Skip to main content
D
Rank 2
Dorota Parker
Rank 2
October 27, 2023
Solved

The smart meter shows electricity consumption that was not there. Why?

  • October 27, 2023
  • 53 replies
  • 1710 views

To install the smart meter, I had normal power consumption. After installing this, the counter suddenly increased. I wasn't able to determine how much electricity consumption had increased. But from April 15 to September 25, 2023, I was not in the apartment. I turned off everything. even the electricity consumption indicator which supposedly consumes 1kWh of electricity per year. I also turned off all the sockets. I also unplugged the refrigerator and washing machine. Unfortunately, after receiving the bills, I saw in black and white that I used over 111 kWh per month when I was not at home. Nobody has a key to my apartment. How is it possible?

Best answer by Emmanuelle_OVO

Updated on 01/04/25 by Ben_OVO:

Hey @Dorota Parker,

 

From the screenshots you’ve sent it does seem that your meter is communicating fine, and that usage was consumed. 

 

I think the best advice for you would be to follow these instructions:

 

What’s the best way to locate an energy guzzling appliance?

 

Worried that your electricity usage seems high? By checking the usage of each circuit you might be able to find out the particular appliance which is the culprit. The meter will need to have decimals showing in the reading for this test to be useful:

  1. Leave the main breaker in.
  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.


How do I perform a Creep Test on my electricity meter?


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.

 

If your meter is in a communal meter cupboard, sometimes the meter details can get mixed up. Firstly it’s worth checking the meter serial number on the meter matches the serial number registered on your account. You can see this on the ‘Meter readings’ page of your online account.

 

53 replies

Show previous replies
Blastoise186
Super User
Blastoise186Super User
Super User
November 9, 2023

A diode is effectively a one-way switch of a particular kind. But that’s not enough to know what kind it is or what it’s doing.

I suspect the diode in this case is an LED

Securing energy by zapping security bugs... For that is The Blastoise Way! Remember, I'm just like you - AI Powered Evil Geniuses aren't Staff!
    juliamc
    Rank 20
    juliamc
    Rank 20
    November 9, 2023

    Is it possible that if it’s faulty it would draw that much electricity ?

    Blastoise186
    Super User
    Blastoise186Super User
    Super User
    November 9, 2023

    Nope. LEDs use barely anything and if they even try to draw excessive juice, they’ll just fail and break.

    Securing energy by zapping security bugs... For that is The Blastoise Way! Remember, I'm just like you - AI Powered Evil Geniuses aren't Staff!
    Firedog
    Super User
    FiredogSuper User
    Super User
    November 9, 2023

    If the water heater’s LED is lit, it indicates that the circuit is live and the heater is thus capable of being turned on, e.g. programmatically. That’s not the problem, I think.

    The problem is that when nobody’s there, something is drawing a constant 150W. Dorota was suspicious: “Sometime I think that our lights in the building are eat our electricity.”

    There is a mysterious ‘box of wires’ next to the meter. When it’s removed (and we don’t know whether that involved disconnecting anything), the meter only shows a 0-20W draw. My devious mind envisages something like an unscrupulous landlord piggybacking on Dorota’s supply for his own purposes.

    @Tim_OVO @Emmanuelle_OVO In view of the disabilities involved, would it be possible to arrange a PSR engineer visit to get to the bottom of this? 

     

    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 | It may look as if I know what I’m talking about, but don’t let that fool you. |
      Blastoise186
      Super User
      Blastoise186Super User
      Super User
      November 9, 2023

      You think the Landlord is abstracting electricity @Firedog ?

      If so, that definitely qualifies for a deeper look.

      Securing energy by zapping security bugs... For that is The Blastoise Way! Remember, I'm just like you - AI Powered Evil Geniuses aren't Staff!
      Blastoise186
      Super User
      Blastoise186Super User
      Super User
      November 9, 2023

      @Dorota Parker if you can, please show us photos of the meter, everything around it and this “box of wires”. Make sure not to touch anything and if you feel unsafe, call 105 immediately.

      Securing energy by zapping security bugs... For that is The Blastoise Way! Remember, I'm just like you - AI Powered Evil Geniuses aren't Staff!
      juliamc
      Rank 20
      juliamc
      Rank 20
      November 9, 2023

      It’s just Dorota’s daughter in the flat now, and it sounds like the meter is not accessible to her, being high up in a cupboard, also the box of wires is no longer there. If an engineer could visit that would really help.

      Firedog
      Super User
      FiredogSuper User
      Super User
      November 9, 2023

      You think the Landlord is abstracting electricity @Firedog ?

       

      No. But if I were a suspicious conspiracy theorist, that is one scenario that comes to mind. It might have happened by mistake, of course; an electrical cowboy just wired the communal lighting into the nearest slot. Can you think of any other explanation?

      Dorota deserves to have some concrete evidence from an expert to back any claim for compensation, and to ensure that she’s not charged for energy she’s not using in the future. 

      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 | It may look as if I know what I’m talking about, but don’t let that fool you. |
        Blastoise186
        Super User
        Blastoise186Super User
        Super User
        November 9, 2023

        Yeah, I definitely don’t think Dorota has tampered with the meter - the motive just isn’t there. And besides, who would even tamper with a meter to make it record more usage than was actually used? That would be self-defeating.

        However, I do agree that something dodgy is going on which is beyond Dorota’s reasonable control - or beyond even their unreasonable control - and that’s where I think we’ll crack this case. Your scenario is the most logical one to me.

        Securing energy by zapping security bugs... For that is The Blastoise Way! Remember, I'm just like you - AI Powered Evil Geniuses aren't Staff!
        juliamc
        Rank 20
        juliamc
        Rank 20
        November 10, 2023

        @Dorota Parker I've lost track of the box of wires !! I think you said it’s been removed. Has the 0.07kWh gone too?
        Can you show us a day’s worth of usage now please? I appreciate that if your daughter is at the flat it’ll show normal usage too but it might be possible to detect the background use.

        If the box of wires was connected to your fuse board (maybe mistakenly) then perhaps there were lights or something eating your electricity!

         

        Show more replies
        Terms & ConditionsAccessibility statement

        OVO Energy Ltd, Floor 5, Crescent, Temple Back, Redcliffe, BS1 6EZ, (Company no. 06890795) registered in England and Wales.

        OVO (S) Gas Limited is registered in England and Wales (Company No. 02716495) at Floor 5, Crescent, Temple Back, Redcliffe, BS1 6EZ.

        OVO (S) Gas Limited is part of OVO Group Ltd