Why Have They Moved My Meter?

[DaisyNonna]

Nobody has read my gas meter in over 5 years
I send in my reading once a month via phone
Without consultation my meter has been moved from my hallway (first floor flat) to the garden of the downstairs flat
Do not fancy clambering into their garden in the coming winter months with a plastic key to read the meter
Was told that mine OBVIOUSLY had my flat number on it si there would never be a problem distinguishing mine from theirs
NO number on either meter
For whose convenience is this?

[DTCwordfan]

Obviously I don't know your piping configuration, Daisy, but what would happen if someone was moving in or out and perforated the line on their side of the meter....or the maintenance wasn't too hot and a leak happened. Bang up goes the line and they could be held liable....now with the meter on the outside of the building, they are only responsible to that point, not after it.

[DTCwordfan]

ladybirder, they will probably have an easement right for that.

[DaisyNonna]

Apartment block?
No way
4 flats

[ladybirder]

One they've just acquired for this purpose DT or one that has always been there?

[DaisyNonna]

So I just wait to get blown up and my grieving relatives cannot sue?

[DTCwordfan]

since the line went in...so whenever...they don't have to be the property owner - and remember that a freehold is exactly that, a free hold, ultimately land belongs to the State. http://www.boundary-problems.co.uk/boundary-problems/easements.html

[DTCwordfan]

okay 4 meters all on the outside now....that's where the contractual transfer of responsibility (and insurance) happens. There are of course exceptions like if they sent to much pressure down the line or, conversely, too little (as oxygen can get in when that happens and makes things potentially explosive), that would be held as their responsibility.

[ladybirder]

I thought the land belonged to the freeholder?

[DaisyNonna]

So what am I supposed to do about insurance?
I rent the property

[DTCwordfan]

you have a free hold in perpetuity, ladybirder, not an absolute right when it comes to the State...legal quibbling it may be.

[DTCwordfan]

scan the contract of rent - and should probably be the landlord as he/she holds the common title to the building.

[DaisyNonna]

Building not owned by one person

[ladybirder]

That's their worry Daisy, not yours.

[DTCwordfan]

unusual but then it usually would come under your landlord

[DaisyNonna]

Ladybirder, am sure I would not be able to worry about it if it blows up and I am dead

[DTCwordfan]

okay, I am heading up.....take heart, most accidents are caused by users mucking around with meters and appliances, not the supply. Night.

[albaqwerty]

Your meter won't have been moved on a whim.
They might think it's better to have all 4 meters on the outside of the property.
Have you got a security door which needs buzzed at certain times to allow postman etc in?

[DaisyNonna]

For goodness sake! Nobody gains access to my flat without ringing the doorbell of my flat

[SIRandyraven]

We have just moved into a new build house with two smart meters outside property. Anyway we are with British Gas and they emailed me for a meter reading. So confused , I called them and they said the Smart meters are not compatible with their servers and thus they are not so smart. Can I thus provide readings.
What's the point of smart meters then ?
Oh and we also have solar panels on garage roof (3.6 KW) and we send unused power back to grid. The smart meter records this, but once gain they can't read it and simply pay you for 50% of what you generate. So we try to use 100% of what we generate via having immersion hot water coil soak up the excess.
Little device that detects spare unused solar generated power and diverts to immersion heater, that I have turned up to max heat :-)

[Old_Geezer]

Nothing is ever for the convenience of you, the customer. It'll be for the convenience of whoever decided to move it, i.e. the gas company, somehow. They may have spin/yarn to try to convince you that it's all for your benefit though.