Energy bill increases

[fossyant]

Thanks, was wondering where my account number was hidden...

On-line accounts are no good, when it's all on-line and down !

 

[midlife]

On-line accounts are no good, when it's all on-line and down !

The online account is down but there is a link to a web form that you fill in and submit. Needs account number though.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Just managed to give an electricity reading for yesterday on EON. I don't know how to do the gas since I don't have a key for the meter box.

Outside gas meters here are all behind a kind of cupboard that opens with a standard Link or similar Link kind of tool. You can also buy a utility key with 4 different sizes, mine opens the council's food bin too
Available at the pound shop, home bargains or at your local small hardware store.

 

[alicat]

Outside gas meters here are all behind a kind of cupboard that opens with a standard Link or similar Link kind of tool. You can also buy a utility key with 4 different sizes, mine opens the council's food bin too
Available at the pound shop, home bargains or at your local small hardware store.

Thanks for the info, @Pat "5mph". I'll know for next time.

 

[alicat]

Come to think of it, I think I've got one in my tool box.

 

[Domus]

Finally got on to Eon's site to submit my readings late yesterday morning, I kid you not, less than five minutes later a meter reader rang the bell.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

Finally got on to Eon's site to submit my readings late yesterday morning, I kid you not, less than five minutes later a meter reader rang the bell.

I hope you asked for identification as I haven't seen one of them in years, didn't know they still existed

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Finally got on to Eon's site to submit my readings late yesterday morning, I kid you not, less than five minutes later a meter reader rang the bell.

WOW - meter readers still exist!!

haven't seen one of them for a couple of decades!

I suspect they will be busy for the next few weeks checking the readings where people seem to have suddenly used loads of electric at the old rate and then use naff all for the next few weeks!

 

[Scaleyback]

Funny that I think they are the pits, I got their free repair service included in our package, called them up as the boiler was leaking water, after 2 cancelled appointments he turned up, I explained what the issue was, 'Oh I know what that is, it'll only take 5 minutes' he put air pressure into the expansion chamber as he bled water out of the system. If was then tested & all was working fine, he then stuck a probe into the flue at which point it all went pear shape. The boiler had to be condemned, it's dangerous, can't leave it working, you're lucky you're still alive etc. etc. oh we can't get parts for it it's too old, this was without any investigation then promptly capped our gas supply off & left.

I am in dispute with them now over this as I had another engineer in who said although it needed investigating it didn't need condemning, it was clearly a ploy by BG to get a Sales person to ring to try to sell us a new boiler which they did.

Sadly, it has long been known that BG engineers have a propensity for condeming gas appliances. It is inevitable that some of these decisions are subjective and the customer will be the big loser. A second opinion from another Gas Safe registered engineer is often a good idea.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

I always avoid BG
Many many years ago my parents had a policy with them so that anything that went wrong got fixed - and at he time they were brilliant
Any problems and an engineer was round there within 24 hours
One Christmas Day I arrived in the morning as usual to be told the gas was off due to a leek and we might have to pack dinner up and go back to my house to cook it
They had reported it about an hour before - and a few minutes after I got there the doorbell rang and the gas was back on within an hour
dinner was saved!!

AFter that they just seemed to stop bothering - rather than trying to turn up ASAP they started 'scheduling' you for an appointment ina few days

It seems like as soon as they had competition they got the bean counters in and tried to save money

WHenever I have needed a new boiler I have got a quote from them because they tend to tell you about all the regulations - then get another few quotes from small local firms - BG can turn out to be twice the price!!

 

[Scaleyback]

I always avoid BG
It seems like as soon as they had competition they got the bean counters in and tried to save money

As a former BG employee (see earlier post) Privatisation changed the whole ethos of this company.
Before privatisation the company had many time served engineers in positions of high authority. Sir Dennis Rooke (he of the 'Fat cat' witch hunt)
rose from youth apprentice to chairman of BG. Priorities in those days, driven by engineering excellence were safety and continuinty of supply.
After Privatisation came the 'rise' of the Accountant and the need to provide returns for shareholders and imo the demise of what was the Worlds leading authority on large scale gas distribution networks. You will find now that the top echelon of the business and many of the other privatised utilities are headed by 'professional businessmen' who have no experience of the 'grass roots' of the company they are heading.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

As a former BG employee (see earlier post) Privatisation changed the whole ethos of this company.
Before privatisation the company had many time served engineers in positions of high authority. Sir Dennis Rooke (he of the 'Fat cat' witch hunt)
rose from youth apprentice to chairman of BG. Priorities in those days, driven by engineering excellence were safety and continuinty of supply.
After Privatisation came the 'rise' of the Accountant and the need to provide returns for shareholders and imo the demise of what was the Worlds leading authority on large scale gas distribution networks. You will find now that the top echelon of the business and many of the other privatised utilities are headed by 'professional businessmen' who have no experience of the 'grass roots' of the company they are heading.

That would explain it
"The Rise of the Bean Counters" is my idea of a horror film

 

[Deleted member 26715]

Sadly, it has long been known that BG engineers have a propensity for condeming gas appliances. It is inevitable that some of these decisions are subjective and the customer will be the big loser. A second opinion from another Gas Safe registered engineer is often a good idea.

I did & his opinion was although it wasn't in-spec, it was literally just outside & wasn't in the dangerous state that the BG engineer had made out. Also the fact that the CO2 monitor was in the cupboard & wasn't complaining was another factor, he put the gas back on & then he fitted a new boiler 10 days later. BG sales team rang 4 weeks later asking if we wanted a quote for a new boiler bearing in mind they had no information that a new boiler had been fitted & for all they knew we'd been without heat for the whole of December & into January.

 

[gbb]

Truth is, most companies are run by accountants now, every last vestige of cost is stripped out if a company wants to compete. If it doesnt, it cant compete and will ultimately fail. Its a terrible fact we all live with now.
I look at the big employers round here, Perkins, Brotherhoods, Baker Perkins, Hotpoint, they all had social clubs...afaik, its all gone, everything sold off, anything that didnt generate profit, worse still actually cost, wiped off the board.

My son is BG engineer, they have sacrificed all sorts over the last few years, Final Salary Pension gone, terms and conditions eroded, old extensive training gone, its all diluted in the name of profit, just like everywhere else unfortunately.

 

[gbb]

I did & his opinion was although it wasn't in-spec, it was literally just outside & wasn't in the dangerous state that the BG engineer had made out. Also the fact that the CO2 monitor was in the cupboard & wasn't complaining was another factor, he put the gas back on & then he fitted a new boiler 10 days later. BG sales team rang 4 weeks later asking if we wanted a quote for a new boiler bearing in mind they had no information that a new boiler had been fitted & for all they knew we'd been without heat for the whole of December & into January.

Talking to my son, he finds exactly what you describe within BG ranks, let alone another company..opinion. Opinions differ, engineers differ situations and experiences differ. BG tend to be right down the line when safety is concerned and it does upset customers naturally but they wont, or shouldnt compromise safety. If the boiler you were discussing up post wasnt as bad as the BG engineer suggested, why did it get replaced then by the second company id ask myself.