"Phantom" Overnight Smart Meter Gas Readings

MeteredOut

I had my smart meters installed on 7/12 and I've been looking at the readings.

Since Thursday 14/12, and every night since, two "phantom" entries are appearing in the gas readings, either between 00:00 and 00:30 or 00:30 and 01:00 and between 02:30 and 03:00 or 03:00 and 03:30, always for the same amount, 0.15kWh.

I've double checked, and my boiler heating is time to be off overnight (from 10pm to 4am) and we've had no call for hot water during those times. The boiler in eco mode so no pre-heating of water takes place, and it's frost protection mode kicks in at 4C; our temperatures have not been that low. The boiler is Greenstar 42CDi Classic. There are no other gas appliances on during those hours.

I'm seeing the same 0.15kWh readings via all the different apps (Hugh, Loop, Bright) and on the EDF Energy Hub website.

I very much doubt its an issue with the meter, and its only a penny or so cost each time, but am just interested to see whether anyone has any ideas why I'm seeing this? Aside from the frost protection (which should not be kicking in), does the boiler also have an regular activity to keep it ticking over?

JSHarris

Might this just be a normal meter error due to the allowed accuracy tolerance, perhaps?   Off the top of my head I think gas meters have to read within either 1.5% or 3% of the true gas volume that passes through them (depends on volume flow rate), plus they now do an internal calculation, using the local value of the energy content of the gas so they can report in kWh, rather than cubic feet or cubic metres as older meters used to do.  There might be some sort of quirk as a consequence of the meter doing a retrospective kWh calculation after gas has stopped flowing. perhaps.

Gerry1

Does the volume reading (m³) shown by the meter on the wall also increase? Switch the gas supply off overnight using the lever or knob next to the meter.  If the m³ usage increases then the meter is faulty.

mmmmikey

Just a thought - could this be something to do with converting m3 to kWh - maybe a correction or something?

MeteredOut

Thanks all, I did wonder if it was some sort of internal reconciliation. I very much doubt its the meter (its new) but I'll find time to turn switch both the gas to the meter, and the boiler, independent of each other, and see the results. I've not checked if the actual meter increases as that means i'd have to wait up until potentially 1am watching it.

tlcgrantham

It could be the standing charge. My gas smart meter adds 15p just after midnight.

MeteredOut

tlcgrantham said:

It could be the standing charge. My gas smart meter adds 15p just after midnight.

I doubt the standing charge is being recorded as 2 x 0.15kWh usages per night

FreeBear

MeteredOut said:

tlcgrantham said:

It could be the standing charge. My gas smart meter adds 15p just after midnight.

I doubt the standing charge is being recorded as 2 x 0.15kWh usages per night

If it were the standing charge, it would more likely to be ~2KWh.

MeteredOut

FreeBear said:

MeteredOut said:

tlcgrantham said:

It could be the standing charge. My gas smart meter adds 15p just after midnight.

I doubt the standing charge is being recorded as 2 x 0.15kWh usages per night

If it were the standing charge, it would more likely to be ~2KWh.

..and wouldn't be recorded as a kWh usage.

JohnSwift10

Does someone get up during the night to use the toilet and wash their hands by turning on the hot tap even if no hot water comes out because it is a combi?

My meter records anything between 0.056 and 0.028 M3 during the night when someone gets up during the night to use the toilet.

JSHarris

JohnSwift10 said:

Does someone get up during the night to use the toilet and wash their hands by turning on the hot tap even if no hot water comes out because it is a combi?

My meter records anything between 0.056 and 0.028 M3 during the night when someone gets up during the night to use the toilet.

That was a pet grip of mine at our last house, hearing the combi boiler fire up in the night because my wife had run the hot tap for ten seconds!