Impossible electricity usage

deathshadow1701

Ildhund said:

deathshadow1701 said:

"... Both the import and export/reverse energy measured by the meter are accumulated in the Total kWh register".

Can you not see the state of the different registers by repeatedly pressing the button at the top left?         

The display no longer works.

When it did work, it cycled between day-rate usage, night-rate usage, total usage, time and date. No sign of any export registers.

The ways it can be set up are "Export Energy Registration", "Reverse Energy Detection" or "Unidirectional register" so I imagine the fact it says "rEd" means it's set in the middle mode?

BarelySentientAI

deathshadow1701 said:

Ildhund said:

deathshadow1701 said:

"... Both the import and export/reverse energy measured by the meter are accumulated in the Total kWh register".

Can you not see the state of the different registers by repeatedly pressing the button at the top left?         

The display no longer works.

When it did work, it cycled between day-rate usage, night-rate usage, total usage, time and date. No sign of any export registers.

The ways it can be set up are "Export Energy Registration", "Reverse Energy Detection" or "Unidirectional register" so I imagine the fact it says "rEd" means it's set in the middle mode?

Yep, should do.

The first is for using the meter like most new smart meters work - in and out in different buckets.

The second is for use in domestic environments - where nobody used to care about export at all, or a different meter measured export.

The third is not for use domestically but is occasionally used in specialist industrial applications (sort of like a 'wear and tear' counter).  If it was set up like that, it would be a massive error on the part of the installer.

It sounds like you've just got a defective meter - a known failure mechanism of some models is to start counting fast and then the screen breaks.

deathshadow1701

BarelySentientAI said:

deathshadow1701 said:

Ildhund said:

deathshadow1701 said:

"... Both the import and export/reverse energy measured by the meter are accumulated in the Total kWh register".

Can you not see the state of the different registers by repeatedly pressing the button at the top left?         

The display no longer works.

When it did work, it cycled between day-rate usage, night-rate usage, total usage, time and date. No sign of any export registers.

The ways it can be set up are "Export Energy Registration", "Reverse Energy Detection" or "Unidirectional register" so I imagine the fact it says "rEd" means it's set in the middle mode?

Yep, should do.

The first is for using the meter like most new smart meters work - in and out in different buckets.

The second is for use in domestic environments - where nobody used to care about export at all, or a different meter measured export.

The third is not for use domestically but is occasionally used in specialist industrial applications (sort of like a 'wear and tear' counter).  If it was set up like that, it would be a massive error on the part of the installer.

It sounds like you've just got a defective meter - a known failure mechanism of some models is to start counting fast and then the screen breaks.

Thanks!

What would your advice be? Inform EDF and get them to install a smart meter? And then potentially if my supposed usage does drop significantly, try to make a claim later with video evidence that the meter was faulty for a prolonged period of time?

BarelySentientAI

Report the broken meter - it's obviously broken if the display isn't working anyway.

At the same time, complain about the estimates, and try to get them to commit to using the first X months of the replacement meter as a benchmark for what your likely usage already was.  But not 1 month just x 12 (unless it's summer).

Point out, if you like, that their licence requires them to get readings (not estimates) at least once a year and how are they possibly going to estimate correctly if they haven't done this?

They're supposed to be able to cope with exactly this benchmarking of estimates.

deathshadow1701

BarelySentientAI said:

Report the broken meter - it's obviously broken if the display isn't working anyway.

At the same time, complain about the estimates, and try to get them to commit to using the first X months of the replacement meter as a benchmark for what your likely usage already was.  But not 1 month just x 12 (unless it's summer).

Point out, if you like, that their licence requires them to get readings (not estimates) at least once a year and how are they possibly going to estimate correctly if they haven't done this?

They're supposed to be able to cope with exactly this benchmarking of estimates.

That's a brilliant idea! I'll give that a try. Thanks for all your help!

deathshadow1701

Although I guess that solution would prevent me changing to a cheaper supplier? Not the end of the world but I'll have to weigh up the pros and cons once I've got a full idea of the estimated usage vs my readings vs what the usage should be.

I've got an energy monitor plug so was thinking of leaving it for a day for each device/extension plugged into the wall, or a week for high-power infrequently used devices like the washing machine. I can't imagine the LED bulbs use enough to be significant compared to tvs, laptops, oven, hob, microwave, etc. The oven/hob will have to be guesstimated since they're hardwired. That should give me a decent idea of what the usage should be (for this time of year anyway).

Alternatively, can anyone tell me if induction-clamp energy monitors are reasonably accurate? And is there any way for them to only count import energy? I'm guessing not, mine registered about 1.8kW in the midday sun with breakers off a few days ago.