Pensioner accuses energy company of 'burglary' after they broke into his home to inspect smart meter

The company later admitted its AI technology "needs further work" after no issues were found with the meter.

Knight, a grandfather who works at a Volkswagen service centre, returned to find engineers had gained access to his property following incorrect alerts from the company's smart meter system.

The incident has sparked concerns about energy companies' ability to access homes when AI systems falsely indicate potential tampering.

The AI software on Knight's smart meter had incorrectly suggested the meter cover had been removed, prompting concerns of tampering or faults.

E.ON claims to have made four phone calls to Knight before taking action, though he maintains he never received them.

"They said they rang me four times. I don't know who they rang, but it wasn't me," Knight said.

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The company stated it had attempted to access the property twice in August, leaving letters when unsuccessful.

Until this week, Knight was unaware that AI software had triggered the inspection.

"That's the first time E.ON have ever mentioned AI at all," he said, after receiving an email explaining the technology had flagged concerns about his meter.

The company later confirmed his meter readings were "in line" with normal usage patterns.

Knight likened the forced entry to a "burglary" and criticised E.ON's heavy-handed approach.

"That's the thing, they break into my house and how does anybody feel? I said it's almost like a burglary," he said. "It's like a burglary, except they didn't take anything."

As a car driver for Volkswagen, Knight explained he often cannot answer calls during work hours due to limited access to hands-free technology.

He warned other smart meter owners could face similar situations.

"The meters inside your house are owned by them. If ever there's a reason not to have a smart meter, this is it," he said.

"They don't come around when people are home from work and they don't come around on the weekend – they come nine to five."

The ongoing dispute has impacted his work schedule. "I've had a silly amount of time off since this started trying to sort it out," he added.

E.ON defended its actions, stating it had followed proper procedures before obtaining a warrant to enter the property.

A spokesman for E.ON UK said: "Sometimes we need to access our customers' homes to inspect equipment and ensure that it is working properly."

The company claimed it had made the required three visits before seeking a warrant, which they described as "always a last resort."

They said they had attempted to speak with Knight over the phone to arrange an appointment, though no date was agreed.

The energy firm also alleged a third access attempt on October 15 was aborted due to "customer refusal" - a claim Knight strongly denies.

"They might have rung, but they haven't spoken to me and they could've got me on email or their app," Knight responded.

E.ON apologised for any distress caused and said they would cooperate with any ombudsman investigation.