How to test for a meter fault

charlotteu

Hi,

I'm with Scottish Power and have just submitted a meter reading which doesn't look right to me. I've put the bill history so people can see what I mean!! I was away for two weeks of the last four, yet my bill is nearly five times what it was for the previous four! MOre per day than when it was snowing in February (I have electric heating). So my thought is meter fault as the below are all readings I've submitted rather than had estimated. My package (Scottishpower online) hasn't changed.

Can anyone offer any advice on what I should do?

5/7/9-4/8/9 31 days, 669 units, £47.70 Av.£1.54
7/6/9-4/7/9 28 days, 22 units, £7.90 Av.£0.28
10/5/9-6/6/9 28 days, 48 units, £8.44 Av.£0.30
2/3/9-9/5/9 69 days, 779 units, £61.86 Av.£0.90
10/2/9-1/3/9 20 day, 369 units, £28.19 Av.£1.41
10/1/9-9/2/9 31 days, 18 units, £42.64 Av.£1.38
15/10/8-9/1/9 86 days, 1586 units, £113.91 Av.£1.31

elsien

Two things come to mind.
First, turn absolutely everything off then see what the meter is doing.
Then contact Scottish power pointing out your readings and that you've been away, and ask them to come out to check it asap, and ask them what you need to be doing in the meantime.

Edit - have you bought anything new that might be using more electric than you realise, or be using the tumble dryer more, things like that?

Locknut

Just to add to the previous poster ask them to fit a check meter asap to test the old one.

Premier_2

For less than the cost of a check meter, you can buy an energy monitor that'll give a good indication (although not 100% accurate). You may be lucky though and convince the supplier to carry out the check foc given the details you have.

Of course, if you are charged & the meter is proven faulty, the check meter cost would be refunded in full, but I suppose you could flog the energy monitor too and make a few bob back

... or better still, keep hold of it and use it to see how much electricity you are using real time and that'll probably encourage you to turn off a few appliances you don't actually need, saving you more money in the long run than the cost of the monitor (and help save the world into the bargain )

jenny2009

What type of meter is it, dials or numbers?

Also 15/10/8-9/1/9 7 days, 1586 units, £113.91 Av.£1.31 should that not be 86 days?
Jen

dunloadin

charlotteu, if your with Scottish Power it might be a good idea to send a PM to the Scottish Power rep now posting on the site, should think he/she will be able to sort your problem out. Looking at your consumption and cost of units it looks like a billing problem to me (£42.64 for 18 units used just makes no sense at all).