My family bought a flat in Toh Yi Drive in 1988. The gas meter is located in the recess area in front of my neighbour's front door.

When the Housing Board sold the recess area to my neighbour about 20 years ago, it did not move our gas meter.

As a result, for many years, an inspector has not always been able to record our flat's gas meter readings, and our utility costs have been inaccurate.

We spoke to our MP, who asked HDB to look into the matter. HDB wrote to us earlier this month, informing us that our neighbour was unwilling to pay for our gas meter to be moved.

It then suggested our family do one of two things: Arrange for the gas meter inspector to come and read the meter when our neighbour is home, or arrange for the gas meter inspector to contact our neighbour when he is home.

What HDB has suggested does not resolve our problem at all.

HDB offered to move the gas meter at our expense, which it estimated would cost around $2,300. We feel we should not have to pay this amount since it is not our fault that our meter has been placed at our neighbour's recess area.

HDB should have resolved this problem at the start and relocated our gas meter when it sold the recess area to my neighbour.

Ivan Leonard Ho Chia Ming