Maeve’s meter mix-up solved by Green Doctor

27-year-old Maeve recently moved into her first home in Nottingham with her partner. After submitting an incorrect meter reading, she worried about going into energy debt. With help from the Green Doctor, a charity service providing energy advice, she is now back on track.

The Green Doctor service by regional charity Groundwork Five Counties offers households around free energy and money saving advice. They also install energy saving measures such as LED bulbs, radiator foil, draught proofing, and more.

When Maeve, 27, moved in with her partner last summer, she found her electric and gas meter does not give automatic readings to the supplier. She submitted a manual reading but typed a number wrong. Once bills started coming through, she realised she was being undercharged.

Maeve says: “I tried to fix the mistake, but I couldn’t get it to work. The bills that started to come through afterwards were estimates and I realised we were being undercharged. I worried a big bill that we wouldn’t be able to pay would be coming any time soon, I was very anxious about it.”

Green Doctor Mayita says: “Maeve works for Citizens Advice, who we have a close collaborative relationship with. After referring several people to our service, she decided to book her own home visit with us to get support with her energy bills.

“We found Maeve’s home has a first-generation smart meter. We are aware these do not always work; readings often do not automatically go to the supplier, hence the estimates. We reviewed her utility bills, managed to rectify her mistake with the supplier, and get the smart meter to work as it should. We are very pleased to see her bills are now correct.

“We recommend that even if you have a smart meter, to still double-check your billed usage is correct. If there’s a problem and you don’t notice it, you may get a nasty shock when a large bill comes through unexpectedly.

“After fixing Maeve’s meter issue, we gave her further energy advice and installed foil behind radiators on exterior walls, which reflect the heat back into the room. This is a very easy and cheap way of saving money and keeping cold rooms warmer.”

Maeve says: “The Green Doctor has been fantastic, I was so worried about the bills and they managed to fix it which is a big relief. It was a great experience. I got a lot out of it, and it didn’t cost me anything.”

The Green Doctor service in Maeve’s area is funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, distributed by Broxtowe Borough Council. This funded service is available across the East Midlands to people of any age, income and background, whether they own their home, rent, are a council or social housing tenant.

For more information and to make a free appointment, visit the website: https://www.groundwork.org.uk/fivecounties/green-doctor/