Don’t you just love being in control?

At the start of the year I changed my gas and electricity supplier to British Gas, partly inspired by an offer of a £60 backhander from Quidco to do so.

Last week a letter turns up telling me that as I haven’t had my gas meter inspected in the last 18 months they were going to come today to inspect it, and if wasn’t here to let them in and I hadn’t called them to rechedule the appointment to a time that was convenientthey would have to consider applying to a magistrate for permission to enter the property.

Somewhat taken aback by the arsey tone of the letter I phoned to have words, and was assured that it was just the wrong form letter which had been sent out, and they were able to reschedule the appointment for this evening between 18.00 and 20.00.

So I get home from work to find a card stating that they turned up at 8.20 this morning. Pillocks. So back on the phone to have further words. “Ah, there’s a note here that they tried to contact you to tell you that they couldn’t make the appointment but couldn’t get through”.

“So given that you knew the original appointment was no good for me and I wouldn’t be here, you turned up anyway rather than cancelling it?”

“Umm… yes. It’s this computer system, it doesn’t let you cancel things very easily”

Sigh. We’ll see how badly they cock up the newly rearranged appointment for Thursday. Otherwise we’ll be seeing how well the system lets them cancel other things… you know, like accounts.