Gas usage mega increase

rjmiller

badger09 said:

EssexHebridean said:

I don't *think* the 99999 reading is to do with it being in "dumb" mode - I think it is something to do with testing - and you should in due course see it move past the zero point...I have a feeling we have a couple of former meter testers here who have full gen on this... 

Agreed though I’m not a firmer meter tester😊. When we had SMETS2 installed 28 Sept, engineer said gas meter started at 9999 to allow for the gas used while they were testing the installation. As he said it would, it ticked over to 0000 later same day. 

I hope this does happen so I can monitor my 'new' usage compared to the seemingly random 'old' readings.

Alnat1

The installer is supposed to check all your gas appliances are working correctly and meters are set at 9999 so it doesn't cost you when they do this, you only pay once it's gone past 0.

When mine was fitted the guy had me set the boiler to heating (hot June day) checked our gas fire lit okay and turned on all 4 burners on the hob. As I wasn't using much gas at that time of year it actually took 3 days to roll over to 0,

This totally confused the Bright app which still shows me as using 7607kWh of gas in the 7.30-8.00 slot on the 11th June, the time it rolled over to 0. I think this was to do with them assuming old meter reading had gone round the clock. My Octopus graphs show the crazy spike too but they didn't try charging me for all that gas thankfully.

rjmiller

Alnat1 said:

The installer is supposed to check all your gas appliances are working correctly and meters are set at 9999 so it doesn't cost you when they do this, you only pay once it's gone past 0.

When mine was fitted the guy had me set the boiler to heating (hot June day) checked our gas fire lit okay and turned on all 4 burners on the hob. As I wasn't using much gas at that time of year it actually took 3 days to roll over to 0,

This totally confused the Bright app which still shows me as using 7607kWh of gas in the 7.30-8.00 slot on the 11th June, the time it rolled over to 0. I think this was to do with them assuming old meter reading had gone round the clock. My Octopus graphs show the crazy spike too but they didn't try charging me for all that gas thankfully.

The installer checked the hot water and gas hob. I haven't ventured out to take a pic of today's reading yet (bit rainy) but will report back once complete.

SAC2334

My colleague as a meter reader had many  jobs  replacing the 3.6 v  Lithium Thionyl Chloride batteries in the dumb prepayment meters and some were newer digital screens  and told me of instances when the new battery started increasing the index readings. One customer mentioned it was impossible to get a reading because the digital index was moving that fast.
This only happened with electronic digital screens .

So maybe all these reports of increasing meter readings the battery is the cause .especially when the meter reading increases even when the control valve is closed and no gas is flowing  .

Lithium batteries have a few rogue instances which makes them go wrong and heat is one of the main ones. The OP has a semi concealed meter set below ground level where ventilation is at a minimum.

This never happened with any analogue meters which last for 25 years with no batteries needed . 

ariarnia

does anyone know how long batteries last in smart meters on average? is it something we should be putting in the diary like checking the fire alarms each year?

Spies

ariarnia said:

does anyone know how long batteries last in smart meters on average? is it something we should be putting in the diary like checking the fire alarms each year?

You can't check them yourself, they're designed to last over 10 years.

Apparently, they send an alert to the provider when its getting low.

SAC2334

ariarnia said:

does anyone know how long batteries last in smart meters on average? is it something we should be putting in the diary like checking the fire alarms each year?

6 to 10 years in gas meters 

.They will show a display code when battery is on the way out eg F for fail with six month remaining.
 Gas smart meter should inform supplier when battery needs changing.

odd why they don t just change the battery in situ .Standard procedure is to replace the meter . I ve changed a battery in a siemens E6 and its an easy ten minute job .

[Deleted User]

SAC2334 said:

My colleague as a meter reading had many  jobs  replacing the 3.6 v  Lithium Thionyl Chloride batteries in the dumb prepayment meters and some were newer digital screens  and told me of instances when the new battery started increasing the index readings. One customer mentioned it was impossible to get a reading because the digital index was moving that fast.
This only happened with electronic digital screens .

So maybe all these reports of increasing meter readings the battery is the cause .especially when the meter reading increases even when the control valve is closed and no gas is flowing  .

Lithium batteries have a few rogue instances which makes them go wrong and heat is one of the main ones. The OP has a semi concealed meter set below ground level where ventilation is at a minimum.

This never happened with any analogue meters which last for 25 years with no batteries needed . 

I would be extremely surprised if a battery was causing anything to run faster.  This type of battery is just a primary cell - not rechargeable, little requirement for control, and with a Thionyl Chloride battery almost no voltage difference between full and empty so very little chance of drift either.

There are a wide range of lithium battery chemistries with vastly different implications - most of what you are thinking about is in li-ion rechargeables (perhaps LiPo with lithium cobalt oxide) - although you are right to say that they all 'can' go wrong.

ariarnia said:

does anyone know how long batteries last in smart meters on average? is it something we should be putting in the diary like checking the fire alarms each year?

Ten to fifteen years would often be the quoted lifetime.

[Deleted User]

GWi G4 gas meter has a ‘calculated battery life of 15 years depending on profile’. 

I believe that when a battery life alert is sent by the meter to the supplier,  it also displays as message on the IHD.

Zandoni

rjmiller said:

Well this is all very exciting. He's spoken to somebody who confirmed that it is a MAT so he's going to change the meter and leave the original regulators in place. (The regulators being what he didn't have in the van.)

I queried if these could impact the readings but he said not. Something about leaks?

I think this may be progress. If nothing else the brand spanking new smart meter should at least give me a measure of my actual usage while the original is sent for testing.

Bulb did hint that if the original is deemed to be fine they'll bring it back and reconnect it which seems a little churlish.

I can only speak how it used to be done but the original disputed meter is never returned because the official seal is removed and it’s not cost effective.