Is my electric Economy 7 meter faulty?

sandydog_2 · 17 February 2018 at 3:15PM

I send in readings mostly every month. I've just been in touch with First Utility who I've been with for about 4 years until now but prior to that I was with EDF. I'm upset to think I've been an idiot paying double for years if that's the case. I'll try to post pics later.

D_M_E · 17 February 2018 at 3:24PM

It could be a meter that was once a dual rate meter and which has been converted to a single rate one.

I suspect that, as both readings have advanced by 4, one of them is the old total reading.

Is there a button which, when pressed, cycles through a number of readings?

Do either or both readings have a little number or symbol next to them?

Have you checked that the meter serial number is the same on both bill and meter?

Do you supply BOTH READINGS - THIS IS IMPORTANT - to your supplier?

If it turms out that your meter is actually a single rate one and you have been supplying both readings then you should raise a complaint and should get a refund of all payments made with respect to the "ghost" second readings supplied or taken.

sandydog_2 · 17 February 2018 at 5:04PM

There's no buttons - it's that old!

Yes, I submit both readings. First Utility are going to get the meter team onto it.

House_Martin · 17 February 2018 at 6:12PM

Many of these sorts of meters have been converted to single rate rather than installing a new meter.Normally the meter fitter will stick a piece of black tape over the low rate so as not to confuse and to specify only the normal rate would be needed.The Radio Teleswitch would also be disconnected because its not needed. It would nt matter if the low rate advanced because it would never be needed from the date it was converted to a single rate
If you are sure you have a economy 7 tariff in force and a being billed Eco 7 and not a single rate tariff then you re correct in that you have a very odd meter with both registers advancing at the same time on an Eco7 tariff.
Suppliers will err on the customers side with mistakes like this, you won`t lose out I m sure

sandydog_2 · 17 February 2018 at 6:47PM

House_Martin wrote: »

Many of these sorts of meters have been converted to single rate rather than installing a new meter.Normally the meter fitter will stick a piece of black tape over the low rate so as not to confuse and to specify only the normal rate would be needed.The Radio Teleswitch would also be disconnected because its not needed. It would nt matter if the low rate advanced because it would never be needed from the date it was converted to a single rate
If you are sure you have a economy 7 tariff in force and a being billed Eco 7 and not a single rate tariff then you re correct in that you have a very odd meter with both registers advancing at the same time on an Eco7 tariff.
Suppliers will err on the customers side with mistakes like this, you won`t lose out I m sure

I wouldn't have had a clue about this meter being converted, and I couldn't even tell you when it would have been done.

I've gone back over my First Utility bills, and from the first ever to the last, the low usage has been 6926 and the normal has been 6114. So either it's been converted and I've paid twice for electricity, or the meter is at fault.

I wonder how far back I can go with a claim?! :embarasse

matt.theshepherd · 22 October 2018 at 4:56PM

Hi Sandydog,

I think we're having similar issues. We have an old eco7 meter and have been giving 2 meter readings to the energy company that has resulted in twice the average monthly bills, since we got our own energy monitor we've only just noticed something's quite not right.......after 2 years!!

Did you manage to figure out exactly what the problem was? and did you get a refund?

Thanks
Matt

Is my electric Economy 7 meter faulty?

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