# ESB networks charging €196.34 for broken seal on meter.



## sassy (27 May 2009)

ESB Networks recently sent me a an invoice, out of the blue for 196.34 Euro, stating that the meter reader had found the seal on my electricity meter broken and therefore had to be replaced.

This is crazy, i had never been near my electricity meter, and when i rang ESB Networks they accused me of trying to tamper with it to cut costs!
If i did then my bloody bill would be cheaper instead getting bigger each month. To be honest i hardly even knew where the  thing was till they wrote to me!!

Can they do this?
Anyone else have a similar experience?
Thanks


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## Fnergg (28 May 2009)

Yes, ESB Networks apply this charge when they have to send out a technician to re-seal the meter.

Meter seals can be broken for many reasons and rarely because the customer was trying to steal electricity. The person who accused you of trying to steal electricity was totally out of order. 

The fact remains though that you are responsible for looking after the meter on your property. If ESB Networks have to attend to any damage caused they will charge you for the visit.

There was a time when such visits would have been done free of charge to the customer. A couple of years ago the Commission for Energy Regulation dictated that henceforth the individual customer would have to pay. This was on the basis of the "polluter pays" principle. Naturally, when the CER handed down such a diktat the ESB had no choice but to apply it. The scale of charges for such visits was also approved by the CER.

I don't doubt that you had nothing to do with the broken seal. However, someone broke it - and not necessarily for any nefarious reasons - and it required a technician to call out to replace it. You are the customer and you have to foot the bill, I'm afraid.

Regards,

Fnergg


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## dave28 (30 May 2009)

In my case the meter-box door on the gable was left open (by the meter reader - nobody else ever goes near it) and the wind damaged one of the hinges. Am I responsible for repairs ?


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## Fnergg (30 May 2009)

dave28 said:


> In my case the meter-box door on the gable was left open (by the meter reader - nobody else ever goes near it) and the wind damaged one of the hinges. Am I responsible for repairs ?



ESB Networks will call out and repair it free of charge on a once off basis. If it occurs a second time you will have to pay. Contact ESB Networks at 1850372757 and they will look after it.

The meter box is your property - it would have been fitted by the builder, not the ESB - and so is your responsibility.

If a meter box door is left open by the meter reader - and it can easily happen - you should close it yourself. If you don't have a meter box key a long nose pliers will do the job.

(see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmPTlXqhzYc&feature=channel_page)

Regards,

Fnergg


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## dave28 (30 May 2009)

Thanks Fnergg - 
I understand what you say, that the box is mine, fitted by my builder and my responsibility but the door was swinging in the wind all night before I noticed it the next day by which time it was hanging on one hinge. I think it will be difficult to fix - if it was easy i would do it myself - because the broken part is on the "wall" side of the hinge, not the door side. So its not just a matter of buying a new door. If the whole box had to be replaced it would be a huge undertaking I think and I'm guessing the ESB would deny their responsibility because of this


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## Fnergg (30 May 2009)

Nothing to lose by contacting them and asking them to call out. You won't be charged for the call out and they will probably fix it.

Regards,

Fnergg


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