Moving first-floor flat's meters from ground-floor flat

[parin]

I purchased a first floor one bedroom (leasehold) flat in 2006, and have had tennants living in the property ever since.

It is recently come to light that the electricity and gas meters are in the ground floor flat, the landlord asked me to get them moved but I told her that it is not my responsibility because:

- She is the freeholder
- The meters are in her flat and she wants to get them moved

I have asked for my tennants to have access to the meters which she has agreed, but her tennants aren't that helpful.

Any advice would be most appreciated

Thanks!

[LongsufferingLeaseholder]

It is recently come to light that the electricity and gas meters are in the ground floor flat, the landlord asked me to get them moved but I told her that it is not my responsibility because:

I have asked for my tennants to have access to the meters which she has agreed, but her tennants aren't that helpful.

You want to check if www.first-utility.com can install smart meters in your electricity area yet. Where they can the meter readings for the gas and electric meters are transmitted to them hourly for the electricity and daily for the gas and the readings viewed on their website. Their only restriction is that you pay about £100 penalty if you leave them for another supplier in the first two years.

All they do is replace the ordinary meters with their meters in the current location for which there is no installation charge.

It may of course be that they are not yet offering to install these smart meters in your utility area.

[parin]

Thanks. I will look into that.

Although, my preference would be to move them out as it would save any hassle for the future and would allow my tennants to the freedom to choose their own suppliers.

Has anyone else gone through something similar?

[LongsufferingLeaseholder]

Although, my preference would be to move them out as it would save any hassle for the future and would allow my tennants to the freedom to choose their own suppliers.

Your preference will pretty soon change when you discover their charge for moving a meter is £500 or more per meter.


Has anyone else gone through something similar?

Yes my meters are in a locked basement store room I can't access without being insulted by directors of the renegede management company if they choose to evne let me have access.

But I haven't moved the gas and electricity meters as I am not prepared to spend £1,000+ on doing do.

First Utility meter read data is sent automatically by mobile phone signal using a transmitter built in their replacement gas and electricity meters. There is no up front fee unlike moving your meters.

[Bel]

Yes my meters are in a locked basement store room I can't access without being insulted by directors of the renegede management company if they choose to evne let me have access.

.

I hope the gas can be safely isolated outside the locked area; if its locked that would be a H&S no no.

[LongsufferingLeaseholder]

I hope the gas can be safely isolated outside the locked area; if its locked that would be a H&S no no.

The main gas handle is in this room with the meter along with a large number of other gas supplies to the other flats. When my regulator failed in the full open position several years ago (part of a faulty batch that British Gas it turned out knew about that failed after 10 instead of 40 years but that Transco had done nothing to proactively replace, even though several had failed the same way before mine in the preceding year or two) the guy from Transco who came at 1am threatened to get a locksmith to force the door if the member of the management company who has a key had not turned out to be at home but very fast asleep (thought they were away as their car was not there as it was in the repair garage having work done on it as it turned out).

I am well aware of the theoretical Health and Safety Executive issue but for various reasons am keeping it in reserve to use against my residents management company at an appropriate time. They clearly should provide all the leaseholders with their own key as there is nothing worth stealing in this room but they claim we may meddle with the temperature settings on communal swimming pool equipment that is in the same room. It is one thing not to keep a key hanging on the hook under the communal stairs so kids can't get in (as they used to for the first few years I was there) but quite another to deny leaseholders health and safety access to their own gas isolation handle. :mad:

[Bel]

It beggars belief how thoughtless some people are.
I hope they get what they deserve

[jeffrey]

It beggars belief how thoughtless some people are.
I hope they get what they deserve
None of us can know what that is- nor will we be notified if they do. What you mean is surely "I [Bel] hope that they get what evil I [Bel] wish on them, despite knowing only a fraction of the story at some remove." Best not to wish unknowingly; isn't there a Chinese proverb there...?

[LongsufferingLeaseholder]

It beggars belief how thoughtless some people are.
I hope they get what they deserve

Nominally their position is that I just need to ask one of their directors but the reality is that all the directors may well be away together and 75% of them have been personally abusive towards me in the past. They also insist on coming down to the meter room and watching over me like a hawk while I take my readings.

Net result I choose not to suffer the intimidation any longer and put up with the estimated reads I chase the gas and electricity companies to get the actual reads done by them once a year or so.

[Bel]

None of us can know what that is- nor will we be notified if they do. What you mean is surely "I [Bel] hope that they get what evil I [Bel] wish on them, despite knowing only a fraction of the story at some remove." Best not to wish unknowingly; isn't there a Chinese proverb there...?

I would never wish evil on any one; only that justice prevail and they are called to account.

[jeffrey]

I would never wish evil on any one; only that justice prevail and they are called to account.
A much better formulation.

[govig]

Even better :

I would never wish evil on any one; only that, should they be found to be at fault, justice prevail and they are called to account.