Jalexa:

Twee:

We have just had an engineer from Southern Electric at the door......

You say "engineer" but more likely a doorstep salesperson trying to get you switch suppliers and trying to "con" you that Southern Electric will be cheaper because you live in an area where Southern Electric is the Distribution Network Operator (or DNO) and owns not just the meter but all the cables outside. Makes no difference to you as a domestic consumer.

I hope you will take my advice to learn to have confidence in a Consumer Focus accredited comparison website and not be hoodwinked (again) by a doorstep caller or store ambush.

Later edit:

If you examine your Scottish Power bill you will see a section where the cost of your supply is broken down. One section "delivering the energy to your home". The meter and cable costs (also gas pipes) is hidden in there.

Twee:

We have just had an engineer from Southern Electric at the door......

You say "engineer" but more likely a doorstep salesperson trying to get you switch suppliers and trying to "con" you that Southern Electric will be cheaper because you live in an area where Southern Electric is the Distribution Network Operator (or DNO) and owns not just the meter but all the cables outside. Makes no difference to you as a domestic consumer.

I hope you will take my advice to learn to have confidence in a Consumer Focus accredited comparison website and not be hoodwinked (again) by a doorstep caller or store ambush.

I don't think this is the case as it was stated. The meters are put in at the time the supply is set up and is just part of the infrastructure required to deliver the service. Technically from I have read, the current supplier of the electricity owns the meter and is responsible for its maintenance. There is some leasing arrangment of the meter between the original installation company and the current supplier, but this is not something that has anything to do with the consumer. i.e there is no separate charge shown on the electricity bill in regard to the meter.

It is only if you have one of the prepayment meters set up, that there is a charge for the meter.

I have had meters replaced and have never heard of any such charges.

We take our electricity from Scottish Power .....on a "normal" meter

We have just had an engineer from Southern Electric at the door asking if we were aware of the charges made by Scottish Power to us - for the meter (evidently, the meter is owned by SEB and they "rent it out" to SP at up to £150 per year)

From what I can see on my bills - there is no charges made for the meter

Is what this chap said - true ?

Or was he just trying to get us to switch suppliers ?