Certification period of electric meter

You need to check the list of meters on 'Schedule 4' to see how long your certified period is, you can google for this. On the seal it should be stamped the date it was initially certified. If the meter is outside the certified life they can't charge you.

Hi,


Sorry for resurrecting the zombie thread.
My meter is of the type: C11B2A-R
It has a sticker on it saying "test 03/98", i.e. not certified but tested.

I see from Schedule 4 that it was certified for 25 years prior to the change in law in 1998.
But it would be 25 years from when it was first installed, is that correct? If so how can I find the date of installation? I tried to examine the seals but they were tiny and very hard to read: "PCS", "614", "614" and ?

Thanks in advance,

Dan

AFAIK a supplier can decide to change the meter when ever he wants to. Generally sometime before the certification period expires. he doesn't actually have to wait until it's reached the end of it life.

I'm not even sure that he really has to give a reason for changing it either. It's his meter and therefore subject to his own processes and procedures.

I guess that a new supplier can insist on a new meter even if the existing one is only a year or two old especially if his systems wont work satisfactorily with the existing meter.

As others have said, you don't have to have a smart meter but by refusing one you will probably be excluded from a certain deals and tariffs and and at some point will no doubt have to pay extra for the additional cost of processing your bills.

I would think that there are very few conventional meters being installed anymore and that any replacement meters will be of the smart variety but just operated in a dumb mode until legislation changes and the smart functionality has to be activated.

daniboy123 wrote: »

Hi guys and thanks for the replies!


I just got a response from my current provider from querying the meters installation date:


"[FONT=&quot]I have just checked the national database for you an your electricity meter was installed on the 28th April 1999, the installing supplier at the time was npower. I've double check the meter serial number on our database matches that in the photos provided previously (K87G33962A)."[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Presumably the test date was at the factory? Either way both the test date and installation date are AFTER the change in the law in 1/8/1998 and according to that legislation the meter is only certified for 15 years, i.e. up to 28/04/14. So does that mean I can ask them to refund me what I have paid since I moved in?[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Cheers,[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
Dan
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]

Highly unlikely but be prepared for them to come scuttling round to change it for a nice shiny smart one in the not too distant future

So the reply from GCMatthews2000 should be taken with a large pinch of salt then?:
"You need to check the list of meters on 'Schedule 4' to see how long your certified period is, you can google for this. On the seal it should be stamped the date it was initially certified. If the meter is outside the certified life they can't charge you."


So what is the point of the certification period if they are just going to carry on billing you as if the meter was still within the allowed accuracy specification? According to various studies in the UK hundreds of thousands of meters are estimated to be inaccurate outside of accepted tolerances. But of course with the threat of a 150 quid charge if a meter is proven to be accurate, who would bother to have theirs checked?


I have posted on here as I suspect that my meter is inaccurate. My supplier was estimating 35-45 quid/month for one person two bed duplex with electric radiators which are set low (on just for 3 hours per day over winter) plus economy 7 inmersion water heater, and occasional oven, and when I gave them my first reading since I moved in, they calculated for 6 months an average of 90 quid per month. Their kWh rates are some of the lowest on the market.
???