Faulty electricity meter? Using 1000+ kwh/month = £2400/pa?

GMAD

Hi

We live in a 3 bed home and use electricity for everything except heating (oil). Last year we used nearly 3000kwh (day) and 2000kwh (night) throughout the whole 12 months. Had a reading taken last month and suddenly our bill jumps up to owing £600! Gave them a reading over the phone this morning and the meter says we've used 1200kwh in 4 weeks! Which EON say equates to £200/month = £2400/year!

And yet last month's statement predicted we'd spend £600 over the next 12 months (2800kwh day + 2000kwh night).

Surely this can't be right. They're sending an engineer - and they said there would be no charge if the meter strangely appears to be okay. But can a meter really be this far out?

This is a really pain right now because we're looking to swap providers and reduce annual bill to below £500. But I guess we'll have to wait for the engineer to appear (month end) first.

Any feedback appreciated.

Thanks

HalloweenJack

you need to start taking your own readings and tracking whats on there; if your heating water with electric , then its likely those readings are actually accurate: - our own bills are £130 a month combined gas/electric , and were in a modern house and do nearly everything to save power (within reason with 2 small children)

dogshome

Hi GMAD - This useage of 1200Kw in 4 weeks. Was the majority of this on the Day rate or the Night rate meter?
If it's on the Day rate, is it possible that the daytime booster switch for Hot water has been left on 24/7?

S_t_e_v_e

We had a similar problem with a digital gas meter. It was sent away to an independant testing company. They sent us and the electric company a certificate saying that they were unable to test the meter because it was so faulty the digital display readout was counting up even before they connected pipes to it.
As the gas company could not tell when the meter started giving the wrong reading they refunded all our bills since we joined them.

GMAD

HalloweenJack wrote: »

you need to start taking your own readings and tracking whats on there; if your heating water with electric , then its likely those readings are actually accurate: - our own bills are £130 a month combined gas/electric , and were in a modern house and do nearly everything to save power (within reason with 2 small children)

Started monitoring as of this morning.

Am using immersion for hot water, but have been for the last 3-4 years. Hence it can't be that if we used to use only 17kwh/day back then - and now 3 times that.

GMAD

dogshome wrote: »

Hi GMAD - This useage of 1200Kw in 4 weeks. Was the majority of this on the Day rate or the Night rate meter?
If it's on the Day rate, is it possible that the daytime booster switch for Hot water has been left on 24/7?

All on day rate!

I don't know if our immersion has a booster switch. If it did (and it was on), we'd surely notice hot water at times when we wouldn't expect to?

IIR we only an on/off (at the plug) for the immersion itself.

HalloweenJack

have you tried turning everything off and taking meter readings?

GMAD

HalloweenJack wrote: »

have you tried turning everything off and taking meter readings?

Not yet. Will probably do so this afternoon after I've met a deadline.

How long should everything be turned off for? Turning all the trips off should be okay, yes? Is it then just a case of watching out for the meter going up over a few mins?

Cheers

espresso

Why don't you do a simple meter test yourself? Ensure that everything is switched off and then use one device of known wattage e.g. a 3kW heater should clock up one unit in 20 minutes.

macman

GMAD wrote: »

All on day rate!

I don't know if our immersion has a booster switch. If it did (and it was on), we'd surely notice hot water at times when we wouldn't expect to?

IIR we only an on/off (at the plug) for the immersion itself.

That leads me to suspect that you have. I suggest you check. Has it got a dual element?-follow the wiring back from the tank entry and find out.

GMAD

macman wrote: »

That leads me to suspect that you have. I suggest you check. Has it got a dual element?-follow the wiring back from the tank entry and find out.

Nope - nothing other than the single feed from the mains.

Borrowed a monitor off a friend yesterday and watched things on and off throughout the day. No unusual behaviour at all. Meter returned 15kwh for the last 24hours - which is perfectly reasonable for everyday use here.

Which means I need to question EON as to how they're getting figures (albeit possibly between 2 readings over X months) of 55khw/day.

Just doesn't add up.