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#135422 01/06/03 08:13 PM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 2
J
JonD Offline OP
Junior Member
Hi,

I have received today what i consider to be a completely OTT elecrici bill, but i would just like to get an idea of what i need to be running to get a bill over over £1100 for 8 weeks of service.

As an outline, i recently moved into a new house, a 2 bedroom terraced 10 yrs old which is identical to my old house the only difference being that i own this one [Linked Image] in the old house with the same services, gas for heating and water etc. My bill there on a card meter was approximately £10-20 per month.

However i received a bill from TXU Energi this morning which a thought may be a little high, when i moved in i took a meter reading which was 70000 approx and they sent a bill (estimated) at 71000 ish, anyway i checked the meter and the reading is 89900 which as i calculate is nearly 20000 Kw/h in 8 weeks. For the first 5 weeks of the period i didn't live here therefore only using lights (Low energy fluo's) and my trusty kettle whilst doing diy etc, the only thing i did use which i appeciate ises quite a bit of juice was a 3Kw electric radiator for a few (3-4) days in the evening to bring the heat up apart from that i used very little outside of notmal power tools.

I am certain that the amount of electric used is completely out of this world and would appreciate the input of people in the know if this is the case.

Alll i can think of is that there i a huge fault somewhere on the install here, or a faulty meter, i did have the 100A breaker (between incoming supply and meter) trip once last week, i assume this was caused by a surge and a complete loss of power for about 2 hours.

Thnks for your input.

Cheers,

Jon.

Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 8,443
Likes: 3
Member
Jon,
Welcome to ECN, mate!.
This sounds really ridiculous, I think that you either have a grossly faulty meter(your local Power company should be able to check this for you),or, the person who done the estimate has really mucked up.
One question,Jon,are you estimated power accounts, based on the usage in the same month of last year(ie: 12 months ago)?.
If so, I would personally look at what the last person who lived in the house was doing with all of the Electricity!!. [Linked Image]
An on-going electrical fault can cause the meter to spin like a Helicopter rotor, especially, where the fusing is over-rated, although the cabling is larger than what is normally required, it's a bit of a pipe-dream,but it can occur.

Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 7,520
P
Member
Hi Jon,

Welcome to ECN!

It sounds as though something is drastically wrong. 20,000 units in 8 weeks works out to an average of almost 15 units per hour. In other words, you'd have used that much power had you left a 15kW load running continuously for 8 weeks. Your 3kW heater should cost no more than 25 pence per hour to run, and that's if it's turned on full so that the thermostat never opens.

Even using very generous allowances of 8p per unit and 5 minutes boiling time at 3kW, the kettle works out to 2 pence a time. So unless you've really been overdoing the tea-drinking.... [Linked Image]

As Trumnpy has noted, there are two possibilities: Either something is terribly wrong with your wiring and is causing that much power to be drawn due to a fault, or the meter itself is faulty. I would have thought that a fault resulting in a near continuous draw of over 10kW would have made itself known by now (i.e. by starting a fire).

Have you looked at the meter when everything in the house is switched off? If the disk is still spinning round like it's getting ready to take off, then something is drawing power.

Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 8,443
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Thats a really good point, there Paul,I would say turn off the Main Switch, and see if the meter still turns, it's faulty.
It is still letting through, Electricity,
this can be caused by a shorted Potential(less likely) Coil or a shorted Current Coil,
this, is the more likely scenario, it will not be both!.
But normally a shorted Potential Coil, will blow the Mains Fuse. [Linked Image]

Joined: Aug 2001
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Another way to narrow down the problem:

If the disk is still spinning when everything in the house is switched off, try removing each fuse (or opening each circuit breaker) in turn and seeing if that stops it. When (if!) it does, you've found the circuit which is drawing the power.

You said that the place is a terraced house (row-house to left-of-ponders!). It may not be terribly likely, but I have sometimes seen wiring crossed between adjacent dwellings, i.e. there's a chance that a neighboring house has something connected into your wiring. It would be a BIG load, though! [Linked Image]

Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 8,443
Likes: 3
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Good thinking Paul,
It would not be the first time, that something like this has occured, maybe there might be a Cannabis Factory next door,don't laugh, the only way that these have been tracked down over here, is through their huge current draw on the mains.
Meter Readers, have "popped", a few of these places, with the continuously large unit readings between checks, they rang the Police, NZ$15,000 worth of Dope was found in the house, heaps of people went down over that one. [Linked Image]
Couldn't have happened to nicer people,I say, and they got all they deserved too!. [Linked Image]

Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 8,443
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Jon,
Has this matter been resolved?.
I would sooner pin my bets, on a Faulty Meter
coil.
How did it turn out?. [Linked Image]

Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 2
J
JonD Offline OP
Junior Member
Hi Guys,

Thanks for the responses, I have had a few calls with the electric provided over the last week or so re this matter and they have been really helpful, anyway it turns out that what has happened is as follows:-

1 week after i moved into the house unknown to me the electricity board (Southern Electric) came out and replaced my electric meter and never actually bothered to inform me of this fact. I had not noticed it had been replaced when i read the meter, anyway i looked in there again at the weekend and noticed a sticker on the inside of the door saying the meter has been replaced with the old and start readings, finally i get a bill for £40 so i'm happy with that.

The thing that annoys me is that they don't even let you know when they are coming to replace\have replaced the meter and explains why i had my server HDD and controller die on that day.

Overall TXU Energi i would give 10/10 for service and help, as for Southern Electric they better await the letter of complaint [Linked Image]

Am i right in thinking that the meters have to be replaced every 10 years in the UK, my neighbours have also had thirs done on the same date.

Cheers,

Jon.

Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 7,520
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So the next bill will arrive with "Fooled you" stamped across it in big red letters, then! [Linked Image] I assume that they replaced the meter with an identical model, otherwise you'd have noticed the change.

I'm not sure that there's any requirement to install newly calibrated meters every 10 years. I think it's up to the utility concerned, unless anybody knows any different.

My current meter was installed back in 1996, has a 3/94 calibration sticker on it, but was manufactured in 1978.

Joined: Jul 2002
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Jon,
That's pretty slack though, on the part of the person who replaced the meter.
I would have thought some type of written notification,in the form of a letter,mailed to your address.
This is standard practice with the Inspectors over here, it's really about Customer service at all levels.

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