HELP! Must I change my meter?

Freightdog

I've recently had solar panels fitted and, since I have an old style spinning electricity meter, it reverses and counts down when the panels are generating more than I am using. This is good news for me, the consumer, as it effectively allows me at other times to use the surplus electricity that my system has generated without being charged for it.

My concern is that the electric company might replace my meter with a new digital type (that I feel sure will not count down if I over-produce) thus negating the benefit.

Question: Am I obliged to have my meter replaced? since I could switch utility company at any time then what right would they have to replace it as surely it cannot belong to all of them?

I would like to know if I am legally allowed to refuse to have my meter replaced and if so under what act or law.

Also, since my meter is in an outside box accessible with a meter key then what steps should I take to stop them replacing it when I am away from home? Would a simple notice warning them that I would take legal action if they replaced the meter be sufficient?

Any help would be gratefully received.

Kind regards

Mike

molerat

You do not own the meter. It does not belong to your supplier it belongs to the transporter for your area and they can change it if they wish and if requested by your supplier. If you obstruct them they will get a court order.

Freightdog

molerat wrote: »

You do not own the meter. It does not belong to your supplier it belongs to the transporter for your area and they can change it if they wish and if requested by your supplier. If you obstruct them they will get a court order.

Thanks for the reply Molerat. Regarding your last sentence about a court order would you please let me know on what basis you make that statement.

Kind regards

Mike

rogerblack

Freightdog wrote: »

I've recently had solar panels fitted and, since I have an old style spinning electricity meter, it reverses and counts down when the panels are generating more than I am using. This is good news for me, the consumer, as it effectively allows me at other times to use the surplus electricity that my system has generated without being charged for it.

As I understand it, under the current scheme - you are probably doing this illegally.
Technically, theft of the difference between the 'generation' payment that you would get for supplying the grid in an authorised manner, and your normal supply rate.
This is around 2.5p from memory.
You can't currently - legally - 'net meter' - as you seem to want to do.
If you have an approved setup, you get FIT payments.
If you have a non-approved setup, the only legal way to connect it to the grid is to register it as a (non-renewable) generator, and get the (very smal) genertion payments.

This assumes that you're not on FIT, and the supplier knows the sort of meter you have, knows how much electricity you're generating from that, and can simply subtract, in which case, the meter running backwards is unimportant.

And I violently object to the above, it's completely unfair that it's not possible to net meter, it would enable _much_ cheaper solar installs, DIY.

Freightdog

Thanks for your post rogerblack. I am really just looking for an answer as to whether the supplier can enforce meter replacement or not.

To set the record straight the panels were fitted by an MCS approved installer and the Feed in Tarriff is being registered with my utility company. If my meter runs backwards I would hardly consider that illegal as all I am doing is 'making a deposit' of electricity (which is either being used by someone else or is being used to push water up a hill somewhere). It was my electricity to start with and if I subsequently use it it seems grossly unfair that I have to pay for it. As it stands at the moment I will get paid 3p by the utility company for every other unit I generate (50% of total generation). I would happily forego the 3p payment in lieu of being able to 'deposit' electricity for subsequent 'withdrawal'. With a new style meter I would not be able to 'deposit' and the surplus electricity I generate will go back into the grid to be sold by the utility company to either myself or someone else - not a bad deal for the utility companies! Imagine if for every 15p you put in the bank you only got 3p back!

So, back to my original dilemma - I want to keep my old meter and I need a good argument from someone about how that may be accomplished. I suspect with the boom in solar panel installation this is going to be of interest to a lot of people.

macman

Yes they can enforce it, as already stated, it is the DNO's property and if they wish to change it, they can.
If you block access to it, then their inevitable assumption will be that you are bypassing the meter and they will involve the fraud investigation team.

Freightdog

macman wrote: »

If you block access to it, then their inevitable assumption will be that you are bypassing the meter and they will involve the fraud investigation team.

So, guilty until proven innocent then! But I don't want to block access to it - they are free to inspect it; I just don't want them to replace it. Are you able to point me to the relevant legislation that says they can enforce a replacement if they wish? Forgive my skepticism but there is a lot of hearsay that is recirculated on these forums.

Andy_WSM

Freightdog wrote: »

As it stands at the moment I will get paid 3p by the utility company for every other unit I generate (50% of total generation).

You've conveniently neglected to mention the 43.3p payment for each kWh generated that you also get paid under the FITs scheme, regardless of whether you use it or not - to pay back your capital investment, which is the only reason solar is financially viable at this time anyway.

Freightdog

Andy_WSM wrote: »

You've conveniently neglected to mention the 43.3p payment for each kWh generated that you also get paid under the FITs scheme, regardless of whether you use it or not - to pay back your capital investment, which is the only reason solar is financially viable at this time anyway.

Wow, sorry for breathing! I didn't mention it because:

a) Most people reading this are already aware of the payment
b) It is paid by the government - not the utility company
c) It has no relevance to my argument whatsoever

One thing I have found on these forums is that people are very quick to judge you and often for the wrong motives. As you rightly said installation is only cost effective with the government incentive of FITs. However, as I have tried to argue in previous posts is it morally right (or even honest) for the utility company to sell my electricity either back to me or someone else? All I would like to do is ensure that I do not get penalised by having a new meter fitted that does not 'net' as a previous poster put it.

Please, is there anyone there who can tell me what I can do instead of what I can't?

macman

Freightdog wrote: »

So, guilty until proven innocent then! But I don't want to block access to it - they are free to inspect it; I just don't want them to replace it. Are you able to point me to the relevant legislation that says they can enforce a replacement if they wish? Forgive my skepticism but there is a lot of hearsay that is recirculated on these forums.

Why do they need any specific legislation to access or replace their own property?

zax47

Right now you only have 9/10ths of a correct installation and your MCS installer should known better than to have left it as it is!

Your DNO/Supplier will want to fit a proper FIT/Micro-generation compatible meter - not one that runs backwards. The CORRECT meter for your installation will record your generation and what you export to the grid as well as as your usage. What you currently have is NOT correct and your MCS installer should have notifed your DNO to change it for a micro-generation compatible meter. That's the ONLY way they can correctly record ALL elements of your installation - your generation, exported units and your usage. If you obstruct this, they WILL get a court order to enter your premises and fit one, no doubt about it.

Can't see what your problem is, as it stands right now it's not getting correctly recorded and you will ultimately loose out. Unless of course you think you've found some sort of fiddle (which you haven't.....)