Coin meter is costing me £10 a day. What should I do?

Norman_Castle

If it cannot be changed I'd use a camping cooker and buy fresh instead of running the fridge. Presumably there's also a bath or shower being used.

GDB2222

Is it possible other stuff outside your room is running off your meter? Let it run out and see what happens and whether for example the landing lights stay on?

Talldave

[Deleted User] wrote:

Hi,


here's the meter,





on B rate, set at 6.4 units/coin, so about 15p/unit if £ coins.


Coin reg 265, unused units, 26, meter reading 37638.4

What the meter looks to be configured for is not the same as what it's doing. We need to know how many units a coin (which one?) gives.

Either the meter is running at 15p/ unit and the problem is what's consuming 66kWhr per day, or the meter is charging a £ or more per unit (or the meter is measuring fast).

Only accurate measurement will tell us which it is.

[Deleted User]

OP, concentrate on reading the dial above the red one which is the tenths of a unit dial and not needed.. The dial above that one is the 1 kwh dial . Its showing between 8 and 9 in the photo and will be going round anti clockwise.
If the meter is set fairly it should use approx 6 units (6 kwh s ) for your £1, so the pointer on the dial would have gone round to be pointing somewhere near the 5 on the dial for your £1 coin.
That is estimating the kwh rate to be 15p /kwh .6.5 units for your £1.. This is the only way to check what the meter is delivering. .

farazk86

Thanks for the replies guys and helping me understand the meter readings.
I did as suggested and waited for the empty to empty and take reading/pic. I still cant post links so please replace __ with // in the links to view the pics.

So here it is empty: https:__ibb.co/kGJmpmY

And if my understanding is correct the reading here is: 37709.3 ?

And here it is after I put in a coin: https:__ibb.co/Hp5245y

And here it is empty again after about 12 - 13 minutes (during this time only the stove was on for the breakfast while I took a 5 minute shower):

https:__ibb.co/LJstsLf

And the reading here is: 37715.8

This meter is literally costing me more than the rent of flat. =/

farazk86

Also, as suggested, I was to take multiple readings so here it is empty again after the previous picture:

https:__ibb.co/4SsQMcr

Reading: 37722.3

Thats about 6.5 units per coin right, so according to @Houbara thats a fair price... then why is it costing me so much while only using a fridge and making breakfast once a day.. I literally have nothing in my flat. At this rate I cant even afford to shower everyday. This cant be normal, what can I do?

Thank you

molerat

The unit rate being charged is reasonable and the unused units meter and the meter seem to tally. You need to find out why you are using so many kWh. Either the meter is over reading or something / someone else is using you electric. What are the fuses labelled ? You need to switch everything off, put a pound in and sit and watch the meter to see what happens.

[Deleted User]

Hi,


so here's the pics in order that you posted,

Talldave

So each £1 coin is buying you 6.5kWhr, but you seem to be getting through electricity at a ludicrous rate. With the cooker and shower off, the meter shouldn't be going around very fast at all.


It may be time to look at the circuits in that consumer unit next to the meter and as suggested above, start turning things off to see if that slows the meter down.


Now we know the meter is being fair with the quantity of units it is charging for, we know there's either massive consumption or the meter is faulty and measuring consumption that isn't actually happening.

Mister_G

OP - How is your hot water supplied? If it's flats, is there a communal hot water tank with an immersion heater or do you have your own hot water cylinder?