I had the same, generally annual, discussion with my electricity retailer today. It, or I should say United Energy, hasn’t been able to read our electricity meter for a couple of years.
The reason is that we have gates at the front of the property and people are here irregularly during the week. We’re comforted by the fact there are two dogs, one of whom is a rottweiler cross, who will happily tear your arm off if you decide to jump the gate though.
For some reason, United Energy needs to physically see its water meter, love it, caress it, make passionate love to it, etc regularly, as well as noting down the numbers on it.
I ask the same question every year – why doesn’t United Energy allow me to take a photo of my meter and send it to them? My water provider allows me to do that. I can either call them, e-mail them something, or even SMS the meter reading to them.
United Energy, you need to come into the 21st Century!
Paul Daniel's Views On The World, For What They're Worth 
Simplest answer, people tamper with meters and there is only a limited time window with which electricity retailers can backdate bills for tampered meters.. Same rule for everybody..
@ Dean – if I was going to try and defraud my electricity provider, I’m guessing I would 1) bypass the meter, 2) tamper with it without actually physically touching it (magnets?), or 3) break to seal and physically tamper with it. For 1 & 2, your average meter reader bloke is not going to detect that (unless I’m a really dumb crook). For 3, provided the requirement is that the photo includes the meter seal (or whatever it’s called) as well as the numbers and dials, no difference. If they were serious about fraud detection, they’d put in a business intelligence solution that compared meter readings, average usage in the surrounding area, property size and building area, etc; which threw out the exceptions to be investigated further. BTW, I hasten to add I’m not into electricity fraud. Plenty of other vices, but not that.
Seriously, isn’t the real issue that they are still stuck in the monopolistic, user non-friendly days of the SEC, and lack the flexibility to change business processes and the desire to provide a better customer experience? If South East Water can do it, why can’t they? I’m sure South East Water is worried about people stealing their water as well.