Meter Reading Confusion! (Electric)

edmwnd

We have and electric only flat, with an economy 7 dual meter. According to the meter, our night useage is around 25-28 kw a night - we live in a modest 1 bedroom flat - while our day usage is around 5-6 during the week - we're a working couple - and 5-15 on the weekend. This didn't make much sense as the only things plugged in and on at night are the fridge/freezer, immersion heater and 2 storage radiators (turned low most of the time and not on for most of spring, summer and autumn).

I recently had an nPower electricity moniter delivered, so set-that up and found that it was recording 2-3 kwh of usage per night instead of the meter reading of 25Kw+. The monitor was accurately relfecting the daytime readings. Couldn't work out why this was. The overall total given by the montior was in my eyes the more likely real figure. nPower themselves state that 10kw per 24hr period is an average for a working couple, and overall this was what the monitor was showing, so why was the meter showing 25Kw just overnight?

I looked at the fusebox, and everything in the house was labelled, boiler, lights, lounge, sockets, kitchen etc, but there were 3 fuses switched to the 'on' position that had no label. I turned them off and double-checked everything in the house still worked, every light, every appliance, the heaters, the boiler etc. I'm not sure what the unlabelled fuses were for. Lo and behold, the next morning, both the monitor and the meter showed a usage of 3 Kw overnight - applicanes working? Check. Hot water? Check. Reeling from the possibility I've been charged for 8000+Kw of electricity I've not needed over the past year, I was at least looking forward to more realistic bills from now on.

Any suggestions what these 3 switches could have been powering that was racking up 25Kw a night on the meter but not showing on the electricity monitor connected to the very same meter?

KimYeovil

Could it be you only had the output of the heaters turned to low but they were still storing heat overnight? That is, is the override for heaters separate from the storage? Do they still store heat with the switches off?

If not then get an electrician to suss out what the cables are connected to.

penrhyn

Where have you got your monitor connected, if its on one of the output wires from the meter move it to the input side.

Richie-from-the-Boro

edmwnd wrote: »

We have and electric only flat, with an economy 7 dual meter. According to the meter, our night useage is around 25-28 kw a night - we live in a modest 1 bedroom flat - while our day usage is around 5-6 during the week - we're a working couple - and 5-15 on the weekend. This didn't make much sense as the only things plugged in and on at night are the fridge/freezer, immersion heater and 2 storage radiators (turned low most of the time and not on for most of spring, summer and autumn).

I recently had an nPower electricity moniter delivered, so set-that up and found that it was recording 2-3 kwh of usage per night instead of the meter reading of 25Kw+. The monitor was accurately relfecting the daytime readings. Couldn't work out why this was. The overall total given by the montior was in my eyes the more likely real figure. nPower themselves state that 10kw per 24hr period is an average for a working couple, and overall this was what the monitor was showing, so why was the meter showing 25Kw just overnight?

I looked at the fusebox, and everything in the house was labelled, boiler, lights, lounge, sockets, kitchen etc, but there were 3 fuses switched to the 'on' position that had no label. I turned them off and double-checked everything in the house still worked, every light, every appliance, the heaters, the boiler etc. I'm not sure what the unlabelled fuses were for. Lo and behold, the next morning, both the monitor and the meter showed a usage of 3 Kw overnight - applicanes working? Check. Hot water? Check. Reeling from the possibility I've been charged for 8000+Kw of electricity I've not needed over the past year, I was at least looking forward to more realistic bills from now on.

Any suggestions what these 3 switches could have been powering that was racking up 25Kw a night on the meter but not showing on the electricity monitor connected to the very same meter?

Just a guess, and assuming that by boiler you mean immersion heater for water.

I guess [ 2 of the three ] without labels are the white meter switches, one each for E7 water only / E7 Storage Radiators and the third unmarked may be for an after-market shower installation.

You say that with the three switches in the off position all night you consumed 3 kWh instead of 25 kWh, is that correct ? The reason I ask this question is that with E7 if you switch your radiators and water off you may not even notice they are not re-charging for a couple of days.

1pinkpiggy

As you have an E7 meter then the plugs that are attached storage heaters and immersion heater may only come on when your cheaper rates click in. I used to have all ele and I couldn't use my immersion during the day as the plug didn't work.

If yours is the same then the elec monitor will only be register usage on your day side of elec so your fridge any items on standby.

If you can overide you immersion heater so comes on during day maybe put it on for a hour and see the monitor jump.

Storage heaters and immersions are designed to use alot of elec at night time which is why its the cheaper period. 20-25kWh is not unusual.

Cardew

edmwnd wrote: »

- while our day usage is around 5-6 during the week - we're a working couple -


I recently had an nPower electricity moniter delivered, so set-that up and found that it was recording 2-3 kwh of usage per night instead of the meter reading of 25Kw+. ?

It seems to be quite obvious that your monitor is not reading the cheap rate circuit.

You surely can't think that 7 to 9kWh(5-6 + 2-3) in 24 hours would be sufficient for normal electrical use and heating and hot water?