Adnkronos Rome, October 13 – (Adnkronos) – In the event of a malfunction with your electricity, gas, or water meter, knowing who to contact is essential to quickly resolve the problem and avoid inconvenience or unnecessary expenses. But who is responsible and responsible for the costs? And what are the timeframes and consumer protections? To answer these questions, we consulted ARERA, easily accessible from the website's homepage in the Guides and Tools section.
In the case of energy, electricity and gas meters are the property and responsibility of the local distributor, i.e., the company that physically manages the network and meters. In the event of problems, the service provider can act as an intermediary and forward the report to the distributor. The situation is different for water. In this case, the responsible party is the water utility. Once the malfunction has been reported, the user can request a technical inspection from their salesperson, who must forward the inspection within two days to the distributor for electricity and gas, or to the water utility for water. However, be careful: if the device is found to be functioning properly, the customer may be required to pay the costs of the repair. These costs must be communicated by the salesperson/utility provider upon receipt of the request. In the case of water, these costs must also be disclosed on the bill, on the utility's website, and in the user regulations.
The timing of inspections cannot be random; they must be completed within predetermined timeframes. The distributor has a maximum of 15 working days from receiving the request for electricity and 20 working days for gas to conduct the inspection and communicate the results to the supplier. Margins for water services are reduced; the inspection must be completed within ten days. Failure to meet the deadlines will result in automatic compensation for the customer, with a discount on their bill: €35 for electricity and gas, €30 for water.
How much does a check cost? For electricity, if the meter is confirmed to be functioning properly, the distributor will inform the customer through the vendor of a €50 charge to cover the cost of the check. The cost for gas is different: it will be the price list available on the distributor's website. Please note, however, that the charge cannot exceed €5 if the meter stamp has expired or if the meter has not undergone mandatory periodic checks. The amount also varies for water services and is indicated on the supplier's website and in the User Regulations. If a malfunction is detected, the customer will not have to pay anything for gas, water, or electricity.
Otherwise, unrecorded consumption will be reconstructed by considering the period between the fault and the replacement or repair of the meter. In the absence of an exact date, a maximum of one year is used for electricity and five years for gas. For water, the average consumption of the last three years or that of similar users will be used. If the fault allows for the precise quantification of the error, the calculation will be based on the percentage of malfunction detected; otherwise, the customer's historical data, standard consumption, or the documents provided will be used.
Subsequently, the electricity and gas distributor will send the seller the detailed documentation within specific timeframes: within two months of the inspection for electricity and within 15 days for gas. These documents will then be forwarded to the customer, who will have 30 days from receipt to contest the repair, submitting any supporting evidence. It's important to remember that during the complaint period, the supply cannot be suspended for non-payment. For water, the amounts recalculated based on the new consumption will be billed on the first available bill following the replacement of the faulty meter.
If it becomes necessary to replace an electricity or gas meter, the distributor must notify the customer at least one month in advance, specifying the exact date of the replacement. Replacement is free of charge, and if the customer is absent, a new appointment can be scheduled. Upon completion of the replacement, a report containing the final reading of the old meter will be provided, signed by the customer acknowledging receipt. Within 90 days of the replacement, the customer can request an inspection of the new meter or the recorded readings.