A customer claims an energy supplier broke into his home to check whether his electricity meter had been tampered with. Alan Knight, 67, says he was at work when E.ON engineers executed a warrant last October. Mr Knight claimed a message from the firm said its software had detected that the smart meter cover might have been removed, although no issues were later found.
He said: “I was livid that it happened to me. The implication was that I was stealing their gas and electric. It’s almost like being burgled. I can understand people wanting to leave their house after being burgled.”. The private text message from E.ON, seen by the BBC, said: “The AI Technology notified us that the meter cover had been removed. This raised the concerns for us to check the meter for faults or tampering. Your meter readings are in line with your usage, these cause no concerns.”.
According to the BBC, the firm admitted: “The AI technology needs further work to better its detection for future cases.” E.ON claims it first raised concerns with Mr Knight that his gas meter may be faulty and that staff required access to his home in Waterlooville, Hampshire, to inspect it.
While the gas meter was on the outside the property, it says it needed to get inside to safely uninstall it. The company insisted that it made several attempts to agree a visit with Mr Knight and, having met the required number, a warrant was applied for and received. The firm said that, as a precaution, it also carried out a check on Mr Knight’s electricity meter.
