Watch Dog

[Sniperama]

was watching watch dog tonight and so it apears that british gas have the power to break into any house that has faild to pay there bills and cut off their supply / change there meter to pre-paid, on tonights episode of watch dog they broke into someones house who wasnt even with british gas no previous letters to say this would happen, and they also broke into a business and turns out it was for a bill the previous tenant left

shocking or what ?

Anyway beware as they have the backing from the goverment even tho they also have there facts wrong

[Dadie]

Hope they paid for repairs... putting right the damage ..
to the properties where they got the wrong people!
So wrong

[Kodiak]

This must have happened in England as I am sure that it could not happen in Scotland without a Warrent.

[dx100uk]

was watching watch dog tonight and so it apears that british gas have the power to break into any house that has faild to pay there bills and cut off their supply / change there meter to pre-paid, on tonights episode of watch dog they broke into someones house who wasnt even with british gas no previous letters to say this would happen, and they also broke into a business and turns out it was for a bill the previous tenant left

shocking or what ?

Anyway beware as they have the backing from the goverment even tho they also have there facts wrong

they have a legal right to read a meter for safety reasons once in every two years.

if they cannot do that they may get a warrant for entry from a magistrates court, but only under the safety clause.

they do not have the right under any circumstances [unless this co-incides with no entry for two years under the safety remit] to force entry to change a meter or cut people off.

though they have been previously fined in 2002 for sending out letters threatening to force entry on unpaid bills etc which they should not of done.

sadly if the cases are read properly one was over two years and the other was close.

but eitherway, they were not the current supplier, so should not of acted in that way.

dx

[theone]

I bought my house from a 5 person family and lived alone for the first couple of years. I also worked away, so was only in half the time.

Every time I got an estimated bill I gave the gas company a real reading at a fraction of theirs, and every time I got a 'please check again'.

Eventually I got the letter saying that my meter was going to get checked 'for safety reasons' and, as luck would have it, I was home when they came round.

The guy was visibly disappointed not to find a 'tap in' upstream of the meter.

It's funny that since I've been home more, and now have a 'bide 'e in' running the meter at triple time, they've not asked me to check that my submitted reading is correct................

[achingale]

I bought my house from a 5 person family and lived alone for the first couple of years. I also worked away, so was only in half the time.

Every time I got an estimated bill I gave the gas company a real reading at a fraction of theirs, and every time I got a 'please check again'.

Eventually I got the letter saying that my meter was going to get checked 'for safety reasons' and, as luck would have it, I was home when they came round.

The guy was visibly disappointed not to find a 'tap in' upstream of the meter.

It's funny that since I've been home more, and now have a 'bide 'e in' running the meter at triple time, they've not asked me to check that my submitted reading is correct................

I think they are all the same. Every company is suspicious if your reading is lower than they expect but are more than happy when it is a high reading. Although, having said that, we moved to a house with no heating and used electric fires. I gave them the meter reading and they told me it was too high! They are never happy...

[Sniperama]

as far as watch dog made out last night they do not need to apply to the courts as they have permision that if they feel they need imediate access they can do everything possible to gain entry to the house the couple who were not even with british gas was not offered the damages repaired nor was there original meter replaced they are now british gas customers and were offerd some vouchers in a shop ie M&S and a trip to the cinema ?????? Shocking they should have bent over backwards to put things back to the way they were.....

[dx100uk]

nope
only under safety to life or death
all other cases they MUST apply and have a valid warrant.

dx