Should we have access to our ESB meters?

[scallywag]

As ESB consumers, do we have a right to be able to access our own ESB meters directly?

I ask because in the apartment complex that I'm living in, the ESB meter room has been locked and the management agents merely suggest that if I want a meter reading they can take it for me.

I find this irritating because I like to track my ESB usage quite closely, and sometimes do little experiments like leaving a heater on for a day and seeing how much it costs. This would be much easier if I could see the meter myself.

 

[alaskaonline]

as far as i am aware you are entitled to have full access to your meter and when i lived in an apt.complex before ESB encourage me even to take the readings myself by sending the box key. i did the experiments with the heating as well
why is yours one locked anyway? what reasons did the management company give you?

 

[jquinn]

Often these meters are in maintenance areas that are not safe for general public. You should have access, but it would probably have to be supervised. I can't imagine your management company sending over someone whenever you wanted to play. If you want to measure the usage from a heater, then you can buy small gadgets that will measure the electricity being used.

 

[scallywag]

Actually because it's a very large apartment complex, we have an onsite mgt agent and handyman. So we're lucky that way.

Still, I'd prefer to just be able to pop by and check the meter when I like. The meters are all in a room which was open for a while (it's a newly built complex), but now it's locked. I didn't get an exact reason for this, but I'll ask at the next meeting. Our mgt agent is very non-technical and I suspect she'll just come up with some vague excuse.

JQuinn you might have a point - if someone went poking their fingers around the meters it could be nasty. Maybe safety is a valid reason. But I'm an engineer so I still want access!!!