Smart meter

[sprky78]

Hi,

I recently just bought a new build home from Cala homes. Regarding the handover electric meter reading, instead of taking the smart meter reading using the figures on the lcd screen, or following the British Gas website instructions for taking a smart meter reading "total import". Cala sales staff have skipped through the meter options and have taken the reading marked "total sum" which was 3x higher than the reading on the front screen?
The house has Solar PV panels. Can anyone tell me what the "total sum" reading represents?
Cala refuse to follow Online British gas instruction, claiming they are instructed to take this "total sum" reading

Any info on this "total sum" reading would be appreciated

 

[littlespark]

Not entirely sure but if they read the higher amount, won’t that mean they’re paying more than they need to? Thus, you pay less

 

[sprky78]

Not entirely sure but if they read the higher amount, won’t that mean they’re paying more than they need to? Thus, you pay less

Yea I reckon so, but problem was when I gave true readings after a few weeks BG flagged up something was wrong. Cala refuse to admit they took the wrong reading to begin with

 

[James]

what were the 2 readings?

it might be you are arguing over £5 or £500
it might make a difference to how hard you push for what you believe it should be?

 

[sprky78]

what were the 2 readings?

it might be you are arguing over £5 or £500
it might make a difference to how hard you push for what you believe it should be?

The reading they took at handover was 323, I was too distracted by everything else on moving day to verify their reading, the reading I took 5 weeks later, from the meter without sifting through menus as per BG advice, was 279, hence the red flags from BG. But Cala admit they recorded the "total sum" reading. I'm just in a position now where I want to carry on submitting the true readings but I need a concrete arguement against this Cala sales person.
Reading a meter is'nt rocket science, and even for folk who are'nt sure, BG website has stupid proof details. But Cala are now in a position where they dont want to admit fault as they've done this on about 100 odd homes

 

[James]

at 15p per kw/h the difference is £6.60
in my opinion it is not worth arguing over.

If i were charging a consultation for incorrect meter readings, the minimum I would charge is £200

Honestly I would just take it on the chin and be £5 better off, rather than argue and spend hours on it.

I could understand the point of principal to some degree if you were paying more because of the error but because you are paying less and everyone else seems happy with the readings they have taken, i would accept them as true and not argue any further.

 

[sprky78]

at 15p per kw/h the difference is £6.60
in my opinion it is not worth arguing over.

If i were charging a consultation for incorrect meter readings, the minimum I would charge is £200

Honestly I would just take it on the chin and be £5 better off, rather than argue and spend hours on it.

I could understand the point of principal to some degree if you were paying more because of the error but because you are paying less and everyone else seems happy with the readings they have taken, i would accept them as true and not argue any further.

I agree with you about the money, to be honest the charge is'nt the part that was bothering me. When I submitted my first meter readings I was not aware Cala had earlier submitted the incorrect reading, it was BG who then wanted to then know why the higher reading was submitted to begin with. They'll send someone out to read/verify the meter themselves at some point anyway so the situation will no doubt sort itself out.
I was just curious to know what the "total sum" reading within the smart meter represents.

 

[littlespark]

I take it it’s not actually a smart meter as the title suggests… as BG can read them remotely.
Simply a digital meter with LCD display.

can you scroll through the displays yourself and see if anything adds up?
If you have Import and Total Sum, there must be something else that is the difference of the two

If you have solar, there may be an Export amount.
Am I right in saying there is no feed in tariff anymore? You only benefit from free solar electric during the day?

 

[sprky78]

I take it it’s not actually a smart meter as the title suggests… as BG can read them remotely.
Simply a digital meter with LCD display.

can you scroll through the displays yourself and see if anything adds up?
If you have Import and Total Sum, there must be something else that is the difference of the two

If you have solar, there may be an Export amount.
Am I right in saying there is no feed in tariff anymore? You only benefit from free solar electric during the day?

Hi

Yes that's right I only benefit from free solar during the day, use it or lose it. I guessed the total sum may be total energy I use plus total energy generated by the panels? So over time the gap between the actual reading and this total sum reading will fluctuate depending on energy generated/used.

The meter is landis+gyr e470, pretty much fool proof to take a simple meter reading, but for some reason the Developer is going against all common sense.

I'm working abroad again at the moment so unable to have a skip through the menus to try and work out properly what this total sum is ??‍

 

[Simon47]

There are a few tariffs that will buy your excess lecky - Octopus are one supplier with them. Dunno how they work out vs not bothering and finding a cheaper tariff without any export payments.