[Amandajaw]

My smart meter has not had a signal for a week. I’m on payg meter . I haven’t been able to top up since 31 st oct. I’ve had 3 call
outs and been told they can’t fix it . Network supply say it’s Utilita’s problem. I’ve sat in for days on end waiting for engineers. I booked one from 8.30 am. He arrived at 10.00pm. Said he needed network power support and 10 minutes later drove off without letting me know.

[Asha]

Hi @Amandajaw,

I am very sorry to hear about the inconvenience and frustration this situation has caused, especially after multiple engineer appointments and the time you have spent waiting for visits.


Having reviewed the engineer's notes, the meter exchange could not be completed because there was no safe access to the required fuse equipment. While you were advised that the building's main supply could be switched off, our engineers are not permitted to work on 400-volt equipment. To carry out the work safely, access would be required to all 16 properties within the building so that each consumer unit could be isolated and the necessary Martindale safety tests completed before any work could proceed.
The engineer also noted that there is no network signal available in the meter location, which may be contributing to the communication issues affecting your smart meter.

We understand how disappointing this outcome is, particularly given the number of appointments and the delays you have experienced. We are currently discussing the case to determine the most appropriate next steps and to ensure the issue is resolved as quickly as possible.
Thank you for bringing this to our attention and for your patience while we work towards a solution.

Kind regards,
Ash

[Amandajaw]

This is the first time in a week I’ve had a proper answer. I am a vulnerable customer and main worry is having no gas and electricity. I can’t top up manually or online . All the meters are in the basement on one fuse. I have no idea when my supply will turn off. Which worries me me

[Amandajaw]

Since all the drama with my electric and gas meters nothing has happened and heard nothing . I haven’t got the foggiest idea what is happening.

[JacobCX]

Hi @Amandajaw

I have moved your post to the same thread for consistency. I know it can be very frustrating to not have clarity on questions like this.

It sounds like there are physical set up and legal barriers which makes it very difficult to work to be completed at your property. At this point I'd recommend speaking to the managers/owners of the building about making future access easier and contact our customer service teams for any updates.

[Amandajaw]

No I have no gas or electricity

[JacobCX]

Hi @Amandajaw

I'm really sorry to hear you're going through all this. It must be very difficult and I wish I could help more. The community space is here to provide guidance and information and encourage Utilita customers to share about how to manage their energy but it's not a front-line customer support system so we have very little access to the kind of help that customer services can provide.

The legal issues comes in from what your energy supplier is allowed to do with and around your meter. This is true for all energy suppliers, not just ourselves. All your energy supplier is allowed to do is work directly on the meter itself and in order to do so they have to turn off the power to the meter.

In properties with multiple meters but one central power supply what often happens is that turning off the power to one meter also turns off the power to all the other meters. We cannot turn off someone else's energy supply without their knowledge or consent and so we would need the permission of every property affected.

In addition there was no safe access to the required fuse equipment. While you were advised that the building's main supply could be switched off, our engineers are not permitted to work on 400-volt equipment. This is beyond the scope of typical domestic power consumption and is dangerous to handle without the full training and proper equipment.

While energy companies are responsible for the upkeep of the meters, it is down to the owner of the property to ensure that access to the meter is safe and available for any engineers. Which is why speaking to the building management is essential as they can often contact other residents most easily and get their own engineer work done to ensure safety.

To carry out the work safely, access would be required to all 16 properties within the building so that each consumer unit could be isolated and the necessary Martindale safety tests completed before any work could proceed.

If you're now totally without power I would still recommend contacting customer services to advise of the emergency and see if there is anything that can be done but it is very likely that engineers sent out would not be able to take any action at the meter unless all 16 homes were on board with powering down and the area had been made safe.