each other - I didn't think to question the first one until the second one turned up and was quite clearly from the energy company.

But if number one was casing the joint, I'm sure word will have gone round the ED underworld that I have nothing at all worth stealing, unless they're into houseplants :-$

And now I'm even more bemused as I've had a letter giving my last meter readings as supplied by me - which they weren't :-S

[Damo]

Maybe a re-assurance to some, had our meter read this week and the readings added to my online account when I checked today.

So there has been at least one genuine meter reader in the neighbourhood recently.

[cate]

I am always amazed by people who open their front door to all and sundry. You could easily be overpowered and then have your place ransacked. You an always ask the meter reader to stick one of the card they carry through your letterbox and then you fill that in yourself. This is the season for burgling after all.