HELP!! Trying to sort my elderly mums electricity bill

CSI_Yorkshire

janejsb said:

27852 to 00224 was when OVO took over from SSE. .

Changing supplier doesn't reset the reading on the meter.  Something else has happened there and I wouldn't ignore it.

[Deleted User]

And I would NOT change the meter if you believe that there is a potential fault. The only way to check an electricity meter is for the supplier to fit a check meter alongside the existing meter.

janejsb

Thank you for that CSI_Yorkshire & Dolor, I will be calling OVO tomorrow! 

chris_n

I don't think there is a fault just the meter hasn't been read correctly. Is your mum on the priority services register with the supplier?

Robin9

Something very odd about these readings 

As she has no electric heating - does she have gas ?

Is there any chance the wrong meter has been read ?

or have you missed the decimal point ?

QrizB

Robin9 said:

Is there any chance the wrong meter has been read ?
or have you missed the decimal point ?

Photo(s) of the meter(s) would be helpful at this point.

Robin9

On the meters there will be a sticker with meter change info - dates and readings.

What are they please?

janejsb

Thank you everyone for your replies, sorry not got back sooner, had a couple of busy days & not thinking about electricity meters! I’ve attached some photos as requested. They are coming out on the 24/8 to look at the meter, do you think I should ask for a meter to work alongside this one or just get it replaced? Have to admit I’m not 100% sure that I’m reading the meter correctly as I have an old fashioned meter & im following instructions from my mum. I will look up on YouTube & will take a reading when I next go to see her.  Not sure if she’s on the Priority Services register but I’ve got to ring OVO tomorrow so I will ask them. Regarding heating she has a calor gas heater.

Thank you everyone for your kind advice & for taking the time to read my posts. I know it’s not easy when you’ve not got all the information to hand.

QrizB

OK, that's helpful.

The meter was replaced on the 12th of April 2021. The old meter read 27852 when replaced, which is what your mum's account says. Replacing the meter reset the reading to zero, it's unrelated to OVO taking over from SSE.

The first photo of 05727 is consistent with the reading on the account for 31st July.

The reading on Sunday when the dated photo was taken was 05759. This suggests your mum has used 32kWh in six days, about 5kWh per day - which seems quite normal for August.

I can't see anything obviously wrong. Is it possible that your mum genuinely used ~5000kWh in the year from 6th May 2022 to 3rd May 2023? As mentioned earlier in the thread, this would be easy in an electrically-heated property.

What sort of heating does your mum have? I don't think you've said, other than it not being electric?

We've previously had accounts of people being afraid to run their gas central heating, and instead using a plug-in electric heater thinking that will cost them less. It rarely works out that way. Is this something your mum might've done last winter, when the news was full of stories of gas being expensive?

janejsb

Thank you so much for your reply & looking at the pics for me! She has a calor gas heater for heating. She uses an electric blanket at night when it is cold. She does have an electric convector heater which she uses when the gas goes & has to wait a couple of days for my husband to go round to change it. She uses an immersion heater for hot water & she says she uses it for about an hour each day but she might be wrong there! We have worked out from June last year to June this year she was away for 4 months staying with my brother & my sister at their properties so I imagine electricity consumption in the flat would be low during that period. I have compared my electricity consumption (4 adults in a 3 bed semi) to hers over the last year & she has used about 1200 more units than me! I keep wracking my brains what it can be but I think we will have to accept that she has used this amount & pay the outstanding bill. At least I am now in the picture that the smart meter has never worked since OVO took over the account & I will be watching her meter & bills like a hawk!!!

Thank you for taking the time to reply & advise me.