My metre is 24986 less than estimated reading.

Countrylife_2

Not sure what to do really. My friend just had his estimated electric bill in and it is 29528 yet his metre reads 04542. He works away and is not at home very much. He told me that his metre has been estimated for a very long time (over 4 years). He said he pays monthly via DD the amount the electricity company requested. There has never been a visual inspection or actual physical reading taken. If he requests a metre reading now what will happen? How much in £ is the 24986 difference? Because his metre reads much less than the estimated bill, will they think someone has been fiddling? We have both taken a look at the metre and it does not look as though it has been opened or messed about with at all, so all looks fine there. will he be penalised because his metre has not been inspected for so long? Could really do with some advise please.
Thank you.

rogerblack

The credit will be on the order of £2500.
It is supposed to be inspected every 2 years - however this sometimes does not happen.
Their is no rational reason not to tell them.

Cardew

What type of meter? Dials or digital?

sheffield_lad

As Cardew has asked is the meter dial or digital? If digital were there any other readings or a button on the meter?

tim9966

Is it an E7 meter? in which case there will be more than one set of figures? You might need to press a button to see the next set.

Countrylife_2

Hi, when I looked at it this morning. It is an old black metre with 5 black circular clocks and 1 red one.

Cardew

Countrylife wrote: »

Hi, when I looked at it this morning. It is an old black metre with 5 black circular clocks and 1 red one.

Are you sure you have read it correctly? Bear in mind that alternate pointers run clockwise and anti-clockwise.

Reading a dial meter
If the pointer falls between two
numbers, always read the lower number – in Fig A you would write down the
number 4.

If the pointer is directly over a number always record it – in Fig B you
would write down the number 5.



If the pointer on a dial falls between 9 and 0, reduce the reading already
taken for the dial on the left by one – for example, if your original recorded
5, reduce this to 4.



Following these instructions, the correct meter reading for the dial in the
diagram will be 44928.

I am a little surprised that your friend didn't bother to check the meter reading on the bill against the meter for 4 years.

Incidentally if someone is going to tamper with the meter readings, they would not normally open it - ask anyone who cultivates cannabis at home

Countrylife_2

Thank you for your responses everyone. I have just been looking on google images and from what i remember, its an old clock dial meter. My friend said he thinks this meter has been there ever since the house was built in the 50s. Apparently they requested to change the meter, but he was away most of the time that year.

Countrylife_2

Ok, Tom has just text me an image of his meter. I have double checked the figures and yep it is defiantly reads 04542. Actually the hand on the dial marked 10,000 is three quarters of the way between 0 and 1. I read this as 0, think this is right.

KTF

Ok, so call up the supplier to give them the actual reading and see what they say.

dogshome

I'm afraid that this huge discrepancy in the actual reading compared to 4 years worth of unchallanged Estimated readings will cause a problem, and it's not one that will be resolved by a simple phone call to the suppliers Customer Service Desk

This needs a letter explaining Tom's lifestyle enclosing a dated photo of the meter - and even then the supplier will insist on a meter inspection before handing back any money

Second thought
What was this meter's reading when Tom moved into the house ?
This dial meter would record up to 99,999.9 Kwh and then start again from 00000.0,
so unless Tom's moving-in reading is known, the present reading cannot be relied on as a measure of his consumption over a 4 year period.