Could well be. Thanks for the info.
That would be typical of this throw-away age
I've read that battery life-time is usually around 10 yrs, but can be much shorter if the customer (or the gas supplier) opts for remote reads at 1/2hr intervals. I don't know when the previous occupier had the meter installed. It's a first-generation one (SMETS1 vintage), so
could be getting on for 10yrs old; but I'm surprised the design life-time of a meter would be that short?
The meter replacement schedule is probably only ten years anyway - and it's doubtful a supplier would opt for half hour reads, unless it's for a VERY short time, and to check if you're running a cannabis farm!
Generally they give a reading every quarter or so, in order to generate an accurate bill.
As for 'scheduled replacements', they have tried to replace my gas meter three times - and due to their utter incompetence have failed every time
Meanwhile, my electric meter has been replaced three or four times, with the last replacement been because the previous one died.
It worked out quite nicely though - I had noticed that my meter readings had dropped considerably, but as it was when I'd just replaced all lighting with LED, I presumed it was down to that - and was really happy
Anyway, one day I came to read the meter, and I thought "that number looks familiar", so checked and it was exactly the same as the previous quarter - no increase at all.
So I rang my electric supplier, and informed them - and eventually (a few months) someone came out to read it - he was totally incompetent, and unable to do it, so had to arrange for 'higher level' engineer to come out. Another month or two passed, and a really nice guy came out - but he had issues as well, and tried to ring his boss (but couldn't get through), so declined the change and said he'd be back at a later date, after he'd spoken to his boss, and he'd ring me and arrange the date and time. True to his word, he rang me back after a few days, and then came out and replaced the faulty meter.
I expected them to estimate the amount I'd used while the meter wasn't working, but no, they just wrote it off, so I had free electric for probably 8-9 months, happy days