Is my meter running fast?

[bellissimo]

Do the numbers still advance?

(I think those meters have a resolution of 0.01 kWh, so the least significant digit should advance after 10 flashes.)

Also in other threads, some have claimed that that LED flashes to indicate that the power is connected even when there is no load. That isn't how I recall that they worked, but there could be more than one sort of meter.

If you can actually see the numbers advancing when the switch is off, then I suggest that you take a video of it (just in case it fixes itself!) and report it to your supplier.

The numbers only go up per kWh unfortunately, so it is not practical to switch off the mains for long enough to find out

According to the manual, the LED should actually stay on all the time if there is no load. If it is still flashing then this should indicate that watts are still being used.

I will try to take a photo and a video.

 

[bellissimo]

compare your weekly/daily consumption with a period before you think its gone wrong then look at whats changed as in estimate to actual reading
increased unit costs or new electric toys or other changes that could account for the changes

I think it has probably been wrong since we moved in a couple of years ago. I just put the high bills down to the slightly bigger house and energy price increases. We are using about 25kWh per day according to the meter. This is for a 2 bed semi with 2 people living in it. I may expect us to be slightly higher than average in consumption, but not that much. The energy monitor has us at about 13kWh per day, which seems about what I would expect.

 

[bellissimo]

Picture of the meter and the consumer unit above

Untitled

• bellissimo
• 5 Jun 2014
• 1

 

[JohnW2]

Picture of the meter and the consumer unit above

Thanks. That certainly confirms what you said, namely that the CU is the only thing connected to the meter - so, with the CU Main Switch Off, you definitely will not be using any electricity at all.

If the manual definitely says that the light only flashes when electricity is being used, and if it definitely is flashing ~5/minute with your CU's Main Switch Off, then I would have thought that the time has probably come to 'report' the problem. As others have said, first make sure of a video which shows, simultaneously, the Main Switch off and the light flashing.

Kind Regards, John

 

[winston1]

Picture of the meter and the consumer unit above

Thanks. That certainly confirms what you said, namely that the CU is the only thing connected to the meter - so, with the CU Main Switch Off, you definitely will not be using any electricity at all.

If the manual definitely says that the light only flashes when electricity is being used, and if it definitely is flashing ~5/minute with your CU's Main Switch Off, then I would have thought that the time has probably come to 'report' the problem. As others have said, first make sure of a video which shows, simultaneously, the Main Switch off and the light flashing.

Kind Regards, John

Remote I know but something could be connected inside the CU on the "wrong" side of the main switch. Only opening it up would show.

 

[bellissimo]

Thanks for the responses.

I did consider that there may be something fishy going on in the consumer unit, but I would not be comfortable taking that to bits so I think John is right and it is time to get a professional to take a look.

 

[JohnW2]

Remote I know but something could be connected inside the CU on the "wrong" side of the main switch. Only opening it up would show.

I suppose that nothing is impossible, but I think that really is 'scraping the barrel'!

Kind Regards, John

 

[JohnW2]

The numbers only go up per kWh unfortunately, so it is not practical to switch off the mains for long enough to find out.

That rather surprises me. However, at 5 flashes/min, that's only about 3.3 hours for a kWh. Could you not leave the main switch off whilst you were 'out for the day' (your fridge/freezer contents would come to no harm in a few hours)?

KInd Regards, John

 

[ekmdgrf]

There is a digital readout on the meter. I think this might be a better way to measure consumption than trying to count a flashing light.

 

[JohnW2]

There is a digital readout on the meter. I think this might be a better way to measure consumption than trying to count a flashing light.

Sure - that was the point of what I just wrote. However, if it really is true that the resolution of the readout is only 1 kWh, as the OP says, he would have to turn off his CU for a good few hours to see if the readout is advancing, as well as the light flashing at ~5/min, when no power is being used.

Kind Regards, John

 

[bellissimo]

Yeah, I was thinking about the freezer goods spoiling, but reading the freezer manual it says it should be good for 24 hours.

I think I will try turning the consumer unit off at night, then checking the reading in the morning. That should be about 8 hours, which will be good enough for a couple of kWh to tick over, assuming the theory holds out...

 

[ekmdgrf]

Hope you have a wind-up alarm clock?

 

[bellissimo]

Reckon the trusty mobile phone alarm can make it till morning if its fully charged

 

[JohnW2]

Yeah, I was thinking about the freezer goods spoiling, but reading the freezer manual it says it should be good for 24 hours. ... I think I will try turning the consumer unit off at night, then checking the reading in the morning. That should be about 8 hours, which will be good enough for a couple of kWh to tick over, assuming the theory holds out...

Indeed. Provided it remains closed, the stuff in your freezer will be fine for at least 24 hours, probably a lot longer.

Kind Regards, John

 

[ekmdgrf]

If it's a -80 freezer, it should last even longer still.