Is anyone here an electrical engineer with technical knowledge.

Cyril

I have had problems getting my metre read following mains installation and after numerous requests for a key from the electric board ( which has resulted in several wrong keys being sent or ignored completely ) we took matters into our own hands and forced the door to take a metre reading.

Anyway there is a huge discrepancy between what we were paying on an estimated bill ( following an actual bill from Oct 2008 ) and the actual reading some 16000kh.

Now my metre is outside and last year last year the huge box thing on the pylon my electric runs from exploded into flames and an emergency call out was actioned. I was without electric for 2 days whilst it was replaced.

My question is could this epsiode have caused a ' spike' in my consumption and be a factor in the large usage or is this not possible.

Now before anyone has a go about my responsibility to read meters we know this but the difficulties have been compounded by no key. The metre is also outside and could have been read at anytime by the electric company aswell. If we have used this amount then I will pay it. This is not an exercise to weedle out of payment and blame the electric company just an exercise in trying to identify whether we really have increased our usage by this large amount.

jalexa

Cyril wrote: »

Now before anyone has a go about my responsibility to read meters we know this but the difficulties have been compounded by no key.

Is what you refer to as "the key" a triangular "thingy". If so what was the problem with the several wrong keys?

How did you force it? Could you have used pliars?

Anyway, you didn't want this talk but an OP needs to accept the advice offerred.

Regarding your consumption, at this stage you need to get a handle on your consumption by taking daily meter readings for a week and then weekly readings for the rest of the month, then take monthly readings. Maybe then you might have grounds for suspicion. And some data to support your argument.

Cyril

Its not a triangular key its a kind of circle with a line through it.

They have sent me 3 triangular keys now.

Are you an engineer as am looking to know if an explosion could cause a ' spike'. If the answer is no i'm just gonna pay the bill.

jalexa

Cyril wrote: »

Its not a triangular key its a kind of circle with a line through it.

OK, I know the type you mean. I think they are on the utility keys available in the sheds.

I can't answer your *exact* question authoritatively (but unlikely a single event could) but on "surprise" bills I always start by taking a hard "anti-supplier" stance. The main issue is frequency of billing and a secondary issue is whether the supplier achieved the statutory "at least ever 2 years" frequency.

While a customer failure to challenge estimated bills is difficult to defend, I always attack (supplier) billing or meter reading failure. *If* the supplier arranged the meter box installation and failed to provide a key, then I think you would have a case for "terms". The box would originally have come with a key, though perhaps the "box installation" was done by your building contractor.

Up to you knowing what you do on the billing and box installation.

Cyril

thanks jalexa for your thoughts.

I think I would probably challenge if I had grounds too re the explosion issue but as for who's responsible for reading the meter its a bit round the houses and I didn't think suppliers had a statutory duty to read the metre.

I know they've turned up as they have left a card with a mobile number on it. I am out at work all day and they could read the meter as its outside but they don't. When i've rung to ask why they've just said the notes say metre is ' outside' and perhaps they don't know where ? They should know they installed the supply.

Re the key apparently they left a key with the contractor who did the cable trench but he didn't give it to us and when we asked having found out he said he must have lost it if they gave him one, he can't really remember. Hence the trying to get ones ourself.

spiro

I am not an elec eng but look it at like this, the meter registers current passing through the meter. For there to have been a 16000kwh 'spike' (equals 3 bar elec fire on 24/7 for 222 days) through the meter I think some/all of the appliances in the house would have been fried.

Meter has not been read since Oct'08 so you are talking about 3 years which equates to 5333kwh pa which is nearly double national average. Is the property elec only or gas/elec. If elec only that the very cold winters would have pushed your useage right up. If gas & elec, then something else is causing it.

For the last 3 years how many kwh have you used pa according to the estimated bills?

Cyril

Thanks Spiro.

I would say the estimates since the reading have been circa 975 units per quater.

The property is a 1 bed mobile home that we use for day living when seeing to the horses so no big family usage although the heater was on in the day. ( Big radiator thing )

So we use
Kettle
Microwave
TV
One light per stable and one in Haybarn in winter only
Battery for elec fencing is charged
No hot water / shower etc etc.

Seems a lot to me unless this radiator is using far more than I imagine. It is on domestic rates and the more I think about it the more it seems very excessive.

spiro

I would check the rating of the radiator as it could be high.

HalloweenJack

it could be a 2kw convector heater (electric radiator looking thing with slots at the top and bottom) - running that for 8 hours a day over a winter would use a bit of power

bungle4by4

sorry the spike would have been for milliseconds, and as such would not affect your bill as you are charged by the kilo watt HOUR. its just not going to cause a ripple.

on the emergency call out, did they change your meter? if so there may be a discrepancy with old/new meter readings, but this is doubtful.

bungle4by4

HalloweenJack wrote: »

it could be a 2kw convector heater (electric radiator looking thing with slots at the top and bottom) - running that for 8 hours a day over a winter would use a bit of power

30pence(ish) per hour. 3 quid a day, 90 quid a month... damm that adds up fast!