Help! - electricity usage is incredibly high?!

Robin9

Are the consumption figures based on the meter readings you give every month to your supplier or are they ESTIMATED. While looking at your bill check that the serial number matches that on the meter itself.

JC_Derby

Drumsloot said:

JC_Derby said:

Yes that’s an isolating switch. no fuse in that it’s just a switch on/off.

well that’s in your flat then? Have you checked your bill has the same meter number on it?
i think you need to be recording usage every day by taking meter readings

The meter itself is not in my flat, it's in a communal cupboard that we don't have access to. We need to ask the concierge for access every time and they're not always available, so unfortunately that's much easier said than done.
We've arranged to get a smart meter installed, as it would help us to track usage, so that might go a long way towards finding out the main culprit(s) of our massive energy usage.
Our bill definitely has the right meter assigned - I've contacted E.On twice about this to make sure - and I've checked our reading each month, so I know it all matches up and it's all correct.  

So I would suggest one of you going down to the meter and turning off the isolating switch whilst the other is still in the flat to confirm the power in your flat does actually go off....just to make sure that “your” meter is actually feeding your flat

Drumsloot

Robin9 said:

Are the consumption figures based on the meter readings you give every month to your supplier or are they ESTIMATED. While looking at your bill check that the serial number matches that on the meter itself.

They are not estimated, they are based on the meter readings that I get myself and send to them. The serial number is a perfect match to the meter on the wall.
We've been through the process of suspecting that our meter is incorrect or faulty, but we've come to the conclusion that it is undeniably associated with our apartment. I shut off the power to my apartment for an hour and went back to check it again, and the meter hadn't moved whatsoever, so that's proof that it's ours and it's working fine. We're just trying to make sense of where the usage is coming from. My flatmate doesn't have an electric heater in his room, by the way!

JC_Derby

Drumsloot said:

JC_Derby said:

Yes that’s an isolating switch. no fuse in that it’s just a switch on/off.

well that’s in your flat then? Have you checked your bill has the same meter number on it?
i think you need to be recording usage every day by taking meter readings

The meter itself is not in my flat, it's in a communal cupboard that we don't have access to. We need to ask the concierge for access every time and they're not always available, so unfortunately that's much easier said than done.
We've arranged to get a smart meter installed, as it would help us to track usage, so that might go a long way towards finding out the main culprit(s) of our massive energy usage.
Our bill definitely has the right meter assigned - I've contacted E.On twice about this to make sure - and I've checked our reading each month, so I know it all matches up and it's all correct.  

This is not what you said in your first post, In which you said you turned off everything in your apartment. Not that you turned off your apartment at the meter. 

Secondly, your supplier are always going to say that the meter is right, they will indeed get the same reading as you because they are reading the same meter. That doesn’t however mean that that is the meter that feeds your apartment.
when the meter was installed, the supplier installed the tails from the meter to the isolator. The tails from the isolator to an apartment were installed by the builders electrical contractor, it is conceivable and in fact very very common that meters and flats sometimes get crossed.. 
all I’m saying is be one hundred percent sure that that meter feeds your flat. 

The supplier has no interest as they are getting paid,  most probably the building owner feels the same and I’d imagine if you do have a crossed meter the people that are paying your bill are ecstatic!

 

JC_Derby

Just as an aside, how is a smart meter going to help usage? 

Gerry1

You haven't proved beyond doubt that it's really your meter, nor that it's accurate.  It might be connected to a different flat that wasn't using electricity at that moment.  Unlikely, but not impossible, e.g if their fridge / freezer didn't kick in.

Do the same 'everything off' test for another hour when it's dark, watching the red light on the meter for at least a couple of minutes to make sure it never flashes.   Then turn absolutely everything on, especially the electric oven, rings, grill etc and make sure the red light on the meter is rapidly flashing.  That proves it's supplying your flat but not also supplying the communal lighting.

Finally, do a meter accuracy test.  With everything switched off and unplugged, find or borrow some high powered items of known rating, e.g. a 3kW kettle and a 3kW fan heater.  Switch them on and see how often the red light flashes.  With 6kW it should be 100 flashes per minute.

The test will only be rough because the appliances won't be exactly 3kW or whatever, and the power depends on the mains voltage which can vary.  However, if the reading is significantly adrift then you can start investigating the meter more closely.

Drumsloot

JC_Derby said:

Just as an aside, how is a smart meter going to help usage? 

It would help us to see exactly what's using a ton of energy, and what's not. At least, that's my (limited) understanding of how a smart meter works. It'd help us to get to the bottom of the issue!

Drumsloot

Gerry1 said:

You haven't proved beyond doubt that it's really your meter, nor that it's accurate.  It might be connected to a different flat that wasn't using electricity at that moment.  Unlikely, but not impossible, e.g if their fridge / freezer didn't kick in.

Do the same 'everything off' test for another hour when it's dark, watching the red light on the meter for at least a couple of minutes to make sure it never flashes.   Then turn absolutely everything on, especially the electric oven, rings, grill etc and make sure the red light on the meter is rapidly flashing.  That proves it's supplying your flat but not also supplying the communal lighting.

Finally, do a meter accuracy test.  With everything switched off and unplugged, find or borrow some high powered items of known rating, e.g. a 3kW kettle and a 3kW fan heater.  Switch them on and see how often the red light flashes.  With 6kW it should be 100 flashes per minute.

The test will only be rough because the appliances won't be exactly 3kW or whatever, and the power depends on the mains voltage which can vary.  However, if the reading is significantly adrift then you can start investigating the meter more closely.

Thanks, to you and JC_Derby especially for the suggestions.
Earlier today I ran a washing and drying cycle while using my computer in another room, listening to music with a light on, over about 2 hours. The kWh on my meter increased by 14. Following this, I did the "everything off" test and waited an hour. The meter did not rise. This says to me that it's likely the meter is correct, but admittedly, it's not solid proof - it could be a coincidence.
I might ask the concierge if there's any chance of me having complete access to the room with all the meters in it, for just a day, so I can run these tests. He's not always there, so the tests would be very difficult to conduct without the keys to the room.

Gerry1

Drumsloot said:

It would help us to see exactly what's using a ton of energy, and what's not. At least, that's my (limited) understanding of how a smart meter works. It'd help us to get to the bottom of the issue!

You've fallen for the spin.  It won't tell you what is using a ton of energy.  In this respect it won't tell you anything that your meter can't, although it may be a bit more convenient.  With some elementary detective work you should be able to find out what's happening: just look at that red light !

You still haven't checked for an immersion heater that's been left switched on.  Do you have an instantaneous electric shower?  That's a big NoNo.  Underfloor electric heating?

Borrow the key to the cupboard and do some hourly meter checks.

JC_Derby

Drumsloot said:

JC_Derby said:

Just as an aside, how is a smart meter going to help usage? 

It would help us to see exactly what's using a ton of energy, and what's not. At least, that's my (limited) understanding of how a smart meter works. It'd help us to get to the bottom of the issue!

It only records usage same as a normal meter, although it does have an in home display so you can see what you are using whilst you are there.....whilst your not there though I don’t think it records, although I don’t know. It won’t,  I’m afraid, tell you what appliances are using what and when and how long for though.