Do they do it on purpose ?

[Frederick]

On shutting down the house the house for the winter I was aware that the water meter had not been read and that my last bill was an estimate .As the meter is under a manhole cover in the drive and the gates are now locked I knew that SAUR would not get access ...I wrote to them with the meter reading the date it was taken etc.account reference all they needed to sent out the bill.....Letter just arrived   " Our agent has been unable to read the meter ...reason your absence " and the card to sent them the meter reading !   Arggggggg

[woolybanana]

Frederick, I'm in the Vendée. If you dont have a keyholder then bung me a key and I'll get it read and posted back to them.

[Frederick]

Wooly ........Thats very kind of you.......but ....B....r  them ....they can wait ....I have paid the bill they can adjust it next year .....

[woolybanana]

That is a perfectly reasonable alternative as long as they dont cut you off. Which the bug*ers are capable of doing.

[Clarkkent]

Earlier this year, I returned a pre-paid postcard to SAUR with my meter reading. It was lower than THEY expected and they refused to accept it.

[chrisb]

Ours is under a manhole at the front of the house. The hole is lined with blocks of polystyrene against the frost - and every year they come and read it at the end of November and don't put the insulation back. Which resulted in one frozen and bursted meter several years back - whihch of course we had to pay for them to replace.

Now a neighbour makes a point of putting the insulation back for us after the meter reader has passed our way.

EDF insist on sticking to their original silly estimate of the amount of electricity we're likely to use - even though they have to do a refund every time. As yet they have accepted our readings though.