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

[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...

[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?

[Condi]

Gingerbread Man said:

oakdale said:

Do you have solar panels?

Was my first thoughts.

Nope. Just a regular 1970s semi detached house.

[Condi]

Eleven said:

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.

That page doesnt say smart meters are bad, just that they are expensive. The page agrees they can save money, and agree they can save admin costs when reading the bills. All they question is is it worth the £11bn to intall them. Certainly not an argument not to get one on an individual basis.

[Condi]

dickymint said:

That was just a quick Google for Eleven. Try searching for the alleged health risks. Personally being a so called man made global warming "denier" I have other reasons for point blank refusing to have one in my house. The main reason being the blatant intrusion on my privacy and the ability for these snoopers to access my energy usage habits - couple this to the ability to change my tariff at will any time of day.

It's a small step towards cutting off or rationing your energy usage.

Really? What a load of st. You're phone is tracked everywhere it goes, and that data is fed back to google. You pass god knows how many ANPR cameras when travelling on the motorways or into cities. Your internet usage is monitored, and the government can even access your emails and texts. There are however many hundreds of thousands of CCTV cameras in our shops and streets. And you're worried about someone knowing how much electric you use (which you then have to give them anyway at the end of the quater). Sorry, Im all for privacy laws, but there are so many bigger issues than a smart meter which doesnt tell them anything new anyway.

[Condi]

sjj84 said:

My meter is the same as that, house was built in 1993. Was told by my utility company that they change them after 25 years.

I suspect thats been there since 1970. The gas meter is equally antique.