Meter check or smart meter?

Grizzlebeard

Your maths looks good, and it seems your meter is wonky.

Your everything-switched-off test suggests your using approx 300W (24/7?) when  when you are not using anything, and the kettle test suggests a 3kW load is reading 4.2kW, which would equate to 17.5 amps and blow the kettle plug fuse in an about 1 to 10 seconds.

Besides, during the everything-switched-off test the 'anti-creep' circuit in the meter should detect less than 20W draw and the flashy LED should light up continuously after 3 to 6 minutes. (The anti-creep stops the electronics circuit noise in the meter totting up as energy used.)

I haven't sat down and done the historic(trusted) and the later(dubious) sums, but the difference does seem to be (ball-park) % in line with your experience.

But other MSE members need to double check my conclusions before you call in the cavalry.

Grizzlebeard

Gerry1 said:

...(snip)...  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.

Glad our sums are roughly in agreement.

The right hand end double-pole trip is the sort of thing used on an external circuit, but in theory it should still be post the main switch - Unless of course a very dubious hand has dangerously paralleled up the feed directly from the incoming tails.

Gerry1

Anita85 said:

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

Think of the meter like a car's speedometer that only shows whole miles: drive it 500 hundred yards and the number may not change.

A fridge freezer might use 300W so it would take over three hours to use 1kWh.  If the 'real' meter reading at the start was 26748.000 it after three hours it would be 26748.900 (probably less because the thermostat would switch it off for some of the time) so it would still be displaying 26748.

Anita85

I have no garage or any other type of out building so no other consumer unit. My consumer box is located in my downstairs loo and the meter is on the external wall of same wall.
Does it appear my meter is faulty then? 

QrizB

Grizzlebeard said:

The right hand end double-pole trip is the sort of thing used on an external circuit, but in theory it should still be post the main switch - Unless of course a very dubious hand has dangerously paralleled up the feed directly from the incoming tails.

Isn't that the RCD for the power circuits, as is common in a 16th Edition split consumer unit?

Grizzlebeard

QrizB said:

Grizzlebeard said:

The right hand end double-pole trip is the sort of thing used on an external circuit, but in theory it should still be post the main switch - Unless of course a very dubious hand has dangerously paralleled up the feed directly from the incoming tails.

Isn't that the RCD for the power circuits, as is common in a 16th Edition split consumer unit?

I'm sure you're likely correct. I wired my house 40+ years ago and things have changed. There's a lot of dust accumulated on the untouched Bakelite and wood Wylex fuse box in my outside workshop.

Gerry1

Try the sanity test again with every switch in the consumer unit switched off.  Should never flash once no matter how long you watch it for.

Grizzlebeard said:

Besides, during the everything-switched-off test the 'anti-creep' circuit in the meter should detect less than 20W draw and the flashy LED should light up continuously after 3 to 6 minutes. (The anti-creep stops the electronics circuit noise in the meter totting up as energy used.)

Not sure about the LED staying on continuously if the consumption is less than 20W.  I have a similar sort of meter to the OP's and if the usage is low it just flashes every three minutes or whatever.

Tallerdave

Anita85 said:

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

Here's one possibly going for a bargain price: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/184919486347

Grizzlebeard

Gerry1 said:

Not sure about the LED staying on continuously if the consumption is less than 20W.  I have a similar sort of meter to the OP's and if the usage is low it just flashes every three minutes or whatever.

Over time I've been getting my standby stuff eliminated, and it scared the bejeezers out of me when LED came hard on. Downloaded the manual for it (Landis Gyr), and a few others and found out about anti-creep. Assumed it was industry standard so vacant properties didn't accumulate readings due to 'noise' and trivial leakage, but maybe wrong.

My standby now 12~13W and LED hard on for 18 hours a day so those watts are free (don't tell British Gas!)

Dynamic headroom - 100A meter won't register less than 40mA

Just found this thread
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/1059061/ampy-electric-meter-what-do-the-lights-mean
It appears to be same as  OPs meter and suggests it behaves the same.

To save a long read:
quote SerjT -

 "This is directly from the manual of this specific meter, it is the only information on the subject of.the solid red light in the whole.manual...

Anti Creep Detection, Anti creep occurs if an average power of 12.5 watts (+-20%) or less is detected for a period of 4 minutes and 48 seconds. Activation of abti-creep is indicated by the red LED being continuously lit. This function is reset as soon as the average power over 4 minutes and 48 seconds exceeds 12.5 watts (+-20%); the LED then returns to pulsing as normal."

(updated 17:51)

Anita85

I've done another sanity test with all switches down but meter is still flashing. Does this mean I have a faulty meter? If so should I request meter test? I am watching check meter on ebay that tallerdave mentioned previously. Do. I need to do this if meter looks faulty?
Thank you everyone that has helped me so far, I'm really grateful as you can probably tell my knowledge on electrics is minimal.