Smart meter accuracy

kash42

Hi all, has anybody had any issues with inaccuracies with their smart meter readings. Our current readings with our new supplier are 4 times The KWH than they were last year for the same months for gas. We actually got rid of our gas stove and cooker and opted for electric oven and job so no idea why our gas usage would now be 4 times as much in KWattage except to think that the meter isn’t accurate.
Anybody know if this can happen and how I go about negotiating the cost of this with the supplier? Thanks 

[Deleted User]

Your new meter records volume used in cubic meters. Look at your statement and make sure that the supplier is using the correct volume to kWhs calculation. There is no reason to think that your new meter is inaccurate. Your supplier will happily agree to replace your gas meter and send it away for lab testing: it will though raise a charge if no fault is found.

Ectophile

Have you considered the possibility that your old meter was wrong?  It's unlikely that a new digital gas meter is going to be that far out of calibration.

kash42

Sorry I should clarify, we’ve had the meter for several years but have recently switched suppliers. The meter is the same one from previous years which show a quarter of the usage our current company says we are using. The meter hasn’t changed but the kWh usage has quadrupled. 

QrizB

Are the volume readings (cubic metres, m3) on the gas bills correct? Or is your new supplier using estimates?

Robin9

Just because you meter was once Smart it doesn't mean that it still is and the system may be relying on you reading the meter.

Read it now and compare it with your bill  -  what is the letter A, C or E that follows the meter reading ?

[Deleted User]

kash42 said:

Sorry I should clarify, we’ve had the meter for several years but have recently switched suppliers. The meter is the same one from previous years which show a quarter of the usage our current company says we are using. The meter hasn’t changed but the kWh usage has quadrupled. 

How are you checking the kWh usage? The only accurate calculation is that shown on your statement which uses an average calorific value for your billing period. Forget kWhs and check index readings. Your meter measures volume of gas used NOT kWhs.

Possetjohn

If it is an old smart meter SMETS1 it may be your new supplier has not been able to take it over as a smart meter (as Robin9 said)?
As others have said check if the readings on your bill are estimated or are specified as Smart meter readings.
Also take a meter reading and compare it with your bills.
It is unlikely the meter has suddenly started reading incorrectly

theoretica

If the change is definitely in the readings on the meter, and it happened at the same time as you had work done and the gas stove removed, I would also want a very good check for gas leaks.

MWT

kash42 said:

Anybody know if this can happen and how I go about negotiating the cost of this with the supplier? Thanks 

As Dolor already suggested, this is probably just a confusion between your gas meter reading in m3 and the meter database showing you are still on an old imperial meter reading in units of 100 cu ft.

The net result is that you get billed for 2.83x the actual usage... 

Robin9

@kash42  Have a close look at your meter - make a note of the serial number and look for the letters m3 or ft2. What is the meter reading - watch out for any decimal point and ignore any numbers after the decimal point.

Now look at your last bill - are the serial numbers the same, does it say m3 or cu ft ? What are the meter readings - do they have letters A,C or E against them.

Edit corrected  - not ft2 - should be cu ft