Do gas and electric meters have a replace by date?

mrke

I wondered if there is a set 'use by' or replacement lifetime for domestic meters?

We have a couple of rather elderly looking meters and I wondered if they should be replaced?

I guess they could go out of calibration after so many years?

Any ideas please?

footyguy

mrke wrote: »

I wondered if there is a set 'use by' or replacement lifetime for domestic meters?

We have a couple of rather elderly looking meters and I wondered if they should be replaced?

I guess they could go out of calibration after so many years?

Any ideas please?

Yes there is, but it's model (and possibly usage) dependent. Your supplier will inform you if they need replacing. Typically it's about every 20 years. (but as I said, it varies)

Sometimes meters are re-used (in a different property usually) after they have been checked for correct calibration ... so the meter can be very old indeed.

mrke

Thanks for the reply @footguy. I'll contact our supplier and ask them directly.

Rubidium

mrke wrote: »

Thanks for the reply @footguy. I'll contact our supplier and ask them directly.

I would not do that as your supplier will contact you if they actually need replacing. If you ask your supplier now, you will most likely be offered one of the new as yet unfit for purpose smart meters. Wait and you will get the later generation of smart meter which will be much better and allow easy switching between suppliers.

Just because it looks old does not mean that it needs replacing, there are many still in service that are over 30 years old.

Carrot007

There are many old meters out there because they used to recalibrate old meters and put them out for another period (beetween 10 and 35 years generally).

Yours are probably ones like this. It's why there are still dial meters out there.

However now it's cheaper to close the refurb department and just scrap the meters and buy new ones, even though the new ones generally have a 10 year life.

Although who knows, my electric meter was due for change last Jan so over a year ago!

System

The old analog electric dial meters such as Sangamo Weston are really good meters. extremely reliable too far more than the cheap digital rubbish fitted nowadays. In all my years of door knocking meter reading I think I ve only ever found one obviously faulty with a dial pointer hanging off. They are expensive to make and operate like a swiss watch. I ve even seen people online collecting these things. Its a bit like the old central heating boilers which are much more reliable than the new ones

Anthorn

Depends on the meter: Old analog meters with a wheel going round have less of a life than newer digital meters. However the analog meter I had until November last year when I changed to a smart meter was made in 1977 according to its serial number which began with, "S77E" and was owned by "Eastern Electricity Board." That was the same meter which was already installed when I moved into the property in February 2015.

In comparison to my current smart meter that old meter was accurate.

Rubidium

Anthorn wrote: »

Depends on the meter: Old analog meters with a wheel going round have less of a life than newer digital meters. However the analog meter I had until November last year when I changed to a smart meter was made in 1977 according to its serial number which began with, "S77E" and was owned by "Eastern Electricity Board." That was the same meter which was already installed when I moved into the property in February 2015.

In comparison to my current smart meter that old meter was accurate.

Incorrect, your recently fitted nice but dumb smart meters will be replaced before 10 years has elapsed.

System

I was was in a meter room yesterday, in Goole, with 36 digital Eco 7 meters. Nearly everyone of the meters, ( mostly Ampy meters ) the digital clocks had drifted away from the correct time by over an hour and a few were several hours out. Is anything with a digital led screen reliable for long ? Watches , computers, tablets, phones. None of them are truly reliable for too long