Smart Meter Over reading?!?

JonVic

Dear All,

firstly, i wish to apologise if this has been gone over a million times! I have searched and I'm more confused now than when i started!

I had smart meters installed for gas and electricity. (SSE)
At first i was really impressed and thought i was wrong to doubt technology... how wrong i was!
My Tariff changed in November. I have then received a rather large bill, from Gas and Electricity.
I investigated the usage from the same period last year; to the same period this year...

Electricity: 497kWh (last year) / 1,133kWh (this year)
N.B. My usage shouldn't have changed

So, to summarise my issue: Can the meters somehow be "upset" by rate changes??? Common sense says "no". 
October usage was fine then December and January are through the roof!

Are there any tests i can do at home?

Please help.

Jon

Astria

Do you have meter readings for October, November, December, January?

It's rare but it can happen that your old meters were not reporting the readings correctly, ie, running slower or faster than expected, but this wouldn't double you bill it would typically be a few percent.

Swipe

JonVic said:

October usage was fine then December and January are through the roof!

Sounds like rogue appliance consumption rather than the meter. What's your base load according to the smart meter in home display?

MWT

JonVic said:

I investigated the usage from the same period last year; to the same period this year...

Electricity: 497kWh (last year) / 1,133kWh (this year)
N.B. My usage shouldn't have changed

I would suspect that last years information might have been based on estimated readings, or that you have been using some form of electric heating this year.

It would help to break it down by month to get a good comparison.

How does your gas use compare over the same period?

JonVic

MWT said:

JonVic said:

I investigated the usage from the same period last year; to the same period this year...

Electricity: 497kWh (last year) / 1,133kWh (this year)
N.B. My usage shouldn't have changed

I would suspect that last years information might have been based on estimated readings, or that you have been using some form of electric heating this year.

It would help to break it down by month to get a good comparison.

How does your gas use compare over the same period?

They are EXACT readings as before the smart meter installs i used to give a reading on the first of the month. All the heating and hot water is gas...

The gas is a tricky one to use historical data as i had a stopped meter for 6 months; I has to take SSE to the ombudsman to get that sorted.

 S, is there a way to test a "rogue appliance"?



Thank you all for your replies!

JonVic

Swipe said:

JonVic said:

October usage was fine then December and January are through the roof!

Sounds like rogue appliance consumption rather than the meter. What's your base load according to the smart meter in home display?

I'll post it when i get home...

Gerry1

Meter Sanity Test

JonVic

Gerry1 said:

Meter Sanity Test

Thank you!

I'll give it a go.... although i live in a detached bungalow.

Gerry1

JonVic said:

Gerry1 said:

Meter Sanity Test

I'll give it a go.... although i live in a detached bungalow.

With everything switched off apart from the fridge, freezer and standby items, the background load will probably be about 150 - 300 W.  It's likely to vary of course as the fridge and freezer switch on and off.  Make sure the immersion heaters are always left switched off.  Taking meter readings hourly and overnight may help you spot any strange usage patterns.

theoretica

JonVic said:

Electricity: 497kWh (last year) / 1,133kWh (this year)

For a year?  a month? 497 kWh does seem notably low if it is for the year - a fridge might use 2-300kWh all by itself.  If it is for a month 1133kWh does look high.

Robin9

Astria said:

Do you have meter readings for October, November, December, January?

Please add the letters A,C and E as shown on the bills

Can you also please check that the meter reading serial numbers are correct