| Forum Home | ||||
| PC World Chat | ||||
| Thread ID: 112594 | 2010-09-13 09:41:00 | Power meter readers | qazwsxokmijn (102) | PC World Chat |
| Post ID | Timestamp | Content | User | ||
| 1136823 | 2010-09-13 09:41:00 | This has been happening far too often now - power meter readers overestimating our household's electricity consumption because our house has a locked gate and a big black but actually friendly dumb dog. I do understand the readers' apprehension about entering a big black dog's gated domain, and even though my mother always writes the month's electricity reading on a white board visible to the whole world it often gets ignored because they said they're not allowed to take our word for it and need to check it themselves, and so they overestimate the reading. So what can be done about this? Our reader seems to change very often, we've only had one gentleman who would knock on our door to ask us to let the dog in and open the gate so he can read the meter for himself. I'm sure there are MANY other homeowners with gated properties protected by a big doofus dog or two and have found a solution to one of life's little problems???:confused::confused::confused: |
qazwsxokmijn (102) | ||
| 1136824 | 2010-09-13 09:45:00 | I don't blame the meter reader either. Tie up the dog. | pine-o-cleen (2955) | ||
| 1136825 | 2010-09-13 09:50:00 | I don't blame the meter reader either. Tie up the dog. Tying up the dog's not an option.....we don't know when they'll be coming as they can vary from 8am to 4pm in the evening. And they can come on any of the first 2-3 days of each month. |
qazwsxokmijn (102) | ||
| 1136826 | 2010-09-13 09:56:00 | I think Post/Power/Council/People in authority must have free access to a door at your house, not sure but I think that is or used to be the case. | Arnie (6624) | ||
| 1136827 | 2010-09-13 10:10:00 | I think Post/Power/Council/People in authority must have free access to a door at your house, not sure but I think that is or used to be the case. Yeah, not sure if that's the case either. |
qazwsxokmijn (102) | ||
| 1136828 | 2010-09-13 10:24:00 | I think Post/Power/Council/People in authority must have free access to a door at your house, not sure but I think that is or used to be the case. I don't think they should even have keys to your property so they can read your meter when you are not there. Most of the meter readers that do come are scared of our huge neapolitan mastiff. |
QW. (15883) | ||
| 1136829 | 2010-09-13 10:38:00 | It isn't the meter readers that make an estimated reading, that will be done "back at the office". You need to read the terms and conditions of your supplier, you will find that you must allow and provide safe access. The onus is on you to arrange your dog and the access so that you conform to those terms and conditions, For example Genesis who we are with say this: WHAT ACCESS DO YOU NEED TO PROVIDE? You must: * provide safe and unobstructed access to metering equipment, the metering equipment of any other person and any equipment of the network company on your premises between 8.00am and 7.00pm, Monday to Saturday, excluding public holidays; * provide immediate access to your premises at any time for safety reasons or to prevent serious damage to property or the environment; * allow access for installation, connection, testing, inspection, maintenance, repair, replacement, alteration, servicing, cleaning, disconnection or removal of any equipment owned by us and/or a meter company or network company; * ensure that any dog or other animal that may make entry unsafe is secured to enable safe and easy access; .......................etc www.genesisenergy.co.nz We have 3 dogs, and the meter is inside the house. We ensure the dogs are confined when the meter reader calls. Edit: our dogs are "house dogs" ie live in the house. They have access to the rear of the house which is fenced. Callers to the front door do not encounter the dogs. |
Terry Porritt (14) | ||
| 1136830 | 2010-09-13 10:40:00 | Meter readers have given up totally at our place because of our two noisey labs. Our bill has been an estimate for over a year now. I really should go out and check to see how far off it is! Edit: I'm not going to give anyone easy access as our house is about the only one that hasn't been broken into on our street due to the dogs. |
CYaBro (73) | ||
| 1136831 | 2010-09-13 10:43:00 | I am not sure which power company you are with, but if ours has been estimated we check the meter and if very different we phone the reading in. We've never had a problem, an amended account is produced quickly indicating it was 'customer's own reading'. I like dogs but would be very wary of anyone's dog, however lovable the owners claim it is Ever wonder why your meter reader changes often? You could try calling the power company and discussing other options, such as a meter that can be read remotely. |
Marnie (4574) | ||
| 1136832 | 2010-09-13 10:43:00 | Genesis can and do fit advanced meters which ensures you do not get estimated readings again as they don't need to read at the location where the meter is located. | Snorkbox (15764) | ||
| 1 2 3 | |||||