Dear Sirs

Re: Account Number xxx/xxxx/xxxxxxxxx

I am writing to you, not because I expect the slightest attention, nor even the courtesy of a reply, but merely to place my position on record, for reference in further action or legal proceedings. You will also have noted that I have sent this letter to you by Registered Post, to help to overcome your alleged previous difficulties with the quality of your postage service. More of that later.

Last Thursday, 5 July, officers acting on your behalf gained entry to my home, and removed the gas meter. They had no right to do this, following arrangements I had made by telephone with your staff earlier in the week. I am rarely lost for words but I cannot even begin to describe the fury and indignation I feel at your corporate incompetence, which has led to this unnecessary and (I thought) avoidable action.

Before I even try to find those words, let me first explain the comedy of your errors which led up to last Thursday. I had difficulties with paying my gas bill. I concede that. I was unexpectedly made redundant last year when my employer ceased trading, and “Social Services” ensured that I lived in poverty until I found another job. That’s another story though.

Suffice to say that I tried to pay what I could towards the gas bill (along with mortgage, electricity and everything else), and even stopped using gas altogether, freezing myself half to death in the process, to give me a chance to catch up. In February, I telephoned your offices and asked for the gas meter to be removed, as, although I was using no gas, the standing charges were mounting up. I was asked to write in to you to confirm that request, and that an appointment would then be made for the meter to be removed. I did that the same day.

I waited.

I waited some more.

Hold your breath till you turn blue. Seems like a long time eh? Well I waited a lot longer than that for this mythical appointment.

Nothing happened. I used no gas, you didn’t come to take out the meter. Fair enough eh?

Then I got another letter from you. By this time my original debt of £94.06 (based on estimated readings) had soared to £172.77 (again, based on estimated readings) and standing charges and interest (the only interest, I may say, that your company has demonstrated to date in my plight). I was given a choice: either pay up now or we (i.e. you) will enter the house (by force if necessary) and remove the meter.

I telephoned your office last Monday, 2 July. I was told that the charge for this “forced entry” removal would be £250. I said that I had already written in February to ask for the meter to be removed and was waiting to hear from you. Guess what?

“Oh we never got your letter.” The vagaries of the postal service eh? How come the post office always seems to break down into an anarchical shambles of unsorted letters and unexplained bonfires when it suits companies like you eh? How come they never seem to fail to deliver your gas bills etc? If I turned round and said “Oh I didn’t pay that gas bill or the final demand because the Post Office never delivered it” would you believe me? Would you say “Oh well that’s ok we’ll let you off then”? I very much doubt it. If I were you I would be writing to the Postmaster (by Registered Post! – important tip there) asking for an explanation. Anyway, I digress.

In this same telephone call last Monday, I was told by your staff that the charge for removing the meter “by arrangement” would be £58.00. Obviously, that was preferable so I agreed, and she said that an appointment would be arranged and a card sent out to me. She also said that the “forced entry” was cancelled.

I called British Gas that same day and they were very helpful, and said that they would be pleased to take over both my gas and electricity accounts. Arrangements for that transfer were made that same day.

So there I was, not exactly happy but at least relieved that it was all sorted out. How blissful those naïve days were, when I thought that I was dealing with a company where the left hand knew when the right hand was picking its nose. How pleasantly I recall tripping gaily off to work on those halcyon mornings of Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

This relatively peaceful existence was somewhat shattered when I came home on Thursday and found that officers acting on your behalf had entered my house anyway, and removed the meter.

I had been assured that this action had been cancelled. I would NEVER have gone off to work and left the house unoccupied if I had the slightest suspicion that your operatives were likely to arrive.

That was bad enough, but is not the worst of it.

In my experience, nearly every domestic gas supply in the UK terminates in a meter located in the FRONT of the house, facing the underground utilities in the street. So far as I am aware, it is an offence to build over a gas supply. Your officers must therefore have had a reasonable expectation that the meter would be located against the front wall of the house.

Why, then, was at least one of them looking in a cupboard at the BACK of the house? I know this because I have to wedge the door shut with a piece of card to stop my cats from getting in there, and when I got home the card was INSIDE the cupboard. I would like a written explanation of this, and also a report on how many other cupboards and rooms they might have explored unnecessarily. I’m not likely to get one though, eh?

Even that might seem bad enough, but oh no, it’s not. Read on.

As it was, my neighbours were treated to a three-ring circus whilst Transco, a locksmith and a sherrif's officer played “Raffles” on my front doorstep.

My home has been invaded, rooms have been examined far beyond the need to remove the gas supply, and my neighbours know all of this. Have you any idea how much distress and embarrassment you have perpetrated upon me? No I bet you don’t, and I suspect you care even less.

I spoke to the Sheriff Officers who explained that their officers ALWAYS check with you in the morning before forcing entry. They phoned you on Thursday morning and were told to go ahead, so they did.

I telephoned your office on Thursday evening and explained what had happened. Your operative, Stuart confirmed that the call on Monday had been logged, and that the action had been cancelled, and that an appointment card was to be sent out to me. I was assured that a supervisor would phone me back. No-one did. I telephoned again on Friday and spoke to another operative and explained that I intended to seek legal advice. She said “Do what you like” (or words to that effect).

I was again assured that a supervisor would phone. No-one did. I am still waiting.

I have contacted Energywatch, and have learned that you lead the field in customer complaints. This I find not in the least bit surprising.

So the position is this. You screwed up. You caused me distress and embarrassment by continuing an action I had already arranged with you to cancel. Furthermore, you have attempted to ignore my complaint, no doubt in the hope that I would go away when I calmed down.

I won’t.

No, I intend to seek not just legal advice on my position, but also to pursue, through Energywatch, and through every other means of publicity available to me, adequate compensation for the anguish you have caused me through your negligence, incompetence and corporate nonchalance.

In the meantime, please be assured that I will NOT be paying the amount that I previously owed you, or any charges whatsoever for your erroneous meter removal. Not one single penny. You owe me that much at the very least.

I expect to hear from you within seven days (not eight, seven!) with your proposals to redeem this situation.

Yours faithfully

It has become evident to me today exactly how much attention you intended to take of those telephone calls, as I have today received a final bill and a payment book, and no mention at all of my efforts to contact you.

Furthermore, Mr Hopkinson promised me yesterday (Wednesday) that the sheriff officers would be writing to me about this. I have still received no letter from them either.

This raises two questions: the first is, why is it the sheriff's officers who are writing to me? They were only “obeying orders” and their authority to proceed came in error from you. Their letter may well be interesting, and I look forward to reading it (if that dratted postal service ever gets it to me, eh?) but in any event it is far from the end of this matter.

Second question: Do you really honestly and truly expect me to pay one single penny of the previous debt after you screwed up with such style? If so, then think again, and keep thinking till you get to the right answer. That’s “No” by the way, just to save you time.

So here’s the payment book back, because I won’t be needing it.

Whatever the sheriff officers have to say, I expect a response from YOU, the “keep the heads below the parapet” perpetrators of this comedy of errors.

You now have five days left to confirm how you propose to redeem this situation.

I should be grateful if you would acknowledge receipt of this letter because I intend to copy it to you (and others as necessary) until you do.

Dear Mr Hopkinson

I refer to my previous letters on the above, which I hope have now completed xxxxxxx’s extensive mail vetting and quarantine procedures and have now reached your desk.

Well I followed your telephone advice and waited (and waited and waited) for a reply from the sheriff officers. I thought I should write and let you know that I received their letter on Saturday (that’s last Saturday at the time of writing, but probably a fortnight ago by the time this reaches you) and very helpful it was too. It lays the blame for this error firmly and squarely on Amerada.

So, as I requested two weeks ago I still expect a reasoned and lucid explanation from YOU, xxxxxxx, setting out clearly by what specific powers you entered my house on 5 July and removed the meter, and also including a credible reason why the arrangements made on Monday 2 July (that’s only 3 days earlier, in case you missed that point) were completely disregarded when you did so. I would also request an explanation of why you, xxxxxxx, completely ignored my request in February for a Quantum meter to be installed, so that I could ensure that the situation would not arise in any case.

I would ask you to note that I am copying this letter, and your sheriff officer’s, to others whom I have already contacted for advice, for their further information.

I hope that you will deal with this letter more timeously than my previous correspondence.

Yours faithfully, but increasingly impatiently,

Still nothing happened. I contacted Energywatch, and that's where the story continues:

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