Elec smart meter reading far too low - only just realised

Evan3020

Have you tested it yourself by running a high energy device, immersion or whatever and seeing what the meter records.
Right now you only suspect its wrong.

Swipe

I fail to see any problem here, other than the one the OP is creating for themselves

MWT

SAC2334 said:

2018 Secure Liberty will be a SMETS 2 meter so it will be sending its readings off automatically 

Given your background I wouldn't normally offer an alternate opinion on meter matters, but a 2018 Secure Liberty 100 is going to be a SMETS1 meter, but may well have since been adopted into the DCC.

None of them send their readings off automatically though, even SMETS2, they all respond to a request message from the DCC (SMETS2) and without that would not send any readings via the WAN.

Similarly puzzled by the low reading, but I am wondering if the meter is in E7 mode perhaps and only one register is being used by the supplier...?  The 'Total Import' display would be an interesting one to check...

lhead123

Our gas (smart) meter stopped working - the supplier put a new one in and said that they would use the following 2 weeks usage to calculate what we had used during the time it was broken. That was in September for us so we made sure we didn't put the heating on and used the gas oven as little as possible!

That supplier ended up going bust after one week leading to massive issues and the ombudsman - but that's a whole other story!

Alnat1

Could it be recording dual readings (E7) and for some reason only the night reading is being billed? This would probably account for around 1kWh, with the little bit of use that happens overnight.

Could you maybe do a load of washing overnight and see if it goes up?

Platedropper

Evan3020 said:

Have you tested it yourself by running a high energy device, immersion or whatever and seeing what the meter records.
Right now you only suspect its wrong.

Not as such, but given that in the course of normal life today I've had the dishwasher on two full cycles and done three loads of laundry in the washing machine, plus charging various devices and used the oven for dinner, and it's still only gone up by 1kwh, I'm certain there's something not right. I've kept an eye on it for a week before posting (and it's school hols so the kids are making a lot of washing and washing up) and compared it with our usage at the old flat so I'm as sure as I can be without getting an expert out to look at it. 

Platedropper

Swipe said:

I fail to see any problem here, other than the one the OP is creating for themselves

If I eat in a restaurant, and they undercharge me on the bill, I will flag it up for them. Same goes for electricity, even if in this case the bigger picture is much bleaker, but I still feel that if I'm using the electricity I should pay for it. Plus, as I explained above, I'd rather sort it now than potentially have a huge back bill if they notice in a year or two down the line, when who knows what kind of situation we'll be in. I understand that being undercharged is a fairly unique problem, though!

Platedropper

lhead123 said:

Our gas (smart) meter stopped working - the supplier put a new one in and said that they would use the following 2 weeks usage to calculate what we had used during the time it was broken. That was in September for us so we made sure we didn't put the heating on and used the gas oven as little as possible!

That supplier ended up going bust after one week leading to massive issues and the ombudsman - but that's a whole other story!

This is helpful, thank you!

Platedropper

Alnat1 said:Could it be recording dual readings (E7) and for some reason only the night reading is being billed? This would probably account for around 1kWh, with the little bit of use that happens overnight. Could you maybe do a load of washing overnight and see if it goes up?

Thank you Alnat1 and MWT - that would certainly account for it. On the screen it says E1>. Is there a way I can check if it's doing this E7 thing? Can check on the meter but not sure how. Thank you!

And thank you Sac2334 - it is reassuring to know that this is unusual. 

Platedropper

MWT said:

SAC2334 said:

2018 Secure Liberty will be a SMETS 2 meter so it will be sending its readings off automatically 

Given your background I wouldn't normally offer an alternate opinion on meter matters, but a 2018 Secure Liberty 100 is going to be a SMETS1 meter, but may well have since been adopted into the DCC.

None of them send their readings off automatically though, even SMETS2, they all respond to a request message from the DCC (SMETS2) and without that would not send any readings via the WAN.

Similarly puzzled by the low reading, but I am wondering if the meter is in E7 mode perhaps and only one register is being used by the supplier...?  The 'Total Import' display would be an interesting one to check...

I have an email which says its SMETS1 but that they were updating it (remotely) in Jan to do the DCC thing. Email also says "Now, you’ll need to press 6 on your electricity meter’s keypad 4 times. Then, your meter should show a reading labelled ‘R1’. This is the same reading we use to prepare your statements." That's where I've taken my readings from this week.