Faulty Smart Electricity Meter?

Yawn

Hello everyone,

I could do with some advice. A few years ago, I was switched to a first generation smart meter - one of those that became "dumb" again after you changed supplier. So after a year of enjoying the delights of automated meter readings, I reverted to submitting readings myself again. I joined Sainsbury Energy (part of EOn) in September 2021 and was moved to the variable rate last September.

Late November I noticed that Sainsbury's stopped issuing monthly bills - at a time when it would be really good to know how much I'm spending on energy. It turned out that my "dumb" smart meter had become smart again and that the electricity meter (gas is fine) was submitting readings that were substantially *lower* than the ones I was submitting manually. (And I should say that October's reading looked really high.) They asked for photos of the meter, which I submitted and which were passed on to a specialist team. 

In January a credit appeared on my account of almost 500 pounds, backdated to September (relating to my old contract), so unusually I'm currently almost 750 pounds in credit with my energy provider. (I was away for work for three months in the spring, and for three weeks in November, so I not a high energy user.)

Since January, I have spoken to three members of their customer service team. The first did not see the problem with the meter readings and declared that the issue was resolved, which led me to ask for a refund of some of the surplus. When the refund had not arrived two weeks later, I called again. The second much more helpful person pulled the readings from the smart meter to generate a new bill, to resubmit the request. That also demonstrated that the readings Sainsbury/EOn are receiving are very different from my readings, as I could check the screen at the same time. The second agent agreed that this discrepancy was a real issue, promised to investigate and call back either the same or next day. That did not happen. 

Last week - two weeks after the phone call with agent no. 2 - I called again. I spoke to another sympathetic agent who could see that the second request for a refund was blocked, again promised to investigate and get back to me by the end of the week or early next week (today? tomorrow?). Nothing so far. 

So I'm at a complete loss as to what to do. Like everyone else, I just want to know what my usage is when electricity is so expensive. Does anyone have any advice? Calling them a fourth time seems completely senseless. Their staff seems really friendly, supportive and understanding, but it looks like their queries go to a specialist team that might have been replaced by a black hole from which no light escapes. 

Thanks!

imeach

I will ask the usual question
By 'smart meter' are you talking about the in home display or the actual smart meters on the wall probably somewhere?
And are you taking the reading you submit, from the ihd or the screen on the meter itself?

Could you tell us the make and model of the meters (the actual meters) or post a picture if you can please

macman

As above. Assuming you are reading from the meter, and not the toy IHD, what meter screen are you using?

Yawn

imeach said:

I will ask the usual question
By 'smart meter' are you talking about the in home display or the actual smart meters on the wall probably somewhere?
And are you taking the reading you submit, from the ihd or the screen on the meter itself?

Could you tell us the make and model of the meters (the actual meters) or post a picture if you can please

Thanks. The meter is a Secure Liberty 100. And yes, the meter readings I was submitting came straight from the display on the meter itself (pressing 9, which is the instruction I was given when it first became "dumb"). 

[Deleted User]

Hi,

so, what is the difference in readings, have you a few going back a bit to see if there is a trend?

Robin9

Watch out for the decimal point.

Can you post a photo of the meter read please.

Yawn

frugalmacdugal said:

Hi,

so, what is the difference in readings, have you a few going back a bit to see if there is a trend?

I'm not really comfortable posting want pictures on here, but basically my reading puts the meter in the mid 6,000 whereas Sainsbury's has me in the mid 4,000s. So quite a gap. 

[Deleted User]

Hi,

so you've been undercharged about 2000 units, best to put the money safe for when they get it sorted.

Mstty

I presume this is electrical units. If so put away £700 for then it all catches up with you unless you want to clear it all now before the potential.price rise on 1st April.

Raxiel

I have the same meter, also fitted by E.ON, went dumb when I left them and became Smart again when I joined Octopus.

Are you pressing button 9 and noting the figure that comes up after it says 'IMP KWH'?

If you press 6 a few times (or wait for it to scroll through) it should say 'IMP R01' does the number that follows that match the previous number, or the one the supplier is using? After the 'IMP R01' number it will go to 'IMP R02' is there a number other than zero there?

If it's non zero, does R01 and R02 add up to IMP KWH?

It may well continue to scroll all the way to 'IMP R15' but I'd be very surprised if R03 onwards were anything other than zero.

Yawn

Raxiel said:

I have the same meter, also fitted by E.ON, went dumb when I left them and became Smart again when I joined Octopus.

Are you pressing button 9 and noting the figure that comes up after it says 'IMP KWH'?

If you press 6 a few times (or wait for it to scroll through) it should say 'IMP R01' does the number that follows that match the previous number, or the one the supplier is using? After the 'IMP R01' number it will go to 'IMP R02' is there a number other than zero there?

If it's non zero, does R01 and R02 add up to IMP KWH?

It may well continue to scroll all the way to 'IMP R15' but I'd be very surprised if R03 onwards were anything other than zero.

Thanks. That's very helpful. Yes, it's the imp kWh that I had been submitting. I'm just off for a few days but will try the suggestion of checking R01 when I get back.

That might have been the number that Sainsbury's wanted me to take a photograph of back in December.