Seemed like a good idea at the time, iteration 693: UPDATED

The deal with our current energy suppliers requires me to send them meter readings at intervals.  Anyone watching me wrestle with the software so as to enter readings would be reminded of the celebrated Private Eye cartoon: New Technology Baffles Pissed Old Hack.  As a rule, they send a meter reader a day or two after I’ve done so, so I don’t quite see the point.  Any road up, out of the blue came an email the other day inviting us to have ‘smart meters’ fitted, which would avoid my having to get into outdoor shoes, heave the dustbins around, wrestle with the cabinets and read the meters.  Since that sounded like a good plan, we signed up for it.  

Along came a nice young man today to do the work.  The electricity side went OK, but when it came to the gas, he discovered that the gas shut-off lever is fitted in such a way that it conflicted with the new meter when he came to turn the supply back on.  Back went the old meter, the pressure test nipple on which then sheared off when he went to close it after testing.  Fortunately he had a spare with him.  So we soon had a gas supply again.  No further for’arder, mind you.

Next came a call from a nice woman at whatever part of the gas supply mafia is responsible for the supply valve.  They are sending someone tomorrow to see if it can be fixed.  If not, I’ll have to settle for going outside every time they want a gas meter reading.  

The deal came with a cute little box that is meant to display our energy use.  A glance at the instruction leaflet brought back the sort of sinking feeling I used to get on turning over a Moral Philosophy exam paper, so I think I’ll outsource that job to Management.  I haven’t yet persuaded said cute little box to get data from the meter, so have parked it out of harm’s way on top of the fridge, next to the carbon monoxide alarm.

This one could run and run.

[Next morning]  Today’s experience was brief and satisfactory in part.  The fellow was here a few minutes after 08:00, and quickly reversed the action of the shut-off lever.  But we’ll have to wait over three weeks for the new gas meter...