WARNING SOLAR PANELS & some Siemens S2AS-100/ Siemens S1AS-100 Meters

furndire

The installers have been very supportive, and have offered help both financially & otherwise, so will be ok in the end. I have pointed installers in the direction of this thread, so hopefully they will be reading it.
I have a feeling that my old meter is also outside the 5% margin allowed - I have been trying to check out one meter against the other at night when the panels aren't working. The only way I can really do it is by turning the panels off for a few days, but I don't want it to cost me any more.
Is it correct that OffGen? can check meters, and immediately tell me if it is running fast? - that's what the guys who installed the check meter said. They also told me that couldn't be done until the check meter had been taken off.
Anyway it shouldn't be long now before something is done, as the check meter will have been in 3 weeks next Wednesday. I am looking forward to seeing the face of the guy who comes when he sees how big the difference is.

dunloadin

It should be possible to get a meter accuracy test done with the correct equipment (as opposed to fitting a check meter), then any doubts can be eliminated. If SSE have workers in your area then it's likley that they have someone with the kit to do it. I doubt the meter is outside the 5% but 'belt and braces' springs to mind....with the massive difference between meter reads it may be the best thing to do. The ouput from the pv panels will probably need to be switched off whilst the test is done.

It's good to hear the installers are supportive, if they're being positive and proactive in dealing with this dont forget to mention their name once this gets resolved.

pauldreed

dunloadin wrote: »

There is no way installers can reprog meters, they will normally go back to be sorted at the manufacturers....highly unlikely this will happen as the cost of doing so probably outweighs the unit cost of a new meter.

Isn't that what I said?

pauldreed wrote: »

......but said it was much quicker just to swop it, and the old meter to be reprogrammed back at base, to be refitted elsewhere.

From what I have learnt, there are different grades of installers, and some are more technically aware than others, hence some carry laptops and interfaces to enable interrogation and other programming options of the meters on site - IF NECESSARY.

pauldreed

All sorted now, new meter fitted and Scottish Power have reimbursed me for the estimated units charged in error.
They arrived at the 'estimated figure' by calculating my average daily usage over 2 weeks with the new meter fitted, and applied it retrospectively since the panels were fitted (last October).
I thought that this was a generous offer, as we are now in late May and using less power whilst generating more, than in the winter/early spring.

Although it should never of happened in the first place, a good outcome IMO.

Velvet11

Hi, not sure if you got my other message - still not quite sure how this works!!! Anyway, just to let you know energy suppliers came today and fitted new meter and, hey presto, new meter stayed on reading of 000 all afternoon!!! He was not quite sure what had been happening with meter but did agree that exported electric was clocking up as if I was using it. Hopefully, this is now sorted but I will be keeping an eye on it!! Hope yours is soon sorted too as its such a nightmare after having paid so much for the blinking things to start with to then have even bigger electric bills than before solar panels!!!

pauldreed

Velvet11 wrote: »

Hi, not sure if you got my other message - still not quite sure how this works!!! Anyway, just to let you know energy suppliers came today and fitted new meter and, hey presto, new meter stayed on reading of 000 all afternoon!!! He was not quite sure what had been happening with meter but did agree that exported electric was clocking up as if I was using it. Hopefully, this is now sorted but I will be keeping an eye on it!! Hope yours is soon sorted too as its such a nightmare after having paid so much for the blinking things to start with to then have even bigger electric bills than before solar panels!!!

That's a good sign, have you sorted out compensation for the power that you have been wrongly charged?

furndire

pauldreed wrote: »

All sorted now, new meter fitted and Scottish Power have reimbursed me for the estimated units charged in error.
They arrived at the 'estimated figure' by calculating my average daily usage over 2 weeks with the new meter fitted, and applied it retrospectively since the panels were fitted (last October).
I thought that this was a generous offer, as we are now in late May and using less power whilst generating more, than in the winter/early spring.

Although it should never of happened in the first place, a good outcome IMO.

That's good, I've got figures to go on now - will have been in a year at the end of this month. My average use per day has been 6.5 KW over the last 3 weeks - in winter I was getting charged for roughly 20 KW, so should be in for a good rebate.

John_Pierpoint

Surely, if only your electricity supplier could get their head round the idea, your Siemens meter already knows exactly how much "backwards" electricity it has recorded.
All your supplier needs to do is ask it?

pauldreed

John_Pierpoint wrote: »

Surely, if only your electricity supplier could get their head round the idea, your Siemens meter already knows exactly how much "backwards" electricity it has recorded.
All your supplier needs to do is ask it?

John, that's why I didn't encourage the meter engineer to interrogate the meter.... and just await their estimation based upon current usage :rotfl:
...Scottish Power have played fair IMO, after all, it's not my fault that they have wrongly charged me...

furndire

I must admit that I think I will get a better outcome if they don't get data off the meter - but it won't be as good as PR got, as we have had summer months as well.
I will be giving them a ring again tomorrow to see why they haven't been back in touch re taking out check meter - they've had their 3 weeks.



22 days check meter 137.35 KW actually used
old meter 289 KW difference of 151.65 KW

They certainly didn't seem interested in knowing that the meter had the data on it.