How Many Bugs in Your Home?

Not the ones you might find in a bed in a cheap hotel, but those which exist in a microchip that doesn’t know what year it is. Fortunately most domestic appliances are not dependent on a year setting even where they have a clock. The problem may, however, exist in computers used by commercial firms.

Earlier this year Individual Member Brian Locke sent 19 letters to companies with which he and his wife do business. As customers they expressed concern about the "Millennium Bug" and asked what steps the firms had taken or intended to take to avoid possible disruption of services. The replies took up to six weeks to arrive. Most of them were vaguely reassuring in a way which was not reassuring at all. We suggested in Consumer News that readers should send similar letters, and the Editor would be interested to learn about replies.

Members of the Plymouth Consumer Group did this and one of the quickest and most complete replies came from SWEB (South Western Electricity). It contained details of nine precautionary steps they had taken and 24 pages of Millennium Programme Information. Even though they are working to the BSI definition of Year 2000 conformity, they state: "As SWEB’s systems are dependent on products and services provided by others, we are unable to give any guarantees that all of the systems operated by SWEB will be Year 2000 compliant."

The Co-operative Bank sent a copy of the British Bankers’ Association self-assessment check list of 15 questions a firm should ask about its own computer systems. Dominion Oils (part of BP) sent a holding letter promising a reply "once the matters mentioned in your correspondence have been fully investigated." After 11 weeks we still await any further information.

On the whole responses were not encouraging, though Severn Trent Water Company "fully expects to be compliant". Many of the larger firms were seeking to conform by December 1998, giving them a year to carry out further adjustments should these become necessary. Others gave vague reassurances, but none were able to give guarantees that there would be no problems. This is partly due to their reliance on customers and suppliers’ own systems, as these are all interdependent for both receiving and giving out information. In fact some of the firms are clearly worried about this aspect of their future business, and are sending out letters to their customers suggesting how they can get help to make sure of compliance by the year 2000.

Insurance companies are so concerned that they are writing exclusion clauses into their current and new contracts to exclude any losses due to the computer bug. It is galling to think that all these millions of pounds are being spent because of the lack of foresight by computer programmers who, years ago, omitted two figures from the date to save a little memory in their original programmes.

To find out more about your own possible problems with timers or home computers, phone Action 2000 for a free copy of their colourful Millennium bug home check at local rate: Tel. 0845 601 2000.

You can also see how the government is doing on the Cabinet Office web site at: www.gov.uk/2000/021298.htm.

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