Smart Meter Accuracy

We have a strange situation with a flat we own. The flat was empty while being decorated (by us) for 3 weeks. We know we used very little power. Yet the bill we got for that period was much higher than we would have expected.

The electricity supplier suggested we turned the power off for 15 mins and take the meter reading before and after to see if it was showing use. However, the meter readings only seem to be whole kWh so it would need to be a big fault to see a change in 15 mins. This aligned with what the smart meter console shows which is about 300W.

Instead we switched it to show Amps used and with the main circuit breakers off it showed about 1.3A. If this use was all day that would be 7kwh per day. Over 3 weeks this would be 10 times the actual bill we got. 

So this makes no sense. Why would a meter show use with the breakers off? And why would that use vary which can be the only explanation for the bill not being as high as an extrapolation of that 15mins suggest?

Parents
  • 1.3 amps is a lot to be going astray. Usually this is things like frost heaters in greenhouses or lofts that have become jammed on and forgotten - but in this case all loads from the meter are off ?

    In a block of flats there is an unlikely but not impossible case if a lot the wiring runs together, do not rule out the possibility that your meter also supplies something else it is not supposed to - especially  if there have been repairs for another flat that have either accidentally or deliberately tapped into the wrong cable...

    If you can, take a picture of the meter reading current, and the breakers clearly off, and the wiring in between all in the same image - and send it to your supplier. (or post it here first if you would like us to see if we can spot some thief wiring to the neighbours or something...)

    But yes a broken meter is quite likely. And leave it off for as long as you can - it maybe that someone notices the outside lights have stopped working or something....

    mike.

  • Maybe a long shot but extractor fan in the bathroom with humidity sensor.  Lets wait for the pictures

  • mind you 300W is a big fan - I think they'd notice... Fan heater maybe, depends how 'off' everything really is.

    M.

Reply Children
No Data