UKC

Pretty much what it says above. If I have a smart gas meter - why would someone want to read it? 

A fella knocked today and asked if he could read the meter.  I told him we had a smart one.  He said the energy company had sent him out, as they often did, just to do a check.  It sounded a bit dodgy and I told him to eff off.

It wouldn't have been a big security issue as he wouldn't have had to come into the house to take a reading.  However, I was under the impression that once you had one of these meters they wouldn't have to take readings and nor would I - it was one of the attractions.

We've had the meter for two years now and nobody has ever knocked-on asking to have a look.   

Any advice from the UKC hive mind? 

Edit: I posted this before I realised that there was another meter questions post.    

You say you have a smart gas meter, do you also have a smart electric meter? 

He should have id, energy companies do do checks on existing installs, meter locations, surveys as well but they should normally declare that although British gas didn't recently with me, they said they'd come to do one thing, a read and actually did something else, a smart survey. 

Gas suppliers had an licence obligation to do 2 yearly inspection checks on “old” meters. Could it be connected to this even though, I think, that this does not apply to smart meters? (i.e. maybe the database hasn’t been updated to reflect that you have a smart meter now).

I do - with the same provider.  He did have ID but it just felt a bit weird.

No, we've had this meter for over a year.

I am pretty sure there is an obligation for the supplier to do a two yearly 'safety inspection' of meters. I am also pretty sure that safety isn't the main concern, but checking that it has not been tampered with. In the interests of safety. Obvs.

Edit. Looks like that obligation is no more: 

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications-and-updates/decision-reforming-suppli...

2nd edit. Your supplier could still have a policy that requires these 'safety inspections'

Most of their 'read the meter' or 'safety check' stuff is just to examine that you haven't tampered with the supply.

I had a gas co bloke come to do a mandatory 'safety check'. He took one look in the cupboard, and that was it. So I asked him exactly what safety checks he had just done, and he rather sheepishly admitted it was just a cover story.

[edit: Snyggapa beat me to it...]