Meter check or smart meter?

Tallerdave

4kWh overnight is excessive.  You need to get a clip on energy monitor and start shutting off circuits on the consumer unit whilst live monitoring consumption. It could be faulty fridge/freezer running 24/7?

tim_p

Ancient or just plain old fridge/ freezer?  We replaced an ancient Skandinova fridge freezer and our electricity consumption dropped by literally 20% (measured by daily meter reads, entered into an app)
Something to check. Also try the test mentioned earlier by @Carrot007. 

Anita85

I had a new fridge freezer last September A+ energy rating. I have just looked at books that came with it. It should be using under 1kwh per day. 

I'm going to switch everything else off for an hour and see what happens. 

I don't know what a clip on energy meter is but I'll Google it.

I can't try test recommended by @carrott007 as my meter doesn't show part kwh used and I don't have an electric heater. I don't know what appliance would use 1kwh that I have as unless it states on appliances. I have started ted to look though

MWT

Could you post a photo of the meter so we can see the meter type and the current reading?

Gerry1

Presumably the meter is inside the property, so no possibility that it's in an external cupboard and could be for someone else?

Do a meter sanity test by switching everything off at the consumer unit and watching the red LED labelled '1000 Imp/kWh' or similar for at least five minutes and make sure that it never flashes once.  Then switch on just one high powered item (a full kettle is ideal) and count the number of flashes (impulses) in one minute.  Multiply that number by 60 and divide by 1000 (or the figure next to the LED) and that gives you the power being drawn by the kettle.  Check the rating plate on the kettle and they should match up.

It's a slightly rough and ready check because the power drawn depends on the local voltage and the kettle rating may not be exact but it should indicate whether the meter needs further investigation.

Having verified that the meter is OK you then need to do some detective work to find the culprit.  Unplug appliances and switch off various circuits at the consumer unit and see how fast the LED flashes.  Heating is the main suspect, not CD and DVD players.

I'm surprised that you don't have an immersion heater.  Are you absolutely sure?

Gerry1

Anita85 said:

I don't know what a clip on energy meter is but I'll Google it.

There are two types, one that clips around a fat cable from the meter, and the other has a sensor that goes over the flashing LED on the meter that I mentioned above.  You need the one that clips around the cable, otherwise the meter will be 'marking its own homework'.

Anita85 said:

I don't know what appliance would use 1kwh that I have as unless it states on appliances. I have started to look though

Full kettle is ideal.  Iron will do (set it to maximum) and make sure the thermostat hasn't switched it off before the end of the flashing LED test.  Hairdryer is another possibility.

Anita85

My meter is external on the front of my property which only supply's my house. 

The meter hasn't moved with only fridge freezer switched on. Does this mean meter is correct and I have a faulty appliance?

I will try the meter sanity test as advised by Gerry1.

I definitely don't have an immersion heater. I only have 1 water tank in the loft and combination boiler. When my heating broke down end of last year I had no heating or hot water. It was replaced in March to a more efficient one. At present I'm not using the heating and haven't done for probably a couple of months. Boiler is on eco setting so it doesn't pre heat water. It only fires up if I turn hot tap or shower on. 

Anita85

Gerry1 I've done first part of the meter sanity test. I've put pic on so you can check I've switched it off correctly, I pulled main switch down. In 10 minutes the meter flashed 56 times, does this mean meter is faulty? 

Anita85

I've done the kettle test, I'll attach pic of kettle ratings as not sure what I'm looking for. I counted 76 flashes in a minute so I've x 60 and ÷ 1000 and got 4.56. Is that good or bad? Sorry I don't really understand it. 

Gerry1

The kettle is nominally rated at 3000W (3kW).  It will draw 2.52kW if the supply voltage is 220V and 3.00kW if the supply voltage is 240V.

So expect to see between 42 and 50 flashes per minute if absolutely nothing else is switched on and it hasn't boiled and switched itself off.

56 flashes in 10 minutes corresponds to something(s) using an average of 336W.  Are you sure that there isn't another consumer unit or mains switch, perhaps in the garage?  The meter could be faulty but you really need to make sure you've turned absolutely everything off before getting it tested.