17 OCTOBER 1987, Page 25

House arrest

SOME companies are more privatised than others, and British Gas remains one of the others. Witness its brush with a merchant banker. The gas men wrote to him, asking to come and read his meter, and he telephoned to fix a date. 'Come any time', he said, 'after eight o'clock at night or before eight o'clock in the morning. I'll arrange to be in."Oh, but the appoint- ments have to be during normal business hours.' Which are?' Between 9.30 in the morning and 4.30 in the afternoon.' Not at this end of town, they aren't.' But we have a statutory duty to read your meter!' 'Well, enforce it, then.' The banker now hopes to see British Gas apply for a court order, requiring him to stay in (preferably in bed) until the meter-reader gets there.