Help needed; smart meter malfunction resulting in shock bill
Cindyeliza
Posts: 3 Newbie
in Energy
Hi everyone!
First time posting and hoping someone can help! Sorry if I’m doing it in the wrong place etc...
So I’ve been with EDF for just over 2 years and we got a smart meter installed in November 2017. When we got the meter installed we got told it was working fine and all our readings will be taken automatically from then on forward. Skipping ahead to March I get a bill for my electricity but not my gas usage. So I contact them to be told I haven’t provided a meter reading... I explain that it should already be done but they say they’re not getting anything on there end! So I provide a meter reading manually which results in a bill of nearly £400!! I should add that in these 5 months my smart meter has to me been working fine! It’s been showing me my daily gas usuage and I’ve been completely within my payment and none the wiser I was putting myself in debt otherwise I would have upped my Direct Debit amount!! I have even offered to take a picture of the smart meter to prove that it’s given me false information, as it’s saying I’m using £3 a day max for gas but they don’t want it.
Obviously I’m furious and have raised a complaint but I have no been told the most they can offer me is £50 credit... which to me is not good enough at all!! I’m planning on taking it further, however I want to know is it worth it? Where do I stand in this situation?
Their argument is that sometimes the signal doesn’t work and the smart meter isn’t always correct, and that is in the t&c’s but surely if I’ve been told for 5 months that I’m within my usuage and had no contact from them to say they were unable to take the reading then they have caused me to be in this situation? I have to also add that this has happened at the worst possible time of year as it was during the “beast from the east” where it was -7 here!! They have also offered me a payment plan but I really don’t want that, I don’t see how this is my fault?
Someone please help and tell me if I’m wrong? I’m actually scared to put my heating on!
Thank you!!
First time posting and hoping someone can help! Sorry if I’m doing it in the wrong place etc...
So I’ve been with EDF for just over 2 years and we got a smart meter installed in November 2017. When we got the meter installed we got told it was working fine and all our readings will be taken automatically from then on forward. Skipping ahead to March I get a bill for my electricity but not my gas usage. So I contact them to be told I haven’t provided a meter reading... I explain that it should already be done but they say they’re not getting anything on there end! So I provide a meter reading manually which results in a bill of nearly £400!! I should add that in these 5 months my smart meter has to me been working fine! It’s been showing me my daily gas usuage and I’ve been completely within my payment and none the wiser I was putting myself in debt otherwise I would have upped my Direct Debit amount!! I have even offered to take a picture of the smart meter to prove that it’s given me false information, as it’s saying I’m using £3 a day max for gas but they don’t want it.
Obviously I’m furious and have raised a complaint but I have no been told the most they can offer me is £50 credit... which to me is not good enough at all!! I’m planning on taking it further, however I want to know is it worth it? Where do I stand in this situation?
Their argument is that sometimes the signal doesn’t work and the smart meter isn’t always correct, and that is in the t&c’s but surely if I’ve been told for 5 months that I’m within my usuage and had no contact from them to say they were unable to take the reading then they have caused me to be in this situation? I have to also add that this has happened at the worst possible time of year as it was during the “beast from the east” where it was -7 here!! They have also offered me a payment plan but I really don’t want that, I don’t see how this is my fault?
Someone please help and tell me if I’m wrong? I’m actually scared to put my heating on!
Thank you!!
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Comments
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£3 a day gas usage in winter seems a bit low, your "Smart Meter" is this your In House display? They can be faulty in showing consumption0
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With my heating on 24/7 the maximum I have used in one day is 110 kWh which comes in at £2.65.trickytree1963 wrote: »£3 a day gas usage in winter seems a bit low
OP, when you checked your account every month to see how it was sitting what did it show ?0 -
On the smart meter it showed £39.00. I didn!!!8217;t check the actual gas meter as i thought the smart meter was working fine and I had no contact from edf for 5 months the say otherwise however they say !!!8220;well they don!!!8217;t always work properly and we wouldn!!!8217;t contact you to say it!!!8217;s not!!!8221; but my point is that it has been showing usage, it!!!8217;s not like it has been showing non at all so I thought obviously everything was fine.0
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Did you give them the reading from your smart meter in m3 or kWh as both are given on the meter and it might be you gave them the kWh figure and theyve entered the figure as m3 then converted it? (Seen this happen before , inflastes your bill by x11!!0
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No I gave them a reading from the actual gas meter, the smart meter is dramatic lower than the outside meter0
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Can you please stop referring to the £5 freebie gimmick, the In House Display as a "meter ". The one thing it surely is nt is a "meter "it is an energy monitor. A meter is a measuring device.Cindyeliza wrote: »No I gave them a reading from the actual gas meter, the smart meter is dramatic lower than the outside meter
Unplug the thing and chuck it in bin/cupboard and forget about it.
That is what most people do.
sounds like your actual "smart " meter is now relegated to just being a normal "dumb " meter and lost its connection with the server.
You will find that most of the posters on here would nt have a "smart " meter until they are properly "smart ". That is when they work with all the suppliers. At the moment they become dumb the instant someone switches suppliers0 -
Cindyeliza wrote: »Hi everyone!
First time posting and hoping someone can help! Sorry if I!!!8217;m doing it in the wrong place etc...
So I!!!8217;ve been with EDF for just over 2 years and we got a smart meter installed in November 2017. When we got the meter installed we got told it was working fine and all our readings will be taken automatically from then on forward. Skipping ahead to March I get a bill for my electricity but not my gas usage. So I contact them to be told I haven!!!8217;t provided a meter reading... I explain that it should already be done but they say they!!!8217;re not getting anything on there end! So I provide a meter reading manually which results in a bill of nearly £400!! I should add that in these 5 months my smart meter has to me been working fine! It!!!8217;s been showing me my daily gas usuage and I!!!8217;ve been completely within my payment and none the wiser I was putting myself in debt otherwise I would have upped my Direct Debit amount!! I have even offered to take a picture of the smart meter to prove that it!!!8217;s given me false information, as it!!!8217;s saying I!!!8217;m using £3 a day max for gas but they don!!!8217;t want it.
Obviously I!!!8217;m furious and have raised a complaint but I have no been told the most they can offer me is £50 credit... which to me is not good enough at all!! I!!!8217;m planning on taking it further, however I want to know is it worth it? Where do I stand in this situation?
Their argument is that sometimes the signal doesn!!!8217;t work and the smart meter isn!!!8217;t always correct, and that is in the t&c!!!8217;s but surely if I!!!8217;ve been told for 5 months that I!!!8217;m within my usuage and had no contact from them to say they were unable to take the reading then they have caused me to be in this situation? I have to also add that this has happened at the worst possible time of year as it was during the !!!8220;beast from the east!!!8221; where it was -7 here!! They have also offered me a payment plan but I really don!!!8217;t want that, I don!!!8217;t see how this is my fault?
Someone please help and tell me if I!!!8217;m wrong? I!!!8217;m actually scared to put my heating on!
Thank you!!
If the bill is correct (based on usage & tariff), then I'm afraid you probably owe the money.
I'm surprised the supplier has sent a bill at all, rather than simply amended your monthly DD (if appropriate)
however, I see you have since been offered this option, but have rejected it.
I'm not sure what you are expecting the supplier to do ...
On a positive side, possibly 24 degrees next week, so you shouldn't need any heating
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House_Martin wrote: »Can you please stop referring to the £5 freebie gimmick, the In House Display as a "meter ". The one thing it surely is nt is a "meter "it is an energy monitor. A meter is a measuring device.
Unplug the thing and chuck it in bin/cupboard and forget about it.
That is what most people do.
sounds like your actual "smart " meter is now relegated to just being a normal "dumb " meter and lost its connection with the server.
You will find that most of the posters on here would nt have a "smart " meter until they are properly "smart ". That is when they work with all the suppliers. At the moment they become dumb the instant someone switches suppliers
I agree 100% - throw the In House Display TOY away - it wont help you save energy.
Get into the habit of reading your meter at least monthly and compare it with the bill online.Never pay on an estimated bill0 -
Cindyeliza wrote: »No I gave them a reading from the actual gas meter, the smart meter is dramatic lower than the outside meter
That doesn't answer the question that was asked. The smart meter (not the indoor gimmic) shows a reading in BOTH volume & kWh. The supplier needs the reading from the volume screen. If you have provided the (higher) kWh reading then you will be billed an awful lot more than you should be.0 -
Can you identify the make and model number of the meter please - as Andy has said there may be a meter reading issue.
My own meter has a simple button press to give a reading in m3. My MIL has a keypad arrangement and needs number 9 to be pressed.Never pay on an estimated bill0
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