Ampy 5258K electric meter fault and SSE

[pdixon]

I have a couple of questions about electricity meters, as supplied by SSE.

Mine has a fault.
The display is often blank and the meter continues to record power being used even when turned off at the main circuit breaker on the consumer unit.

I videoed it. That to me is 100% proof the meter is faulty so I reported it to the electric company.
But the electric company, after 5 weeks, have still not sent anyone out to look at it.
Co-incidentally, the meter reader came for a scheduled meter read. He saw the display on the meter was blank and also that it recorded with the power switched off.

I have 2 questions about this which I hope someone can help answer.
The meter reader said there is a battery in the meter and he'll report it so someone will come and replace the battery.
This was news to me. I know "smart" gas meters have a battery in them but non-smart electric meters?
Can anyone confirm that a standard, digital electricity meter (this one is Ampy 5258K) has a battery which needs replacing every few years?
Surely the power is 100% derived from the mains?


Second, the more important question, the electric company said that they can't come to investigate a faulty meter unless the fault continues after the power to the house is off for more than 1 hour because the meter can continue to record genuine usage for up to 30 minutes with the power off.
I told them that is nonsense but they keep repeating it.

I reckon they're confusing the actual meter with a remote display on a gas smart meter. I know remote displays update about every 30 minutes but surely the display on the meter itself must always show the actual energy consumed to date in real time? It can't continue to increase for more than a fraction of a second once the power is off?

Can anyone with a bit of knowledge of these meters tell me if I'm right or if the electric company is right?

Thanks.

 

[pdixon]

You could follow this guidance;

That's an interesting document.
It says "This will be done by an independent examiner, in the presence of an operative from your supplier."
SSE are now going to send someone out in 2 weeks time but I got the impression that it's only an SSE employee and not an independent examiner. Does this mean I'll have to prevent him from replacing the meter out unless the independent examiner is there too?

 

[pdixon]

Here's a graph of consumption over the last few years.

 

[Midwest]

Reading that document, the legislation allows for independent testing, but the norm is for the supplier to verify their device.

You could try contacting the Office for Product Safety & Standards, seek their advice;

National regulation: gas and electricity meters - https://www.gov.uk/guidance/gas-and-electricity-meter-regulations

 

[pdixon]

BTW, OP you mention main circuit breaker. Is this actually the Main Switch?

I meant the switch on the consumer unit, as shown in this picture:

 

[littlespark]

Hmm. could the solar panels be fooling the meter into still reading with the power off?
Did you try it with the PV system isolated too?

Check how the PV is connected. I saw one recently where it was connected to the supply side of the mainswitch. So technically nothing protecting the 4mm tails from there to the PV system, and no way to isolate those tails without calling in the seal fairies. Is it off its own MCB in the board?
Normally the red flashing light stays on and doesn't flash at all when the PV is feeding back into the grid (It does with my meter, but then, not the same type)

 

[pdixon]

Did you try it with the PV system isolated too?

Yes, solar on or off makes no difference to the meter still reading when the power is off. The solar is on its own circuit in the consumer unit and can be disconnected via its own circuit breaker in the consumer unit or the main solar isolator switch.
But I did notice that the meter display tends to be blank when I'm exporting solar and becomes visible when I'm importing power from the mains.

 

[Octopus]

This does sound very odd.

May be get a spark to look too.

Where are you based?

 

[StuartB3502]

To the OP - did you ever get anywhere with this? I have a similar issue with an Ampy meter. I switch off at the consumer unit, the display goes off. When I restore supply, the meter displays flashing all 8s for a few hours and then gives a reading again (which appears to pick up from where it was). I'm trying to diagnose whether it's overreading as well due to a sudden doubling of our consumption. Getting nowhere with with my supplier at the moment (gibberish) so would like to understand whether I can state that this is a faulty meter based on the behaviour for a complaint. Unfortunately Ampy no longer around of course to ask. Questions to Office for Product Safety and Standards so far unanswered.

 

[MJPD29]

I followed your advice with the lighter.
I then phoned the fire brigade to say my kitchen was on fire but they said I have to watch it for 60 minutes to make sure it really was a fire before they'd come out and investigate because, apparently, not being on fire can persist for upto 30 minutes after the flames first appear.

One of the greatest replies I have witnessed so far don't know how I missed this