Hi ​@Tazzyy74 ,

I’m a Forum Volunteer here, so I don’t work for OVO. We don’t judge so please don’t worry - we’re here to help!

Thanks for bringing this up. In order for us to give advice, please post a few photos of your meter and everything around it. We’ll use these to see if we can figure out what’s going on here, but we may need to ask a few more questions too so we can understand the context a bit better.

Hey ​@Tazzyy74 

Is your energy supplier OVO? Have you sent your supplier a photo of the meters?

This is the information I found on our website with regards to meter tampering:
 

Energy theft – make sure you report it

Energy theft is tampering with a meter or its connections. This means the meter doesn’t accurately record how much gas or electricity is being used. Stealing energy is a crime and it’s dangerous. Keep yourself and others safe by reporting your concerns.

View REC Schedule 8 – Unbilled Energy Code of Practice

Energy theft can be fatal

Tampering with an electricity meter could lead to a short circuit, wiring overheating or even a fire. Wiring that seems safe can become ‘live’, so there’s a chance of a fatal electric shock.

Tampering with a gas meter could cause a gas leak. As well as headaches and possible loss of consciousness from the fumes, it only takes a spark to cause an explosion.

Tampering with a meter is a crime

Tampering with gas or electricity meters isn’t just dangerous – it’s also illegal. Energy theft can lead to a fine or a prison sentence.

If you suspect energy theft, report it

If you suspect any gas or electricity meter has been tampered with report it immediately. Call us on 0330 3035 063 or get in touch via our online chat.

If you'd rather not give us your details, visit the Crimestoppers supported stayenergysafe website or call them on 0800 023 2777

If you suspect a gas leak, leave the property and call the 24 hour National Gas Emergency hotline on 0800 111 999 immediately.

Hi ​@Tazzyy74 ,

I’m a Forum Volunteer here, so I don’t work for OVO. We don’t judge so please don’t worry - we’re here to help!

Thanks for bringing this up. In order for us to give advice, please post a few photos of your meter and everything around it. We’ll use these to see if we can figure out what’s going on here, but we may need to ask a few more questions too so we can understand the context a bit better.

 

 

 

I had a bill for 2.5 months for 814.00 the following month was 30.12 how is that possible I'm living with no heating on all my appliances are off till I use them it's 11°c in my house and lower at night were freezing I'm scared to cook I'm scared to shower yet they won't check my meter just tell me to do a creep test so I've turned the mains of but the switches are all still on unless I turn every switch off in the trip box .....  

 

The maina are off but the sockets are still on if I turn anything else of I won't have anything running were now sleeping downstairs and my house feels damp it's so cold but I'm getting billed for what ? I  don't even use my oven just an air fryer once a night to scared to fully boil a kettle no rooms upstairs are used and everytime I argue it with   I get ignored and asked about the bill which I'm refusing to pay.

I've sent readings in but their still coming back estimated well some I'm disabled and single parent I just know somethings not right with the meter it can't be 

Ok, I see. It doesn’t look like the Meter has been tampered with - everything seems fine in that regard. However, I note that it’s a Pre-SMETS L+G E470 originally installed by British Gas in 2012. Given that it’s Pre-SMETS, it’ll never work again as a Smart Meter (long story) so we can’t use any data it might be gathering to help figure this out. TBH it’s probably scrap at this point so may be best just swapping it out anyway. But if we do that now, it’ll confuse things further so I can’t recommend that just yet.

I am also incredibly disappointed to hear that Octopus doesn’t seem to have thought about this stuff already. I have informed the Forum Moderators about this as I’m concerned about your welfare. If anything, it just proves that they are NOT 100% perfect which goes against what so many people claim. No Supplier is 100% perfect as that’s impossible, but there’s a ton they SHOULD be doing in these cases to be - at very least - more empathetic.

I will ask ​@Nukecad to step in as well regarding the billing matter. His advice may be well suited to that.

I’d like to ask you to do a few checks including a Creep Test for now though. This will help identify if the Meter has become inaccurate and if it has, it’ll give us very powerful options for you to explore.

Please follow these steps taken from this guide.

Locating energy gorging appliances

1. Leave the main breaker on.
2. Turn off all individual circuits (on the fuse board, for example).
3. The electricity meter should stop clocking usage. If not, there could be a short in the fuse/breaker panel box or an appliance connected without fuse/breaker protection. An electrician will be needed to investigate this.
4. Turn on one individual circuit.
5. Watch to see if the electric meter starts to clock usage.
6. Turn off that individual circuit and turn on another one. Again, watch to see if the electric meter is clocking.
7. Repeat step 6 until all individual circuits have been checked.

You’re looking for a circuit that causes the meter to clock a lot of usage, compared to the other circuits. There could be a problem with an appliance or a connection on that circuit. We’d recommend contacting an electrician to check the appliances on this circuit, particularly if there are any old or potentially faulty appliances plugged in.  Find out the average usage for each appliances on this great guide and some great energy saving advice on the Centre for Sustainable Energy.

Performing a Creep Test

If you’ve been unable to get to the bottom of an increase in our usage by locating a greedy appliance, the next step would be to carry out an initial check on the accuracy of the meter with a ‘Creep Test’. To carry this out: turn off the power to your fuse box and check if the meter continues to clock. If the meter clocks (more than 1 - 2 units which could be down to residual power in the wires)  then it's either faulty, or clocking someone else’s usage.

Please tell me about the results of both tests - especially how many units were racked up during the Creep Test - and I’ll try to advise on what to do next.

Additionally, I’m pretty concerned about the lack of heating and I feel there’s more to this than what you’ve said so far.

Please complete the check at https://www.safelincs.co.uk/hfsc/ as I feel your local Fire Service may be able to assist you. I don’t make any money out of you doing that check and I don’t get to see what you enter - it goes straight to the Fire Service in your area.

I’m not sure that there is much I can add to what has been said already.

If we can exclude that there is some fault with the meter then it would appear to me simply that the previous high billing will probably have been based on estimates.

I've sent readings in but their still coming back estimated well some ….

Although I will admit they would be pretty high estimates but not impossible.

(Another thought is whether there is/was also some debt-repayment plan or similar that we haven’t been told about yet?)

Isn’t it a concern here that the OP says that with the CU main switch off there is still power at the sockets? (As apparently evidenced by that microwave clock).

I've turned the mains of but the switches are all still on unless I turn every switch off in the trip box .....

Yes… I noticed that too...

Reversed polarity coming out from those two terminal blocks perhaps?
(Similar to the one Firedog posted on the PZH November thread).
It’s difficult to make out in the photos the wiring around those blockd (particularly the blue from the meter which just seems to disappear).

I gave up on trying to unravel that lot. However, how likely is is that, in many years of following this sort of stuff never having heard of the possibility of a meter engineer getting line and neutral the wrong way round, I hear of two instances in as many days?

I assumed that the photos were taken at different times, but we all know what assume means.

I’m gonna play it safe then. Time for the Joker Card. Got a few minutes ​@Lukepeniket_OVO ? I heard you’re enjoying RTS too much, but just in case! I bring milk and cookies! XD

Hey all!

Lots to unravel here... 

I see the rcd is in the off position and you still have power elsewhere? Is there any other CU in the property.

Looking at your CU also the 50A double pole mcb is unusual I've never needed to fit a double pole MCB ever?? (50A would tell me that there is another CU possibly not fed from the RCD).

I'm curious if you turn the 50A switch off do all of your other sockets go off?

I know it's all words and abbreviations which I apologise for. Your Metering set up looks OK other than a little bit of tidying up.

Without a visit from a metering engineer we would be unable to tell polarity from the photos and if we did visit it would be corrected on our metering installation and would still require you to call an electrician.

Hope this helps somewhat?

Hey ​@Tazzyy74 ,

Just letting you know that Luke has responded. Please allow me to introduce him. Luke is one of OVO’s Smart Meter Engineers, except that these days he’s rapidly becoming a Does Everything Engineer. :)

He’s also known as our resident Forum Engineer because he’s also on the Forum for whenever we need Engineer advice. We call on his advice whenever we feel it’d be most useful and this is one of those times.

We’re still here too, so feel free to keep chatting in this thread and one of us will swing by based on whoever we feel is the right person at any particular point.

I can't find anymore cu in the house but the shower which is old is connected as is the alarm ....  an electrician said who's due to come round that if you take the lid of the white box he said that's where it will tell you its been wired up . I've never used the meter I've only been in the house 3 yrs and my bills were fine I oweed 393.00 the next quarter on that was 814.00 from July24tg  to Sept 21 . Then the following month Oct it was 30.00 . Then November is risen again it's been 400 Then below 100 ever since .

I'm too scared to pit my heating on one because I'm been charged what iam with nothing on and 2 because its been off so long .

Now since my neighbour has moved out their coming back lower my bills , but when I say I'm using nothing I mean exactly that I don't use my oven now , washer is off at the mains and used twice a wk , aurfyer at night once , kettle about 6 times and I dint let it boil that's to wash pot or brews .

I have a night light on from dusk energy light bulb,  shower is turned of on mains when in use , I have a small infa red fire that goes on at night for warmth for about 1 hr in intervals ...... TV is only on at night and 3 bedrooms are empty as we live downstairs to save and my bills coming back last was 110.00 .

The house alarm isn't working although it never has and I've no idea how to reset from previous but again it's old , my doors have sensors on is that anything to do with it ?? And there's a socket in my frontroom that if I turn it off it cuts the shower of and also some b gas therm switch which is off now . I'll enclose photos 

That's what was in the house when I bought it it was always on but now I've located the switch to turn off which is below at the bottom the one underneath is for the shower so the switch completely shuts it off that with the meter but this one turns the mains to the shower I think but the other switch turns the central heating off ..... sorry all these switches confuse me 

I've not yet done a creep test but I've only been in this house 3 yrs and all my appliances are new apart from the shower it's old .

Thanks! Bear with us for a bit while ​@Lukepeniket_OVO catches up with this and a few other things.

Can a smart meter get installed? 

Reason for this is it would give a final actual reading for that meter, would eliminate any estimates generated by the billing system and the in home display will show you what your consumption is?

I'd also look to raise a complaint with your supplier as this gives them and you a time frame to get it sorted (if they can't sort it goes to deadlock and at this point ofgem can be contacted).

Well, technically speaking that old relic was a Smart Meter… Just a shame that it was back when British Gas really did do a Wild West approach…

Would it be eligible for SMEX on the same rules that a dead S1 can be MEX’d out for S2? I’d certainly argue that it should be!

I have had it suggested about a smart meter but with the bills coming in like they were I just said I don't want it touching because I didn't know if they'd fob me off and sorry sorry you've to pay this , if that makes sense I.

So if I get a smart meter put in that will show my true readings and the outcome of the bil is exactly what i owe .

I just no hand on heart I'm living like a homeless person in my own home it was 12°c in here the other night and I'm disabled with a daughter I'm toi scared to put anything on so extra blankets it it .

I'm hoping the electrician calls today so then I know what's what and can proceed having a new meter fitted.

My shower has been connected and a cable runs up the inside wall so I believe to the red shower switch I know I can't have more than an 8 kW shower , that I do remember been told .

And thank you I appreciate the help 

Absolutely, if it hasn't enrolled correctly it'll mean estimated reads which could contribute.

I would insist on a smart exchange so the readings can get finalised and climate the estimated reads altogether. With the new meter and IHD we can focus on finding what the usage is. 

Biggest contributor to a jump in usage unexpectedly from experience is an immersion switch has been turned on accidently.