Electricity Meter Readings

Onetime_2

Using the old style meter here. I am trying to work out how you can tell if the meter has clocked round, which I assume it does? Just taken a reading after my last one about a year ago and it is way of the estimated one, but maybe mine has clocked round or they are assuming it has?

Any help you can give would be most welcome, thanks in advance!

[Deleted User]

Yes, analogue meters do go through 99999 to 00000 and onwards.

Giving a meter reading once a year is inevitably going to give you this type of problem. What was the meter reading on your last statement? I assume that it is annotated with 'E' for estimated. What is your meter index reading now?

[Deleted User]

Hi,

if a 5 dial meter suppose last reading was 99800 and reading now is 00600, if you add a 1 making 100600 usage is 800 units,  100600 minus 99800.

[Deleted User]

frugalmacdugal said:

Hi,

if a 5 dial meter suppose last reading was 99800 and reading now is 00600, if you add a 1 making 100600 usage is 800 units,  100600 minus 99800.

That is how you work out the number of units used, but the supplier will be expecting a reading of 00060 NOT 100600. 

I am just trying to avoid a potential pitfall: that is, the consumer provides a reading of 100600 and the supplier assumes the reading provided should have been 10060.*

*Murphy’s Law.

Onetime_2

From now on I will do half yearly readings, I think my last was from Nov last year.

Their last estimate is Oct 2022. They have Day 21450 Night 85314, I have L 66351, H 21722. Only me here so I know I have not used much more or less than usual.

rp1974

Unless there's any particular problem in providing meter readings for whatever reason OP you might consider monthly readings as then any problems would become immediately apparent instead of 3,6,12 months later.
Fell foul of inconsistent reading provisions when sorting out my late mothers estate,nightmare to sort out,although having said that it's likely as much to do with the supplier being Scottish Power and their generally unhelpful attitude.

[Deleted User]

Hi,

think you'd be better taking monthly readings, then you can spot any oddity in usage.

You should send to supplier monthly even if they only bill 3/6 monthly.

Onetime_2

Sounds like a good idea, in the time I have taken to look into this so far, I could have taken ten readings! I may have mixed the two numbers up when reading, will check that and post later.

Robin9

and keep one of Frugal's wee spreadsheets

Onetime_2

Yes, I got the numbers mixed up which can happen when you only take the reading once a year! They are very close on my normal/day, but quite over on my low/economy 7 so punching that in. Thanks for your time guys, it gave me the pause I needed to work out where I had gone wrong.

matelodave

If you take a reading every month, send it in every month and check your on line account every month then it will take you around 5-10 minutes and you'll only be arounf one month out if there's a problem.

Leaving it for six months and then trying to pick the bones out of it, especially if there have been any tariff adjustments in the intervening period will be a nightmare and take you much more time and stress.

TBH leaving it for a year is just plain negligence, especially as there could have been at least three tariff changes in the last 12 months and you may well have had estimates based on the more expensive rates. They will just guess your consumption and its not likely that it will be in your favour because they don't have a clue about your consumption so it's likely that this could have cost you a lot of money