Reading the electric meter

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Discussion

Condi

Original Poster:

17,089 posts

170 months

Saturday 31st January 2015
quotequote all
Sounds daft, but can a electric meter go backwards? Ive read it twice before, and reading it this time I cant get near to the reading I had last time, let alone any new electric Ive used. Apparently it read 74796 last time, this time I make it 65794!!

Either that or could someone tell me what this says!



Edited by Condi on Saturday 31st January 22:29


Edited by Condi on Saturday 31st January 22:31

Sheepshanks

32,530 posts

118 months

Saturday 31st January 2015
quotequote all
Condi said:
this time I make it 65794!!
I got that too (before I saw you added the figures).

I don't know how it can have started with 7 before - have you paid a bill based on that? If it was that far out the bill would have been immense.

Brite spark

2,052 posts

200 months

Saturday 31st January 2015
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Either Leave it an hour and then read again to see if it is going up or down or watch the dials turn and see if they are going up.

Meters can be made to run backwards to steal electricity, is this a hp house you have recently moved into

Condi

Original Poster:

17,089 posts

170 months

Saturday 31st January 2015
quotequote all
Sheepshanks said:
I got that too (before I saw you added the figures).

I don't know how it can have started with 7 before - have you paid a bill based on that? If it was that far out the bill would have been immense.
I read it when I moved in, and that started with a 7, then I submitted a reading 3 months ago, and Im sure that started with a 7 too! Now it starts with a 6...

Wacky Racer

38,099 posts

246 months

Saturday 31st January 2015
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TheHound

1,759 posts

121 months

Saturday 31st January 2015
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I think you need a new meter biggrin

oakdale

1,786 posts

201 months

Saturday 31st January 2015
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Do you have solar panels?

Condi

Original Poster:

17,089 posts

170 months

Saturday 31st January 2015
quotequote all
TheHound said:
I think you need a new meter biggrin
I agree. A smart one which never needs reading. I now also need to have a difficult conversation with the energy company!

The dial on the meter runs the right way, so I dont think the meter is running backwards generally?

Dogwatch

6,222 posts

221 months

Saturday 31st January 2015
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65794

I'm with First Utility and get a reminder each month to submit both leccy and gas readings. Luckily the meters are modern (not smart thank goodness) and have digits rather than dials but it's still a PITA.

stevensdrs

3,208 posts

199 months

Saturday 31st January 2015
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That's an antique. Can't believe the supplying company have not changed that meter for a digital one.

Eleven

26,271 posts

221 months

Saturday 31st January 2015
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Dogwatch said:
65794

I'm with First Utility and get a reminder each month to submit both leccy and gas readings. Luckily the meters are modern (not smart thank goodness) and have digits rather than dials but it's still a PITA.
Why is smart bad?

Sheepshanks

32,530 posts

118 months

Saturday 31st January 2015
quotequote all
Condi said:
I read it when I moved in, and that started with a 7, then I submitted a reading 3 months ago, and Im sure that started with a 7 too! Now it starts with a 6...
If you've had bills, or do it online, you should be able to see the history of the readings.

You could always ask the utility company to look at the previous occupier's final reading. I think if you just submit the lower one then it'll be automatically rejected.

Gingerbread Man

9,171 posts

212 months

Saturday 31st January 2015
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oakdale said:
Do you have solar panels?
Was my first thoughts.

Condi

Original Poster:

17,089 posts

170 months

Saturday 31st January 2015
quotequote all
Gingerbread Man said:
oakdale said:
Do you have solar panels?
Was my first thoughts.
Nope. Just a regular 1970s semi detached house. smile

Hoover.

5,988 posts

241 months

Sunday 1st February 2015
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stevensdrs said:
That's an antique. Can't believe the supplying company have not changed that meter for a digital one.
That meter is the same as my two, I keep getting notices that they want to change my meters BUT they are not very flexible on the times they want to do it, and being self employed I ain't loosing revenue for them

Gingerbread Man

9,171 posts

212 months

Sunday 1st February 2015
quotequote all
Hoover. said:
That meter is the same as my two, I keep getting notices that they want to change my meters BUT they are not very flexible on the times they want to do it, and being self employed I ain't loosing revenue for them
I took half a day off. They never came.

Paul Drawmer

4,864 posts

266 months

Sunday 1st February 2015
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65804

dickymint

24,097 posts

257 months

Sunday 1st February 2015
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Eleven said:
Dogwatch said:
65794

I'm with First Utility and get a reminder each month to submit both leccy and gas readings. Luckily the meters are modern (not smart thank goodness) and have digits rather than dials but it's still a PITA.
Why is smart bad?
http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2012-12/21/smart-meters

marksx

5,052 posts

189 months

Sunday 1st February 2015
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Our meter is the same as that. We moved in not long ago, and the opening reading taken by whoever was wrong. Therefore the readings I am submitting are invalid, and they are estimating my usage. An estimate which happens to be over 2x what I am actually using. Despite dated photograph evidence from when we moved in of the meter, and now three correct readings, I have to provide another 2, seven days apart for them to consider re billing. Fascists.

Eleven

26,271 posts

221 months

Sunday 1st February 2015
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dickymint said:
Eleven said:
Dogwatch said:
65794

I'm with First Utility and get a reminder each month to submit both leccy and gas readings. Luckily the meters are modern (not smart thank goodness) and have digits rather than dials but it's still a PITA.
Why is smart bad?
http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2012-12/21/smart-meters
Thanks. We have a number of properties with meters in the cellar, so they don't get read sometimes. We'd intended to look at smart meters later this year.

Smart seemed to be a way of avoiding estimated bills, which cause a lot of administrative grief - especially when the energy company wants to increase DD payments on the strength of a clearly loopy estimate.