UK Electricity meter problem

[Davephoto]

Just received a £900 electricity bill for an empty flat, the electricity is turned off at the fuse box so I checked the units on the meter. The units are going up 5 units per day, 20 units at night and 50 units stored. I have no storage heaters and I don’t have a hot water tank. I assumed when the electricity is turned off the meter should not go up, is this right?
The meter is from 2003 Horstmann radio telemeter series 2A

 

[Rockingit]

Absolutely needs checking out for a dodgy circuit or faulty meter but there’s another third option, too…. Conceivably, if an outgoing Live tail from the meter was poorly terminated and a conductor was ‘shorting’ onto the brickwork/concrete/whatever it’s not impossible that current is flowing back to the TN point - nobody would ever know as the Ra would be significant but Ohms Law remains the same.

 

[Lucien Nunes]

there’s another third option, too…. Conceivably, if an outgoing Live tail from the meter was poorly terminated and a conductor was ‘shorting’ onto the brickwork/concrete/whatever it’s not impossible that current is flowing back to the TN point

It's hard to visualise a fault of this nature using so much juice without making itself immediately apparent. If I read the post correctly the meter registers 20 units each night so the fault would have to be dissipating a few kW, which would rapidly burn out. I would think that only an actual heating appliance, or a circuit feeding someone else's property, could consistently rack up that kind of consumption.

Definitely needs expert investigation and as mentioned above, a detailed step-by-step record made and nothing changed initially. There could be financial and legal advantages to keeping all the evidence intact until any resolution with the supplier or other parties is completed.

 

[pc1966]

To be wasting 1kW would be difficult to ignore unless it was in to some buried conductor and no RCD on that circuit, then you could be seeing 4A go endlessly with little evidence other than toasted worms.

 

[mainline]

It's hard to visualise a fault of this nature using so much juice without making itself immediately apparent. If I read the post correctly the meter registers 20 units each night so the fault would have to be dissipating a few kW, which would rapidly burn out. I would think that only an actual heating appliance, or a circuit feeding someone else's property, could consistently rack up that kind of consumption.

Definitely needs expert investigation and as mentioned above, a detailed step-by-step record made and nothing changed initially. There could be financial and legal advantages to keeping all the evidence intact until any resolution with the supplier or other parties is completed.

He's also got the added benefit of posting on here.

The only logical thing is theft, probably done years ago, nobody would have noticed another added storage heater to their bill.

 

[Davephoto]

Small update, i’ve had an electrician come out to do the electric safety test and PAT test on the flat and while he was there he checked the electricity meter and confirmed that no electricity was coming out of the meter so it appears the fault is within the meter, once again I’m in the hands of SSC, still waiting for the electrician.

 

[littlespark]

OK... so you need to prove how long this has been faulty for. Have you recently bought the place, and not moved in?
Have you got previous readings that you know should be zero?

 

[brianmoooore]

Wouldn't happen with an old style analogue meter with clock dials. So much for progress.

 

[pc1966]

That is a good start, but did they see the meter incrementing (i.e. flashing) while no power on the tails? Just in case it is an intermittent load (or someone knows they are being investigated!)

 

[Davephoto]

All I can say is the council come round to check the flat was empty so I could get vacant occupancy on the council tax 3 months ago, plus the lettings agent has also seen it vacant and the electrician said he would put in writing that no electricity was coming from the tails. As a side note the consumer unit had to be changed yesterday to a new unit to comply with the latest regs, I checked after the unit was changed 12 hours later and still the meter is going up.

 

[pc1966]

All I can say is the council come round to check the flat was empty so I could get vacant occupancy on the council tax 3 months ago, plus the lettings agent has also seen it vacant and the electrician said he would put in writing that no electricity was coming from the tails. As a side note the consumer unit had to be changed yesterday to a new unit to comply with the latest regs, I checked after the unit was changed 12 hours later and still the meter is going up.

OK that point to either a faulty meter or someone has very cleverly tapped in to the meter output tails.

Definitely time to get the supplier out to check/replace the meter.

 

[Swift2020]

1- make sure your reading the correct meter, don't always trust the labelling if its in a meter cupboard / room.
2- make sure you've isolated everything
3- check yourself of somebody qualified to make sure someone isn't tapping off your supply in the cupboard.
4- contact supplier & explain the situation.

 

[Davephoto]

1- make sure your reading the correct meter, don't always trust the labelling if its in a meter cupboard / room.
2- make sure you've isolated everything
3- check yourself of somebody qualified to make sure someone isn't tapping off your supply in the cupboard.
4- contact supplier & explain the situation.

It’s the correct meter, new consumer unit installed from the tails off of the meter.
Everything is turned off in the flat and off in the fuse box.
No power coming out of the tails at the fuse box or meter.
Contacted supplier (SSC) via email and phone every other day for 10 days and the same response is we will be in contact to check the meter.
Edit: just had an email from the supplier wanting more details, first response from them, let’s hope the wheels of progress have started turning. I’ll keep you all informed in the hope it will help others.

 

[LukeD]

tapping into the tails would be easy to notice ?? I would still pull the main fuse

 

[brianmoooore]

How was the power isolated while the CU was being changed?

 

[littlespark]

How was the power isolated while the CU was being changed?

Good point.
The supplier could turn up and find the seals cut off.

Ive known old mechanical disc meters going faulty. Tipping them on their side could slow them down......