Calendar An icon of a desk calendar. Cancel An icon of a circle with a diagonal line across. Caret An icon of a block arrow pointing to the right. Email An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of the Facebook "f" mark. Google An icon of the Google "G" mark. Linked In An icon of the Linked In "in" mark. Logout An icon representing logout. Profile An icon that resembles human head and shoulders. Telephone An icon of a traditional telephone receiver. Tick An icon of a tick mark. Is Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes. Is Not Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes with a diagonal line through it. Pause Icon A two-lined pause icon for stopping interactions. Quote Mark A opening quote mark. Quote Mark A closing quote mark. Arrow An icon of an arrow. Folder An icon of a paper folder. Breaking An icon of an exclamation mark on a circular background. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Caret An icon of a caret arrow. Clock An icon of a clock face. Close An icon of the an X shape. Close Icon An icon used to represent where to interact to collapse or dismiss a component Comment An icon of a speech bubble. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Ellipsis An icon of 3 horizontal dots. Envelope An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Home An icon of a house. Instagram An icon of the Instagram logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. Magnifying Glass An icon of a magnifying glass. Search Icon A magnifying glass icon that is used to represent the function of searching. Menu An icon of 3 horizontal lines. Hamburger Menu Icon An icon used to represent a collapsed menu. Next An icon of an arrow pointing to the right. Notice An explanation mark centred inside a circle. Previous An icon of an arrow pointing to the left. Rating An icon of a star. Tag An icon of a tag. Twitter An icon of the Twitter logo. Video Camera An icon of a video camera shape. Speech Bubble Icon A icon displaying a speech bubble WhatsApp An icon of the WhatsApp logo. Information An icon of an information logo. Plus A mathematical 'plus' symbol. Duration An icon indicating Time. Success Tick An icon of a green tick. Success Tick Timeout An icon of a greyed out success tick. Loading Spinner An icon of a loading spinner. Facebook Messenger An icon of the facebook messenger app logo. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Facebook Messenger An icon of the Twitter app logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. WhatsApp Messenger An icon of the Whatsapp messenger app logo. Email An icon of an mail envelope. Copy link A decentered black square over a white square.

‘Total dereliction of duty’: One homeowner’s months-long journey to get a meter fitted in the Outer Hebrides

"It's probably cost me a hundred hours of my working life."

Jane Third has finally managed to secure an appointment -- but she says she's not going to give up until she has "assurance" others won't face the same issues. Photo: Jane Third
Jane Third has finally managed to secure an appointment -- but she says she's not going to give up until she has "assurance" others won't face the same issues. Photo: Jane Third

When Jane Third started the process of getting an OVO Energy meter for her new build in North Uist, she expected it to take longer than normal.

“There’s an extent to which it’s reasonable that there might be delays,” she says. “I live in a remote place.”

What she didn’t expect was the multiple administrative errors that have made an essential job a six-month ordeal.

“For three months they argued it was not their responsibility,” she says.

‘Relentless campaigning’

“Eventually with pressure from the local MP and MSP, plus relentless campaigning on my behalf, they agreed to hire Smart Metering Systems (SMS) to install the meter.”

OVO then closed the complaint. But “after a couple of weeks with nothing,” Ms Third reached out to SMS, who told her OVO had never sent them her property’s full address.

SMS had asked for more details from OVO but had “heard nothing back,” she says.

It took the local newspaper Am Pàipear stepping in to help her reach a higher-up at OVO Energy. Now she has an appointment for April 10 – although, she says, “I won’t believe it until I see it.”

She is just one of the many islanders who have been left waiting for meter installation or repair.

‘Total dereliction of duty’

Some have been told that they will have to wait until 2025 for an appointment.

Others say OVO has “refused to give any indication” of when they can expect help – a response Ms Third says is “a total dereliction of duty.”

Alasdair Allan MSP.

The situation is so bad that Western Isles MSP Alasdair Allan met with OVO Energy representatives last month to demand better results.

The company’s “lack of regard” for islanders is “absolutely unacceptable”, he said.

“Energy suppliers have a statutory obligation to complete meter repairs/installations in a timely manner, no matter where customers are based.”

‘I fought hard for five months to get this’

“It’s probably cost me a hundred hours of my working life,” she says. “Sitting on hold and arguing and things like that.”

And, while her own case might be coming to an end, Ms Third isn’t about to let others go through the same thing.

“I fought hard for five months to get this,” she said. “And other people, elderly people, they don’t know how to do that or can’t do that.”

“I want to follow up, and just be like, ‘Great that I’m getting a meter. But can you give us some assurance that you’re not going to tell the next person who calls what you told me for five months?'”

OVO Energy says they recognise there is “a particular issue in the Highlands and Islands with the scheduling of meter appointments.”

“We’ve made significant headway with booking outstanding jobs and will continue to work with Alasdair Allan MSP to show where we’re making further progress.”

More local reporting from the Western Isles:

Conversation