Energy consumption almost doubles since installing an smart meter

VioletSkyblue

Hello,

I have been with Bulb since the day I moved to the house I am living in, (so 3 years now) and even prior that my energy consumption has been around 1300-1600kwh per year. However last year I installed a smart meter through Bulb and my bills increased a lot since then. Now my estimate yearly usage is 3900kwh and I do not understand how or why.

My habits or the ones of my partner have not changed, not even during covid. We are not watching more tv or using more power as far as I am aware and I am really confused and I struggle with bills.

The only thing that comes to mind is that our light in the living room started to break randomly during the day over a year ago, and would turn itself off and on until eventually it died and hasn't work ever since and I don't have the funds to check with an electrician about that, so we are using a side lamp in the living room instead. Everything else pretty much stayed the same.

Could someone please help me understand or guide me on what I should do?

I tried to tell Bulb many times but they don't listen.

Thank you for reading. 

MWT

VioletSkyblue said:

Now my estimate yearly usage is 3900kwh and I do not understand how or why.

What is your actual use, rather than estimated?

Can you give us the reading from your smart meter now and tell us the date it was installed?

Gerry1

You need to look at actual metered consumption, estimates are meaningless.

Do your bills show that your meter readings are Smart, e.g. are they annotated with an S as opposed to an E for Estimated?

Similarly, were your annual usage figures of 1300 - 1600kWh derived from actual meter readings you sent them, or were they merely estimates?

Check that you aren't unwittingly using an immersion heater, have a fridge or freezer door that's not shutting properly or has a faulty door seal.

Gerry1

Why didn't you simply replace the bulb that had failed?

Filamentary LED bulbs often have a short life when operated cap upwards; even shorter in an enclosed or semi-enclosed fitting.  Some Osram bulbs were notorious in this respect although they seem to have fixed the problem recently.

Is the side lamp bulb incandescent or a CFL? 

theoretica

The light that doesn't work is switched off?  Is the sidelamp you are using an LED bulb or incandescent?

markin

What is the daily kwh usage on the In home display unit? Where you both working from home or using computers all day in lock downs?

If its not the bulb it will likely be a loose wire that needs putting back in and tightening up at the rose or switch, With the power off at the breakers, And get a £2 test screwdriver to be sure its off, a very simple job and you can post photos of it if your not sure where the wire came out from.