Replacement

I have a brand-new gas metre. I have no idea why I needed one, whether the old one was defect in one way or another or whether gas metres are automatically replaced at more or less random intervals… The good thing about this was that I did not have to pay anything for it, and that it needed almost no input from my side either. Let’s recap:

About two weeks ago, I received a postcard from the gas company informing me that the metre would be replaced some time in the week between the 17th and the 24th of June. Okay, I thought, I am mostly home anyway, and when I’m not, well the metre is outside the apartment in a publicly accessible utility cabinet, so feel free to help yourselves.

Of course, the technician showed up on the one and only afternoon I had an appointment and for some reason or other he did not replace the metre but rather left a large note – in green – saying he’ll come back again. On the 23rd. Or maybe on the 24th. Some time between 9 and 5. Probably. Which left me wondering about what single people do who have employment outside their homes. Do they seriously have to take a day off or two to wait for the gas guy?

Anyway, he did come yesterday afternoon, and my communication with him was done in the grand total of 2 minutes. The first time he rang at the door he announced – slightly out of breath – that he had arrived and would proceed with his work. And that he’ll ring again when he’d be finished. Which he was after about 20 minutes, and he was happy to tell me that it would be safe now to use the gas again.

That was all he needed me for. He did not even have to enter my apartment to turn anything off or so. In the end, I received a note about the successful completion of the job which I duly filed among all the other apartment related paperwork, but that was it. Which left me wondering why I needed to be home in the first place. A friend of mine said that it was not possible to install a new gas metre without my consent, which does make some sense. On the other hand, on the postcard they did not seem to ask permission for the work, they simply stated the fact that it would be done.

Oh well. I needed an excuse to do my dishes anyway…