No electric used but reading increases

  • 15 October 2023
  • 8 replies
  • 137 views
J
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My mother is presently in hospital and unlikely to return home. 
All electrics are switched off & unplugged (fridge/freezer, tv, phones etc). I take her readings but the off-peak reading is still increasing albeit minimal. Why is that?

8 replies

Blastoise186
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Hi @Jacee858 ,

Can you show us some photos of the meter please?

Securing energy by zapping security bugs... For that is The Blastoise Way!
J
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Don’t know if this is helpful at all???

Blastoise186
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Thanks, that helps a lot.

Firstly, that meter is overdue for replacement by the looks of things. Based on a 10-year service life it’s about five years past it’s sell-by date and the Certification has expired. You should probably consider getting it replaced - https://smart-booking.ovoenergy.com is one way to do that.

We’ve seen this issue before however, could you give this guide a go and see if it helps?

I’ll be here if you need me! If you have more questions, let me know. :)

Securing energy by zapping security bugs... For that is The Blastoise Way!
Firedog
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It’s sad to hear that your mother may have left home for the last time - that must be distressing for both of you.

 

Is it only the offpeak register showing some usage, or are both of them increasing a bit? 

You say everything is switched off. There will be at least one main switch at the consumer unit (‘fusebox’), so if that is still on, there may be some things still connected and using electricity - safety items like smoke/heat alarms and exterior security lights come to mind. They might even bypass the consumer unit, so they will be operational until power is turned off at the meter. It depends a bit on the type of property what to look for; a flat will have different arrangements from a bungalow .

It’s an idea to take a tour of the property in the dark, watching out for little pilot lights that themselves use a little bit of power (I did this in my own house one night and counted 22 of them). Timers plugged into sockets use power too, and it all adds up.

The fact that there is an offpeak register suggests that there is heating equipment that only switches on at night, for example storage heaters and perhaps an immersion heater. You’ve checked that these are definitely off as well, I suppose.

It’s not impossible that the meter has lost precision over the years, and as Blastoise points out, it is getting a bit long in the tooth for a piece of electronic equipment that’s been in use 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for 15 years.   

 

Noel | I have no official status; I'm just a volunteer who comes here to help other customers. My gear: Aclara SGM 1416-B Electricity-only E7 meter; Chameleon IHD3-PPMID-AAA
J
Rank

Thanks, that helps a lot.

Firstly, that meter is overdue for replacement by the looks of things. Based on a 10-year service life it’s about five years past it’s sell-by date and the Certification has expired. You should probably consider getting it replaced - https://smart-booking.ovoenergy.com is one way to do that.

We’ve seen this issue before however, could you give this guide a go and see if it helps?

I’ll be here if you need me! If you have more questions, let me know. :)

Thank you very much for your info - the property is around 25 years old so it’s quite possible it needs replacing. Thank you tho for taking the trouble to answer.

J
Rank

It’s sad to hear that your mother may have left home for the last time - that must be distressing for both of you.

 

Is it only the offpeak register showing some usage, or are both of them increasing a bit? 

You say everything is switched off. There will be at least one main switch at the consumer unit (‘fusebox’), so if that is still on, there may be some things still connected and using electricity - safety items like smoke/heat alarms and exterior security lights come to mind. They might even bypass the consumer unit, so they will be operational until power is turned off at the meter. It depends a bit on the type of property what to look for; a flat will have different arrangements from a bungalow .

It’s an idea to take a tour of the property in the dark, watching out for little pilot lights that themselves use a little bit of power (I did this in my own house one night and counted 22 of them). Timers plugged into sockets use power too, and it all adds up.

The fact that there is an offpeak register suggests that there is heating equipment that only switches on at night, for example storage heaters and perhaps an immersion heater. You’ve checked that these are definitely off as well, I suppose.

It’s not impossible that the meter has lost precision over the years, and as Blastoise points out, it is getting a bit long in the tooth for a piece of electronic equipment that’s been in use 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for 15 years.   

 

I have switched off all storage heaters at the wall and also fridge/freezers, tv, phones etc (all the obvious) BUT there’s a light on the shower (both the switch from ceiling & on the shower box itself) and also the tank. Guessing it’s these that could be the answer. J was just curious and the readings are only increasing very minimal - I just wasn’t sure why that’s all.

Thsnk you tho for your answer - much appreciated.

Firedog
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… there’s a light on the shower (both the switch from ceiling & on the shower box itself) and also the tank.

 

 

Told you so! There’s a pilot light there to alert you to live electricity in a wet room, so that’s working as designed. The power to the shower - and of course to the ceiling switch and its pilot light - should be governed by a switch outside the bathroom, e.g. above the door.  See if you can spot it.

I’m not sure which tank you’re referring to - the hot water tank with its immersion heater, perhaps? You may be seeing a (timer?) switch that governs when the immersion heater is turned on and off, with a pilot light just to warn you that the circuit is live. There’s no need for that, so I’d suggest turning power to that and the other circuits off at the consumer unit.  

These little lights won’t cost anything much; that said, if each of my 22 draws 0.1W, it amounts to 22 x 0.1W x 24h/d x 365 d/y ÷ 1000W/kW ≈ 20kWh/y, costing about £10. Remember, though, that the meter itself costs around £180 a year (the infamous Standing charge).

Last, if the property is furnished, it might not be a good idea to leave it completely unheated all the time if the weather turns colder. Especially if it isn’t aired regularly, damp and mould are likely to raise their ugly heads.

 

Noel | I have no official status; I'm just a volunteer who comes here to help other customers. My gear: Aclara SGM 1416-B Electricity-only E7 meter; Chameleon IHD3-PPMID-AAA
J
Rank

It’s sad to hear that your mother may have left home for the last time - that must be distressing for both of you.

 

Is it only the offpeak register showing some usage, or are both of them increasing a bit? 

You say everything is switched off. There will be at least one main switch at the consumer unit (‘fusebox’), so if that is still on, there may be some things still connected and using electricity - safety items like smoke/heat alarms and exterior security lights come to mind. They might even bypass the consumer unit, so they will be operational until power is turned off at the meter. It depends a bit on the type of property what to look for; a flat will have different arrangements from a bungalow .

It’s an idea to take a tour of the property in the dark, watching out for little pilot lights that themselves use a little bit of power (I did this in my own house one night and counted 22 of them). Timers plugged into sockets use power too, and it all adds up.

The fact that there is an offpeak register suggests that there is heating equipment that only switches on at night, for example storage heaters and perhaps an immersion heater. You’ve checked that these are definitely off as well, I suppose.

It’s not impossible that the meter has lost precision over the years, and as Blastoise points out, it is getting a bit long in the tooth for a piece of electronic equipment that’s been in use 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for 15 years.   

 

I have switched off all storage heaters at the wall and also fridge/freezers, tv, phones etc (all the obvious) BUT there’s a light on the shower (both the switch from ceiling & on the shower box itself) and also the tank. Guessing it’s these that could be the answer. J was just curious and the readings are only increasing very minimal - I just wasn’t sure why that’s all.

Thsnk you tho for your answer - much appreciated.

Thanks for the above.

yes we will be putting the heating on very low when the temperature dips. We’re very lucky as it’s a madden flat and so far no damp or mould, but agree, the heating needs to be put on.

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