Reading the electric meter

[Condi]

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]

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]

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]

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]

[TheHound]

I think you need a new meter

[oakdale]

Do you have solar panels?

[Condi]

TheHound said:

I think you need a new meter

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]

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]

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

[Eleven]

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]

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]

oakdale said:

Do you have solar panels?

Was my first thoughts.

[Condi]

Gingerbread Man said:

oakdale said:

Do you have solar panels?

Was my first thoughts.

Nope. Just a regular 1970s semi detached house.

[Hoover.]

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]

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]

65804

[dickymint]

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]

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]

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.