Recent comments on the effectiveness of Ofwat and Ofgem (“Utilities and regulators are ‘not fit for purpose’, says ex-government adviser”, Interview, August 29) reminded me that some years ago the government was urging energy customers to install “smart” meters, and also to change supplier from time to time to keep suppliers on their toes. I got meters installed, congratulating myself that I was doing a socially useful thing. Sometime later, I changed supplier. That revealed a problem: the new supplier could not read my smart meters.
It turned out the government had not initially required that meters be standardised. Although they are now standardised, there must be tens of thousands of what I now know as “Type 1” meters still fitted, and a high probability they will be useless other than with the original energy supplier. Anyone in that position is back to taking and submitting monthly meter readings in the old fashioned way.
I have taken this up with my present supplier, but they say it’s nothing to do with them. It would be good to know who — if anyone — it is to do with, and what — if anything — will be done about it. And it would be at least interesting to know why this absurd situation was allowed to arise.
John Tippler
Spalding, Lincolnshire, UK