Electric Meter running forwards and then backwards?!?

coinxoperated

Hi all,

I am a very confused lady. I live on a converted house in a studio flat. My electric meter is in the flat above me. I've had major issues with British gas and have finally gone down a DRO route as I couldn't afford the £2000 charges they slammed on me after all the messing around.

Now the DRO is sorted, they have opened up a second account for me. Today I went online and it was estimated that I had used £32 worth of electric in 9 days. My flat is electric only, but this seems quite extortionate.

So I toddle upstairs to get a meter reading so I can pay for what I have actually used, and it would seem the meter is 200 less than it was mid-march (was 39755 now 39525)

What the hell is going on? There is no solar panels or anything, so what should I do? I don't want to rack up a debt with them and am just going to pay what I know I'm consuming and let them try and bill me when I come to move out, but I really just want it sorted.

Is this meter obviously faulty? Should I report it an try and get it changed? I can't physically watch it daily a sit is in a separate flat that is now occupied.

Any advice would be very much appriciated!!!!

[Deleted User]

Hi, what type of electric meter have you got, digital (lcd display), a standard sort of mechanical meter or maybe a dial meter ( with 6 little rotating dials )

Terrylw1

Running backwards is rare, but can happen.

Did the meter appear in tact? Were the seals intact? It could be a tamper otherwise. Need more info really.

On another point, is there only one meter to both flats? If so, the landlord needs to sort it out. The correct way is to pay for a new supply for your flat. The landlord can otherwise choose to submeter but would need to have his/her name on the utility bill to then charge the tenants. If the flats are both owned, the other owner has to pay or your elec and will have to charge you for yours which requires a submeter and definately a legal agreement to cover you incase the other owner doesn't pay the bills.

If you own the flat and its one meter to 2 flats, you can thank the developer for landing you in a difficult situation.

jalexa

coinxoperated wrote: »

Today I went online and it was estimated that I had used £32 worth of electric in 9 days. My flat is electric only, but this seems quite extortionate...

...So I toddle upstairs to get a meter reading so I can pay for what I have actually used, and it would seem the meter is 200 less than it was mid-march (was 39755 now 39525)...

What the hell is going on?

I don't think you have posted any information that suggest the meter is *probably* going backwards. Given the meter access problem, more likely this is an artefact of an estimated reading. At least for elimination purposes.

Your "£32 in 9 days" is an estimate so "worthless", however the "estimate" indicates about 25kWhrs/day which if you are using electric heating (in an all electric house) is quite possible so would not be spotted as abnormal.

Going forwards you need to address the meter reading access problem (as well as Terrylw1's point about which properties the meter is actually supplying).