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High usage costs shown on my new smart meter In Home Display (IHD) - Are my prices correct?

  • 12 January 2018
  • 56 replies
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I had new smart meters fitted yesterday afternoon. Rather shocked to see my costs at over £5 for half a day by the time I went to bed!!! Most of it was Gas usage (>£3) and it wasn't even a cold day. According to my Nest thermostat, the boiler was only running approx 1.5 hours since the meter was fitted. How can 1.5 hrs heating equate to £3 usage ? Boiler (not combi) is rated 24 kW max and tariff shows 4p/kW (which is wrong - should be 2.68p). My basic maths suggests this should be 1.5 hrs * 24 kW * £ 0.04 = £ 1.44 + 27p standing charge. That assumes boiler runs at full tilt the whole time which is not correct as I hear it modulate down after a few minutes.

This doesn't seem right to me. Even if/when the tariff is corrected it seems too high.
How can I get the tariff set to the one I'm actually signed up to? How likely is it I've got a duff meter that is reading too high on gas?

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Best answer by Tim_OVO 16 January 2018, 18:35

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Tim_OVO
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Updated on 19/12/22 by Emmanuelle_OVO

 

Sorry for the inaccurate unit rates you’re seeing on your In-Home Display (IHD). Sometimes it can take up to 6 weeks for your smart meter to complete the initialising process, which could mean that the information displayed your device might not be accurate to begin with.

 

Once it’s fully set-up the tariff information showing on the device should match the rates showing on the ‘Plan’ page of your online account or OVO app (download for Android or iOS). So if it’s been over 6 weeks since your smart meter was installed and things still don’t line up - reach out to our Support Team who can make sure the rates on your IHD are corrected. In the meantime it’s worth bearing in mind:

 

Usage costs on your IHD may not 100% match your daily charges

 

If the unit rates loaded on to your device aren’t accurate, the daily costs shown here won’t match what you’re actually charged. For this reason we’d always advise checking the actual usage charges on the ‘Billing’ page of your online account or OVO app.

 

 

No increase in costs due to a smart meter


Having a smart meter installed won't directly increase your costs. There are no hidden effects on usage, and your unit rates and standing charges won't change. 

 

 

Your meter will be accurate

 

The meter will clock accurately. Old meters can slow down, or even speed up meaning they're not measuring your energy usage correctly. We'd only expect to see this with very old meters. A brand new meter, smart or otherwise, will clock what you're using accurately.

 

 

OVO member but not got a smart meter yet? - Book today!

Not in communication with your smart meter? Fill out this Online Form 

Interested but not yet an OVO member? - Check out our plans!

 

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S
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My IHD is showing incorrect information. The Tariffs are higher than the plan we are on. The daily charges for both the gas and electricity are also showing higher than they should be. 

The time is showing correctly, but both CIN numbers are showing zero. The daily costs are showing quite a bit higher than they do on the OVO app and website.

Any help in resolving this will be greatly appreciated.

Blastoise186
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Howdy @Swaddie !

Welcome to the forum. :)

Sorry for the trouble there, but I do have some good news. The fix for this one is actually really quick and easy, but you’ll need to get the Support Team to help you out with it. Feel free to ask via phone, live chat or email for this one, whichever works best for you.

There’s a SMETS Command called Update Tariff Configuration which when used correctly, forces your meters to pull down the correct tariff rates for your account, which will also cause your IHD to refresh. When used on the electric meter, it generally goes through within a few minutes, but may take an hour or two for the gas meter. The full refresh would go through at around midnight. If you ask the Support Team to issue that command to both your meters, it should fix everything for you.

Don’t worry about being overcharged - the costs on the website should be accurate, while the IHD is mainly a guide.

Hope this helps. Let us know if you get stuck.

Securing energy by zapping security bugs... For that is The Blastoise Way!
S
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Blastoise186 thanks for the advice much appreciated, will contact support tomorrow.

 

R
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Hi,

 

 today I have had my smart meter. It’s been a couple of hours but finally there I’m home display has shown a reading for the gas and quite frankly I am panicking. 
 

The display showed usage as £76,383 under the energy today heading on the main display. 
 

is this normal while calibrating?

 

 The electric seems to be giving me a sensible reading of £0.10/hr and rises sensibly when something is switched on

 

Blastoise186
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Hi @Rathian ,

You can ignore that, it’s most likely just demo data. It should fix itself within six weeks but I can assure you that you won’t be billed for £76k worth of gas unless you actually used £76k worth of gas… Which is impossible to do for a U6 Domestic Gas Supply in any reasonable period of time.

Securing energy by zapping security bugs... For that is The Blastoise Way!
Emmanuelle_OVO
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Hey @Rathian,

 

Welcome to the OVO Online Community.

 

To reassure you, your In Home Display (IHD) is a device for your own personal use to help you keep up to date with your usage data. It will not affect your consumption or bills if it is faulty. 

 

As you have only just had your smart meter installed, as @Blastoise186 has advised, it is best practice to wait 6 weeks which is the timeframe it takes for your new meter details to be updated on our systems. 

 

Here are some helpful guides and similar threads which you may find useful:

 

 

Hope this helps.

Renewable Energy? Big Fan.
Jasmin10
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Hi everyone,

I have recently checked my daily charges for my electricity and my gas on my Smart meter and noticed the amounts are different (more) than what they say they are on my Plan.

Yet apparently our bills are created from our Smart Meter readings as these are the most accurate, we are led to believe. Am I being over charged?

Blastoise186
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Hey @Jasmin10 ,

You’re not being overcharged. Only the meter readings are used to calculate your usage for billing purposes, nothing else. What your meter and IHD say is just a guide and shouldn’t be treated as a source of truth.

The Support Team can however, help to fix this. Try asking them to run the SMETS Command Update Tariff Configuration against both meters. :)

Securing energy by zapping security bugs... For that is The Blastoise Way!
Jasmin10
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Hi @Blastoise186,

Thank you for your reply. I did then check my bills (which I probably should have done before posting) and what you say is correct.

Thanks too for the info as to how to get the discrepancy fixed.

U
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Got the smart meter installed yesterday.

It says I’ve used £1.18 worth of gas today at a rate of £5639.09 per hr.

what’s happening?

 

Blastoise186
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Hi @Unless ,

I’d recommend ignoring that. Your meters need up to six weeks to fully commission, so that might just be demo data which will be replaced with actual data once everything’s fully set up.

Securing energy by zapping security bugs... For that is The Blastoise Way!
U
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Thanks. Sounds good.

A
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Userlevel 1

Good Morning

I’m not long up this morning and my smart meter says I’ve already used £1.50 in gas.. My heating was set to 15C  overnight.. radiators warm, smart meter says its 16.5 C .Am I right in thinking I’m going to have to set it even lower overnight so it doesn’t kick in.. ?

I don’t mind it being chilly overnight as I tend to sleep better when its colder, but I struggle with the cold in general due to my arthritis.. 

Also anyone know if there is any help with bills for those 60 and over that are working but struggling? 

M.isterW
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Firstly, your IHD includes the standing charge so you might have used less than you think.

 

What controls do you have on your heating? If you have a programmable thermostat you can set the overnight temperature lower, if you want. However, the colder your house gets overnight the more heat you'll need in the morning so it might take a while to get it to a comfortable daytime temperature.

 

Do you have a combi boiler? If you do, check that the pre-heat is turned off. This function keeps some water in the boiler hot so you get hot water from your tap more quickly. It uses a fair amount of gas and you can make savings by switching it off.

1992 4 bed detached house. Solar PV + battery, Zappi EV charger, Mitsubishi Ecodan ASHP and i-life2 fan assisted radiators.... No gas 😊
A
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Firstly, your IHD includes the standing charge so you might have used less than you think.

 

What controls do you have on your heating? If you have a programmable thermostat you can set the overnight temperature lower, if you want. However, the colder your house gets overnight the more heat you'll need in the morning so it might take a while to get it to a comfortable daytime temperature.

 

Do you have a combi boiler? If you do, check that the pre-heat is turned off. This function keeps some water in the boiler hot so you get hot water from your tap more quickly. It uses a fair amount of gas and you can make savings by switching it off.

Hiya,

Yep It’s a programmable so typically have it set at a low of 15 overnight. Aye that was my thought don’t want to have the issue that it takes more to get it up to a comfortable  temp.   I do have a combi boiler new last year.. Not sure how to access the pre heat on this one to be honest.. Will have a look at the paperwork later today.. 

BPLightlog
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Good Morning

I’m not long up this morning and my smart meter says I’ve already used £1.50 in gas.. My heating was set to 15C  overnight.

That does sound high although as @M.isterW mentions you will need to factor in the standing charge. Is this an unusual first thing reading or have you not noticed before?

Our overnight setting is also 15deg but I’ve not seen anything that high to start the day. If your boiler is one of the latest, it does take into account the outdoor temperature so depending on your local weather, that may be a factor. 
On your settings, it’s certainly worth switching eco mode on and then adjust the flow temperature to between 70 and 75 deg

Independent volunteer - Sitting in a Faraday cage, waiting for a signal
A
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My heating has been set at 14 c since last night.. Never bumped it up this morning before heading to work.. Yet I came home at 1630 to find gas usage was £2.21.Showered last night so not hot water.. ANY idea on why ?   Seems a high usage to me when heating has been set at 14 since last night.. 

 

Blastoise186
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It could be several factors:

  • Your IHD shows the Standing Charges as part of the costs
  • Maybe your boiler flipped on during the day?
  • Did your heating come on at some point?

Food for thought. :)

Securing energy by zapping security bugs... For that is The Blastoise Way!
Jeffus
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Hi @Amerififer if you have a smart meter and are set for readings every 30min, then post a copy of your  Day usage page for us to have a look at. Then we can see when the usage occurred

 

https://account.ovoenergy.com/usage?datePeriod=daily&unit=kwh

A
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Have tried to get 30 min reading ability several times now from OVO Not happened so far.    Just frustrated !!! 

 

M.isterW
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If you have a combi boiler is the pre-heat option selected? This will use gas to keep water in the system hot even if you aren't using it.

1992 4 bed detached house. Solar PV + battery, Zappi EV charger, Mitsubishi Ecodan ASHP and i-life2 fan assisted radiators.... No gas 😊
A
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If you have a combi boiler is the pre-heat option selected? This will use gas to keep water in the system hot even if you aren't using it.

I do have a combi boiler… No idea if pre heat is selected or not to be honest.. Fairly new boiler , will need to check to see how I access that .. thanks for the suggestion.. 

 

Jeffus
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Have tried to get 30 min reading ability several times now from OVO Not happened so far.    Just frustrated !!! 

 

Vote for this

 

A
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Can't get a 30 min usage on OVO. Have Bright app as well. According to it's 30 min usage mapping, this was the usage when temp was set to 14 while I was at work, so not home to use any gas. I've a  Baxter Maxi 800 combi boiler and can't find any info on if/where there is a pre heat function. Any ideas welcome. Screen shot of yesterday usage when no one was home. 

 

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