Solar makes meter run backwards.

grumpyoldsteve

Reading about the potential hassle that people could be having from reading the previous posts, I am glad my wheel type mechanical meter is in fact a ratchet type.
However, it did cause a bit of confusion just after our solar installation was complete as for a brief period the meter ran backwards. Maybe the ratchet takes some time to engage when the meter first runs backwards.
Also finally spotted the little ratchet symbol on the front of the meter.

grumpyoldsteve

hp4020 wrote: »

I have been a lurker on these Forums for years, read with great interest the debates on Solar PV and other great threads.

Had a 4kw system installed (£9390)

Wow what a price! What is your expected payback time in your location? I was happy as our 2.45kWp system seems to be on target (by exceeding simulated estimates) for a 10 year or less payback taking into account both FITs and savings on the bill.

broke_mother_of_students

Our meter also ran backwards. We stated on the FIT form that it ran backwards, but we didn't realise we also had to inform our energy supplier separately. After a couple of months we ran them (Scottish Power, in our case) and the meter was changed within a few weeks. There is no charge. We have not had a bill yet, so are not sure how they are going to charge us for estimated use, although we registered our first readings since the change last week and our online information shows a reduction in our credit from £800 to £400 this week.

broke_mother_of_students

p.s. Fantastic price, hp4020!

Yut_Man

I didnt realise you needed to contact the electric company either. I thought the FIT application form covered that. Thanks for the info. Ill guess Ill be on the phone.

TailSpin_2

ooops

Our spins backwards as well.

I think I'll leave it a while before I tell them.

Interstingly we didn't have to inidcate anything on our EDF FiT form about what kind of meter we have.

KevinG

Yut_Man wrote: »

I didnt realise you needed to contact the electric company either. I thought the FIT application form covered that. Thanks for the info. Ill guess Ill be on the phone.

But apart from reading it on a forum like this, where does it say you have to inform your supplier separately from notifying it on the FiT application form? They can't expect everyone to get the information from random postings on an Internet forum!

jetski690

If your meter ran backwards for over a year without your supplier knowing if they did eventually cotton on I seem to remember energy company's can only reclaim revenue up to a year back would that be the case ?

[Deleted User]

The energy companies were not prepared for this...

I ticked the box on my FIT application to say my meter runs backwards [sometimes - when the ASHP is off] but prior to this I did contact them to say we had an old meter that would run backwards following the PV install - might as well have will have told the cat... :rotfl:

herzog_2

my meter has run backwards for a whole quarter-Eon did not tell me to get new meter and they have estimated the bill because the entire period was negative; is there a method for assessing how much power I have really used of theirs; I know what I have generated from solar panels and before and after readings from the house meter
Many thanks