SMART Meter has stopped working - electricity only home

Unicorn79

I would really appreciate some help/advice.  I switched to Bulb energy from NPower a year ago, due to the price hike.
I believe I already had a SMART meter, however, this has completely stopped working.  The screen is bland and it won't reset either on the machine, or via the provider.  The problem is I am now on estimated bills in an electricity only home, this costs a fortune in central and water heat in the wonder and normally I track this at home, otherwise it can go as high at £7+ a day in cold weather as the heating is about £1 an hour.  Bulb has told me they are waiting for the manufacturer to fix the fault, but this could be months as there is no date!  Can anyone advise what I can do, as once the fault is fixed my actual bill will arrive and it could be £100's more than it should be.  I am tempted to switch to a big 6 so they have the power to push through the fix.  Advice very welcome!!

Robin9

Can I ask you to clarify please ?  

Are we talking about the actual meter in the garage or an outdoor meter box or the In House Display toy that sits in your kitchen.

If the former what's the make and model of the meter please .  When did you last take a reading.

Estimated bills or actual ones you are still using the energy and it needs paying for.

Hasbeen

Looking at Ops post it is perhaps the toy they are looking at not the actual meter?

Op: Please confirm that you are looking at the actual meter usually where the consumer unit is? And is it showing any readings on display.

Unicorn79

Hello, so this is both the meter on the outside of the house, and the meter on the inside that normally tracks the cost per day/week/month.  The last reading was October, there was a 8 hour powercut in the area and I think it was after that day it did not work.  The brand is TOSHIBA, there are so many other numbers etc on the meter.. e.g. M18, 0122, T10682  I also have 18E0053373, there is also a GUID number...  Correct, I understand I pay for the energy, but it is so important I track it as it can really rocket very easily.

Unicorn79

This is the pick of the meter.  I hope ok to post..

Hasbeen

You have an electric meter on the wall outside?
Press the button  until you get a reading ending in kwh ? Or is the digital display blank?

Unicorn79

I have pressed the buttons, however the manual reset do not work at all and the digital display remains blank.  There is a fault with the meter and I can't see an option to get this fixed.

Unicorn79

Latest update!  Bulb has now asked me to contact EDMI direct here:  https://www.edmi-meters.com/product/meters/electricity-metering-devices/es-10a/

It doesn't feel right that I should have to do this to get my meter fixed...  I will try and contact them, but not sure if this is deemed to be the usual process???

Unicorn79

I am still at a loose end with this.  I am wondering, if I switch to one of the big 6, can the switch take place with a faulty/broken meter?  Really want to get this sorted!

daveyjp

Have you emailed bulb the photo?

If your meter’s screen isn’t working

If you have a meter with a digital screen and a keypad, you might need to push a button to wake up the screen. Find out how to read your meter. 

If you can’t read your screen because it’s cracked or has fogged up, we may need to replace it. Email help@bulb.co.uk and include a photo of the meter, showing the screen clearly. 

If you have its time for a formal complaint.  Its not for you to contact the manufacturer, I wouldn't.

Carrot007

It's an EDMI meter, the Toshiba part will be the Comms hub I am assuming.

Anyway no display = it needs changing.

Switching to the big 5 (as it now is or has one of the smaller ones got big enoug hto repalce npower) will help you. However I can tell you (I see comms, though only work on the business side of things) that with the current situation many (not all) meter workforces will only go out for an off supply incident.

Also consider that switching will mean a final deemed read that you will pretty much have to live with. Staying with the current supplier you can maybe argue it down. Though really they should be estimating it from your history (of course if you are a serial switcher which someone has it is is not as easily available and in these times also not a priority).