Friday 11 January 2013

The trouble with meter readings

Yesterday the man came to read the meters. Of course, I was out, so he left a card for me to fill in the readings and leave in a prominent position today.

I hate reading the meters, particularly the electricity. This is when I curse the builders we had from here to kingdom come. Blue air all around. This is the procedure I took in order to complete the request.

1. Be prepared. Get the torch and the screwdriver.
2. Check torch: find the battery has gone. Find spare batteries.
3. Discover that new batteries also don't make the torch work. Find another torch.
4. Only torch I can find is a headlamp. Don't laugh.
5. Put on the light in the pantry. Pull out the set of steps and use them to wedge the door open.
6. Sort out all the empty bottles that were thrown into the recycling box and missed...
7. Empty pantry of big boxes and packs of drinks that fill the floor space. 
8. Remove the vegetable rack.
9. Put the trays on the kitchen table.
10. Kneel on the (horribly dusty) floor in the corner of the pantry.
11. Remove 4 screws from wooden panel, and then the panel.
12. Using headlamp, read electricity meter about 1m away in the depths of this cupboard. (Note to self: need opticians appointment!)
13. Go back into house to find pen and paper to write down the number.
14. Reverse steps 7-11.

The Gas meter is a lot easier, being in a box outside. It was only complicated by the fact that (a) I couldn't find the back door key and (b) that silly triangular key is always at the bottom of the drawer.

I hope our energy company realise how much effort I go to on their behalf. By the end of all that I feel ready for another cup of tea! 

Photo credit: from the film Delicatessen (1991)

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