Energy Bill, Smart Meter and Smart Energy Monitor

jezzer_72

Hi all, 

Maybe someone can help or may be able to explain my issue in a way that i can explain it to British Gas so that they understand. 

I currently have a smart meter and the monitor. The Tariff is fixed until March next year.

The energy monitor states consistently that i use about £3 a day for both gas and electricity. It varies above and below that depending upon how long i've been in the house, what i've cooked that day etc. but generally it's in a range of £2.50 to £3.50 each day.

I did notice that something wasn't adding up after my first Bill and after my last bill (start of Oct) i decided to record the data on the monitor for November.  

In November, something strange happened... i checked the energy monitor and it said that for the month of November until the 23rd i had used £27.76 (gas and electric combined). When i checked my online account the amount used for November according to British Gas was £90 (was no figure online until late this week). Unfortunately i did not check the amount on the monitor on the last day of November but there were no significant changes in activity or in usage in those 11 days to account for a £60 increase in usage and the daily amount was still between £2.50 and £3.50 for those days.

The online account shows usage on a daily basis and hows it being £3 per day everyday in November. 

I have contacted British Gas who seem unable to understand the issue and just tell me that the energy monitor is showing the incorrect information but the bill is correct.  However, this cannot be an acceptable explanation. The monitor is supposed to be used to help monitor how much energy you are using but there is no correlation to the Bill i get... moreover, the British Gas App and the online account has different figures to the monitor.

I pay £84 by direct debit which i understand is an average based on the entire year of usage but i cannot understand why the Energy Monitor is telling me a figure that is £60 lower than the bill, but showing my usage per day exactly the same as my online account. 

if anyone has faced similar or has any idea of what is happening i would appreciate your response. 

Verdigris

Is the figure on the energy monitor just for the kWh you've used or does it combine the daily charge with the usage?

jezzer_72

Verdigris said:

Is the figure on the energy monitor just for the kWh you've used or does it combine the daily charge with the usage?

I'm not entirely sure if i am honest. 

I know the standing charge is 13p and 18p (gas and electric could be the other way round) and when i get up in the morning, approximately 80p is shown on the monitor so it may include the standing charge as i cannot see how i'd use circa 80p over night with the fridge, alarm, router on and the sky box on stand by (nothing else is on during the night) but use £2 with the PC on, charging battery items (phone ipad), cooking, lighting and showers.

The central heating comes on and off to maintain a consistent temperature which may explain the 80p but it does that during the day too (i understand variations with the sun and heating thought).

I've wanted to see if the heating makes much difference and depending upon the temperature set during the night it's 10 to 20p. In the summer i turned the heating off at night and the difference was 30p. Before i moved in, i set the temperature to 16degrees and was getting a cost of about 40p per day so it seems about right.

[Deleted User]

Hi,

set up your own wee spreadsheet, take daily readings for a week or so and compare with monitor, your spreadsheet, if properly set up will be more accurate.

Talldave

If you use £3 a day, 23 days into November you'd expect to have used £69?? And £90 for the month is £3 a day. The IHD is a bit of a toy and suffers from rubbish wireless comms, so anything it says should be taken with a pinch of salt.

Throw the IHD in the bin and read the meters weekly or monthly.

Robin9

I agree with Talldave - file WPB.  It will confuse you -  just do a daily spreadsheet using the readings from the meters. 

Gerry1

@Talldave @Robin9 The IHD isn't yours to throw away; it has to remain with the property.  And it shouldn't be binned anyway, unwanted electronic equipment should be disposed of in accordance with WEEE regulations. Just bung it in a drawer, or don't get a smart meter !

Hasbeen

As advised start taking regular reading from the meters, not the toy IHD.

If you want to keep looking at it for novelty value, then Ok.

If not put in a drawer.

Input the readings onto a spread sheet and calculate yourself what usage and cost per week / month. 

[Deleted User]

The IHD takes its tariff information from the smart meter. The simple explanation for what you are seeing is that the supplier has not updated the tariff information. This can be checked either on the IHD (under Account Information on the IHD3 or 6) or on the meter itself. If you want to check what your meter is sending back to your supplier then look at the N3rgy.com website (access via I Am A Consumer).

jezzer_72

Dolor said:

The IHD takes its tariff information from the smart meter. The simple explanation for what you are seeing is that the supplier has not updated the tariff information. This can be checked either on the IHD (under Account Information on the IHD3 or 6) or on the meter itself. If you want to check what your meter is sending back to your supplier then look at the N3rgy.com website (access via I Am A Consumer).

Thanks. Your link isn’t working though also the account information appears to be correct. 

Hasbeen said:

As advised start taking regular reading from the meters, not the toy IHD.

If you want to keep looking at it for novelty value, then Ok.

If not put in a drawer.

Input the readings onto a spread sheet and calculate yourself what usage and cost per week / month. 

Do you know if there a spreadsheet available for this or would I make it myself?

[Deleted User]

N3rgy.com is working just fine for me on an IPad.