Solar panels with smart meters?

bigrichyhay

Hi,
Since getting solar panels fitted as part of a green deal about 4 years ago it has saved me a lot of money. Until my energy supplier fitted me a new smart meter that is!
Since then my electricity bills have rocketed, even in summer where we had an unusually long sunny spell!
It's obvious the meter isn't taking the solar panels in to account and I have read other forums on the internet with people having the same problem. It seems a lot of smart meters are not compatible with solar panels and it's better to have the old single phase meter.
Has anyone had this experience and is it possible to switch supplier and request a single phase meter to be reinstalled?
My deal is up at the end of the month and want to switch!

dprice8893

Smart meters have no more effect on the performance of your solar panels than old style meters (none at all). The only difference is you can see exactly what your using or generating. You say your solar panels have saved you a lot of money? They won't save you much more than £150 a year in electricity charges. Obviously if your getting the FIT payments, this will be making you money. Your separate solar panel meter is the one that shows you exactly what the panels have generated.

Sterlingtimes

Possibly, your old meter was running backwards thereby reducing your reading. The new meter will work correctly.

reeac

We've had PV solar cells for about 8 years now and a Smart Meter for about 5. Looking back at our consumption from the .National Grid, I can see a reduction of about 1100 kWh per annum since getting the solar panels which is consistent with the rule of thumb that 50 percent of PV power is exported. I can see no effect when the meter was changed.

[Deleted User]

You can see if the panels are clocking up export tariff by the solar panel meter can t you.There will be one installed somewhere.
Sterlingtimes is correct in saying that you could have had an old analogue meter,specifically a Sangamo Weston with a rotating ring.
These meters are classed as being faulty when installed with a solar panel system as they will always reverse when occupiers usage is minimal on a warm day. Occupiers are obliged to report faulty meters to the supplier asap.

dprice8893

Houbara wrote: »

You can see if the panels are clocking up export tariff by the solar panel meter can t you.There will be one installed somewhere.
Sterlingtimes is correct in saying that you could have had an old analogue meter,specifically a Sangamo Weston with a rotating ring.
These meters are classed as being faulty when installed with a solar panel system as they will always reverse when occupiers usage is minimal on a warm day. Occupiers are obliged to report faulty meters to the supplier asap.

But this will have no effect on the energy generated by the panels or the way it is used and metered.

reeac

Houbara wrote: »

You can see if the panels are clocking up export tariff by the solar panel meter can t you.There will be one installed somewhere.
Sterlingtimes is correct in saying that you could have had an old analogue meter,specifically a Sangamo Weston with a rotating ring.
These meters are classed as being faulty when installed with a solar panel system as they will always reverse when occupiers usage is minimal on a warm day. Occupiers are obliged to report faulty meters to the supplier asap.

Not always. Our system meter gives total PV output but not amount exported to the Grid. That's why I compare pre- and post- PV consumption from the Grid in order to see how much we export.

bigrichyhay

dprice8893 Smart meters have no more effect on the performance of your solar panels than old style meters (none at all). The only difference is you can see exactly what your using or generating. You say your solar panels have saved you a lot of money? They won't save you much more than £150 a year in electricity charges. Obviously if your getting the FIT payments, this will be making you money. Your separate solar panel meter is the one that shows you exactly what the panels have generated

Sterlingtimes was correct, my meter was going backwards, but that was what the guy who installed the solar panels said it was supposed to do. By the end of summer my meter reading was lower than at the start of summer whereas now I'm paying between £40 - £50 a month so reckon I was saving about £200. That may not be much to you but it is to me.
Why did my previous supplier never question why my monthly readings were lower than the previous month if it meant it was supposedly faulty?