shoudl meter go backwards or stay still?

newbie8

Hi All,

PArents recently installed Solar Panels. Bosch ones? When it was installed there were problems at first the power kept cutting out. but all fixed now. During the day the main electric metre stops with the odd occasion when kettle is boiling or someone using the electric shower then the main electric meter moves. My uncle also had panels installed and he said that his electric meter goes backwards and so do his neighbours that have installed panels many moons ago. Spoke to our installer and he said ours is running correctly and that we both have different electric meters. Ours is a more modern one, but I believe my parents house was built before my uncles house! If its going backwards will my uncle not get a refund from the electric company as well as a 3month cheque from selling units to them?

The big white box |(sorry not v.techno) is quite warm during the day is this ok? My uncle also has 4 switches to switch off the meter which says how much has been sold to the grid, the big white thing, and the panels so it stops generating electric (if someone needs to go onto the roof). whereas we can only see 2 (one black and one red) one by the white box and one by the meter which says how much electric has been sold to the grid.

So who is correct and will my parents get a cheque in the post in 3 months time?

Martyn1981

hello Newbie, this comes up a lot, various mentions on the 'so now I have solar .....' thread.

Here's a recent separate thread

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3845903

At some point the backwards meter will need replacing, and the household should expect to have to pay for the imported units that they haven't paid for as they were 'deleted' by exported (backwards) units. Those exported units are already being paid for via FITs at 3.1p (3.2p after April) on an assumed 50% export of generation. Running a meter backwards means that they are being paid for a second time by deleting full price units.

Mart.

EricMears

seagull09 wrote: »

Can't think why 4 switches would be needed though. Oh, unless it's a dual tracker and each string has its own DC Isolator, perhaps?

I think you're right - my two strings each have their own isolator.

Numbnuts

newbie8 wrote: »

Hi All,

PArents recently installed Solar Panels. Bosch ones? When it was installed there were problems at first the power kept cutting out. but all fixed now. During the day the main electric metre stops with the odd occasion when kettle is boiling or someone using the electric shower then the main electric meter moves. My uncle also had panels installed and he said that his electric meter goes backwards and so do his neighbours that have installed panels many moons ago. Spoke to our installer and he said ours is running correctly and that we both have different electric meters. Ours is a more modern one, but I believe my parents house was built before my uncles house! If its going backwards will my uncle not get a refund from the electric company as well as a 3month cheque from selling units
to them?


The big white box |(sorry not v.techno) is quite warm during the day is this ok? My uncle also has 4 switches to switch off the meter which says how much has been sold to the grid, the big white thing, and the panels so it stops generating electric (if someone needs to go onto the roof). whereas we can only see 2 (one black and one red) one by the white box and one by the meter which says how much electric has been sold to the grid.

So who is correct and will my parents get a cheque in the post in 3 months time?

Some meter go back some go back then stop.

if you look at your meter anf theres a symbol of a small black cog the meter will go back and then stop.

meter with NO symbol will keep going back .

So you can tell before installation if the meter will go back or NOT.

if some one can tell me how to insert an image from my hard drive then I will post an image

thenudeone

!!!!!! wrote: »

if some one can tell me how to insert an image from my hard drive then I will post an image

Upload the image to any of a number of free picture hosting sites (mediafire, pixhost, flickr to list a few) and copy the provided URL into the field provided when you click the "Add picture" button in advanced mode.

Numbnuts

tried this takes agaes to load if you have an email I can email to you and you post images

EricMears

!!!!!! wrote: »

tried this takes agaes to load if you have an email I can email to you and you post images

Uploading to 'Flickr' is usually pretty quick; haven't tried others mentioned. I'd always use my own webpage to host such images and that process is quicker still.

Upload speed depends on picture size and your connection speed. Not much you can do about latter - although you might find it's better at certain times of day. Very easy to drop resolution with a picture editor though and there's absolutely no point trying to upload a 5mb hi-res image when it will finish up displayed in these columns in a couple of kb of space.

thenudeone

To host a file for free,
1) Install Dropbox
2) copy or save the image file into the "Public" folder within the Dropbox folder
3) select the file
4) right click, select Dropbox then "Copy public link"
5) In your web browser window with the MSE page up, either just Paste the link (Control-V) into the message or Go Advanced, click "Insert Image" and paste the link into the box.

As a bonus, you also now have 2GB of online storage for free and accessible from any internet-connected PC, either for backup or to save carrying round USB sticks:T

BirnamBear

Noticed today since I have a day off enjoying the Glasgow sunshine that my meter just stops !!!!

It is made by Integra.

Should I be telling EON my energy provider that I have an old style meter ? They now know that I have panels so is it not up to them to ask me ?

Just wonder if it could cost me money if I do not tell them.

EricMears

BirnamBear wrote: »

Noticed today since I have a day off enjoying the Glasgow sunshine that my meter just stops !!!!

It is made by Integra.

Should I be telling EON my energy provider that I have an old style meter ? They now know that I have panels so is it not up to them to ask me ?

Just wonder if it could cost me money if I do not tell them.

If it stops, that's fine. EON would need to know if meter ran backwards and you'd need it changing if meter ran forwards even though exporting.

KevinG

Martyn1981 wrote: »

At some point the backwards meter will need replacing, and the household should expect to have to pay for the imported units that they haven't paid for as they were 'deleted' by exported (backwards) units. Those exported units are already being paid for via FITs at 3.1p (3.2p after April) on an assumed 50% export of generation. Running a meter backwards means that they are being paid for a second time by deleting full price units.

Hi Mart,

As you say, this comes up quite often but I am still somewhat vexed by it. I have a Micro CHP boiler, Solar PV and a meter that runs backwards when exporting. My supplier is Scottish Power and my FiT provider is Scottish Power. I have told them that the meter runs backwards on two separate FiT applications. They know what type of meter I have.

Now, were I not to frequent such forums as these, I would have no idea that everything was not in order and that I was any obligation to do anything about it. I expect that this is true of the vast majority of people in a similar situation to me. Yes, at some stage my meter will be replaced, as they are, and I fully expect it to be with one that does not run backwards, fair enough. If, at that time (or before), they attempt to charge me for the units previously exported, I may well put up a bit of a fight.

Incidentally, the last time my meter was changed, in 2007, it was for an older design of meter!