Family of Scots OAP fume as smart-meter makes daily life 'distressing'

dailyrecord.co.uk:

The family of a 90-year-old man in Dunning have complained the electricity smart-meter installed in his home by OVO has made his daily life “distressing” after the pensioner has had to endure over six months of trying to take readings from a device positioned at ground level.

Charles Watt is 90, living alone, in Dunning, Perthshire. Mr Watt is doing well for his age but he collapsed in a park in May, and despite keeping his independence, has mobility and balance issues.In December OVO decided he needed a new meter following “discrepancies” with the old meter.His family claim that what the electricity company installed - a box at carpet level - has “created new problems rather than solving old ones” and is “an accident waiting to happen”.They say Charles is expected to bend and kneel down to take readings from the smart meter which sits at floor level.Additionally, as this meter works on tokens, he is expected to frequently go to the post office to buy credit for the card meter when before his usage was managed through paying a quarterly bill.His daughter, Lesley Malone, told the PA that the current set up is “very distressing for the mental health of an elderly person living independently but alone”.She said: “My father got a fright when it appeared he had an enormous bill because of trouble he’d had reading the display.“It’s also really a lot to expect for him aged 90 to have to toddle off to the post office every two seconds to put more credit on a card.”Lesley complained that “a multitude” of emails sent since to OVO customer services regarding the change of meter in December and appealing for help to improve the situation for her father, have been “ignored.”She sent pictures showing how awkwardly placed the smart