Can an Electric Meter simply malfunction?

Hello there,
Just wondering whether anybody out there has had any experiences of an Electric meter simply not working correctly i.e. running 'too fast' perhaps? Just had a conversation with some friends & neighbours of ours who receive their electric from BGas. The most recent quarterly bill is around the £280 mark whereas the highest winter bills in the past have only been around £150. We've checked the readings are not estimated and we've checked the readings on the bill to the actual meters and the readings themselves seem correct as do the charges per unit. It just seems weird that the meter has clocked up 2,501 units in 90 days whereas the previous bill (which included the Christmas period) only clocked 698 units over 97 days. Last year's bill for the same quarter only shows 1,600 units over 95 days.
One 'phone call has already been made to BG pointing out that the bill seems rather high but the call centre person was pretty unhelpful and just seemed adament the bill must be correct.
Also, the lady has been having refurbishment works carried out lately and has been without a fully functioning kitchen for several weeks - hence you would expect the useage to go down not up.
Anybody had any similiar experiences please ?
Thanks
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Comments

  • Cardew
    Cardew Posts: 29,036
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    It is apparently extremely rare for a meter to be faulty, let alone run fast(over reading)

    You can get the meter checked but it will cost you(£60ish) if it turns out to be OK.

    Are you sure you haven't done something like leaving the immersion heater switched on all the time?

    It is not that difficult to do a rough check of your meter yourself. During the day ensure everything is off(including fridge) Accurately note meter reading including fractions, and put on something with a known consumption - like a 3 bar (3kW) electric fire(without a thermostat) for say 30 minutes and you will see if it is over reading.
  • flossy_splodge
    flossy_splodge Posts: 2,526
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    Hey cardew, can I add on the same question about Gas usage? Not mine but the person concerned has had an enormous bill. Have had the boiler serviced and checked and nothing wrong there. Worried. :eek:
  • Cardew
    Cardew Posts: 29,036
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    Hey cardew, can I add on the same question about Gas usage? Not mine but the person concerned has had an enormous bill. Have had the boiler serviced and checked and nothing wrong there. Worried. :eek:


    I understand that gas meters also rarely go wrong; and if they do it is more likely that they would run slow. Again they can be checked - at your cost if no fault.

    There is no easy way to check accuracy of a meter.

    The main reason for a very high bill is normally estimated meter readings(previous or current reading)

    If meter has been recently changed it could be that they are being billed for an Imperial meter when a Metric meter has been fitted.
  • Ken68
    Ken68 Posts: 6,825
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    Kaz...did you have workmen in to refurbish the kitchen.?
  • BritBrat
    BritBrat Posts: 3,764 Forumite
    There is no easy way to check accuracy of a meter.

    I would have thought it was very easy, get an appliance with a known rating say like a 1KW heater, turn everything off in the house.

    Take a meter reading, turn on the fire for an hour and take another reading.

    The rate used should be near the rating of the appliance connected.

    Also turn everything off and make sure meter is static.
  • Cardew
    Cardew Posts: 29,036
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    There is no easy way to check accuracy of a meter.

    BritBrat wrote: »
    I would have thought it was very easy, get an appliance with a known rating say like a 1KW heater, turn everything off in the house.

    Take a meter reading, turn on the fire for an hour and take another reading.

    The rate used should be near the rating of the appliance connected.

    Also turn everything off and make sure meter is static.

    If you read post #2 you will see that is exactly what I suggested for Electricity meters.

    The "No easy way to check a meter" in my post#4 that you have quoted was about a gas meter - see post #3
  • rosscobley
    rosscobley Posts: 238 Forumite
    As said above it is very very very unlikley that a meter will read wrong.

    There are two ways of testing them

    1) Meter owner will come out switch your power off and run a test load though it.

    2) They will install a check meter side by side with you meter and leave it there for about a month. The two meters should then have clocked up the same amount of usage.

    In the 5/6 six years i have worked for an elec company i have only ever heard of a handfull of meter being wrong and most of them times the meter has been running slow not fast...


    With a gas meter its very very hard to test.

    The only way it can be tested is to be removed and sent away to be taken apart and tested. that meter can never be used again then and if it is found to be correct you will be charged for the cost of the meter and the job
    Filiss
  • Hi all,
    Thank you to everyone who posted replies.
    In answer to the question about workmen into fit the new kitchen - yes there were but our neighbour says they mostly - but not always - used cordless i.e. precharged-up tools. Also we thought the cost of not using kettles, ovens, etc for several weeks would have out-weighed the cost of one or two power tools used a few times.
    Apart from running the risk of a £60 charge for checking the meter it sounds a bit hopeless doesn't.
    Thanks again though to all who responded.
    Kaz
  • Luggworm
    Luggworm Posts: 29 Forumite
    Hi all,
    Thank you to everyone who posted replies.
    In answer to the question about workmen into fit the new kitchen - yes there were but our neighbour says they mostly - but not always - used cordless i.e. precharged-up tools. Also we thought the cost of not using kettles, ovens, etc for several weeks would have out-weighed the cost of one or two power tools used a few times.
    Apart from running the risk of a £60 charge for checking the meter it sounds a bit hopeless doesn't.
    Thanks again though to all who responded.
    Kaz

    I had a friend who had a meter run fast, he proved this in front of a rep from the supply company by turning everything off and the meter still recorded a large amount of usage over a couple of hours. They replaced the meter and his usage fell to normal levels, however they refused to refund the excess charges from previous period. This was a lot of years ago and I think he got away with it in the end as he went bankrupt because of other problems.

    Another point to watch out for, especially if this is a terrace is if someone has wired into your neighbours supply through the loft space. Its a call the police job if they have.

    Luggy.
  • Hazzanet
    Hazzanet Posts: 1,713
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    Hello there,
    Just wondering whether anybody out there has had any experiences of an Electric meter simply not working correctly

    Mine stopped clocking up units. It took them two months to come out and change it, and they didn't bother charging me for the two months where the meter hadn't advanced.

    I now have a shiny new digital thing... very compact.
    4358
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