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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Gas SmartMeter AIBU?

23 replies

galit · 17/02/2022 07:12

I had a Smart Meters installed at my home in September. About in time for prices to start to creep up.

For the first few months, I got numerous bills for various portions of the month, so didn't really notice my monthly consumption, just that the price was going up, which didn't seem a problem given that's what I expected. I looked at my bill this month and saw that my gas consumption had increased from 20 kwh pre-Smart Meter for the same month last year, to 2,000 kwh. I contacted the gas company (Octopus), and they've informed me that my November usage was 1,300, so 2,000 is fine. My October usage was 200. Pre-meter, my usage ran from 6-20 kwh depending on time of year.

The gas company will charge me £190 to check the meter if it's determined not to be faulty, and have informed me that 95% of meters are not faulty. I frankly don't believe them in the slightest.

The only item that runs off gas in my home is my boiler, and it's running at a lower temperature and for shorter periods this year than last in an attempt to keep costs reasonable. My boiler is in good condition, and, I'm having it serviced again, just in case.

I wondered if IABU that this is atypical consumption for a normal reasonably sized home with a thermostat set at 17 degrees, or was my previous consumption actually too low? Would you be so kind as to give me an indication of what your monthly gas consumption is to help me out?

OP posts:
MilkTwoSugarsThanks · 17/02/2022 07:19

Average is about 1,000kwh per month. Obviously that's higher in winter, and if you're only running a boiler it would make sense for it to be nearly double what it would be in summer.

FourTeaFallOut · 17/02/2022 07:23

That's a huge difference. Are you sure that your earlier bill didn't have your usage in cubic meters and the new one in kWh?

Original poster
galit · 17/02/2022 07:25

@FourTeaFallOut - that would explain things - I'll check the units - I thought I was comparing like for like, and the gas company hasn't pointed anything out, but that would partly explain the difference- I think it's about 11x a difference on the conversion? Thank you ☺️

OP posts:
itwasntaparty · 17/02/2022 07:26

Have you hit your units right?

MilkTwoSugarsThanks · 17/02/2022 07:29

I've actually found my bill!

Sept - Dec I averaged 1,500kwh
Small 3 bed semi, 3 people live here.

Original poster
galit · 17/02/2022 07:33

No. Just checked. Whilst the pre meter bills have ft cubed vs meters, it still shows total consumption in kWh... and that should be flat.

OP posts:
Original poster
galit · 17/02/2022 07:35

This is super helpful - thank you. My ex husband never let me see the bills, so something like this was inevitable- I should say - 3 bed house with mostly me alone... my daughter shows up a few hours a day a few days a week... love teenagers.

OP posts:
MilkTwoSugarsThanks · 17/02/2022 08:01

Have you got a little display unit? Can you see when you're using most gas?

Do you have your heating on a timer? If you do then you'll be having high usage peaks as it turns on and tries to heat the house from cold. If you have it on a lower temperature all the time it can lower your consumption.

Source - I was immeasurably sceptical until I tried it!

cakeorwine · 17/02/2022 08:06

@galit

No. Just checked. Whilst the pre meter bills have ft cubed vs meters, it still shows total consumption in kWh... and that should be flat.
Sounds about right.

A typical house uses 12,000 KWH per year - but that will vary massively.

In our flat, we used 1600 KWH in January

cakeorwine · 17/02/2022 08:09

I looked at my bill this month and saw that my gas consumption had increased from 20 kwh pre-Smart Meter for the same month last year, to 2,000 kwh. I contacted the gas company (Octopus), and they've informed me that my November usage was 1,300, so 2,000 is fine. My October usage was 200. Pre-meter, my usage ran from 6-20 kwh depending on time of year

How did you calculate that?

Did you do monthly readings or 6 monthly readings?

If you were averaging 20KWH per month, that's 240 KWH per year, which is significantly lower than the average of 12,000 KWH per year.

jimmyhill · 17/02/2022 08:10

There's simply no way you were really ever using 20kwh per month so some calculation is wrong somewhere

cakeorwine · 17/02/2022 08:13

The gas company will charge me £190 to check the meter if it's determined not to be faulty, and have informed me that 95% of meters are not faulty. I frankly don't believe them in the slightest

That's not a very good reliability rate. If I took a measurement that people got charged for and 1 in 20 of my measurements (and therefore the cost to consumers) was faulty, I think there would be questions.

Original poster
galit · 17/02/2022 08:34

Thanks @cakeorwine - all this information is so helpful. I took monthly readings.

Agreed on the percentage- I also think that number they provided is a bit duff. I saw a figure in the 80s range previously and suspect there's a lot to try to dissuade customers from querying the output. Obviously, the £190 is refunded where the meter is faulty, and also any overpaid charges.

I'm starting to think they're both wrong (my pre-meter readings and my post-meter readings). I'm about ready to just turn the heat off for the rest of the year and just keep the fire running...

OP posts:
FourTeaFallOut · 17/02/2022 08:34

I think it could be that, of those people who think that their meter is faulty and ask the company to check - only 5% are found to be faulty. Rather than 5% of smart meters being faulty.

cakeorwine · 17/02/2022 08:38

@FourTeaFallOut

I think it could be that, of those people who think that their meter is faulty and ask the company to check - only 5% are found to be faulty. Rather than 5% of smart meters being faulty.
Bayes Theorem in practice Grin
BestKnitterInScotland · 17/02/2022 08:41

we are having huge issues with our gas meter too - a smart one which tbh has never worked properly. Even after it was installed it wasn't "talking" to the wifi and we were still having to take manual readings. Now it's saying we haven;t used any gas since December - when we have a combi boiler!

Power company keep writing saying the are reducing our DD as we are not consuming, which we are. We are sure it will all get sorted out eventually and we'll get a bill for ££££ which is why we are keeping hte money aside. We have repeatedly asked for an engineer to come out and check the meter but they won't send anyone "because of Covid". Hmm

Wish we'd never agreed to have the stupid thing fitted to be honest.

Original poster
galit · 17/02/2022 08:55

@MilkTwoSugarsThanks - I've got it on a Hive to reduce consumption - it's only on a few hours a day, and I can see the temperature before and after - it's not going from 10-17, for example. And the house is extra insulated, double glazed windows, etc. I've taken a lot of measures to make it efficient. I can see the usage when the boiler comes on, because it registers nothing before and after, so at least it's not leaking... although that would be helpful.

OP posts:
Original poster
galit · 17/02/2022 08:56

@BestKnitterInScotland - I've seen a fair few people online say the same - apparently it's a more common issue than not. I was looking at the government website, and I believe once its 12 months past due, they can't reclaim the funds, but worth having a look at. It will potentially be a lot when they sort themselves out, but hopefully that reigns it in a wee bit?

OP posts:
Original poster
galit · 17/02/2022 08:57

@FourTeaFallOut - that sounds far more likely! Although I still don't like those odds...

OP posts:
SleepyRich · 17/02/2022 08:59

@BestKnitterInScotland

we are having huge issues with our gas meter too - a smart one which tbh has never worked properly. Even after it was installed it wasn't "talking" to the wifi and we were still having to take manual readings. Now it's saying we haven;t used any gas since December - when we have a combi boiler!

Power company keep writing saying the are reducing our DD as we are not consuming, which we are. We are sure it will all get sorted out eventually and we'll get a bill for ££££ which is why we are keeping hte money aside. We have repeatedly asked for an engineer to come out and check the meter but they won't send anyone "because of Covid". Hmm

Wish we'd never agreed to have the stupid thing fitted to be honest.

Ours did this, the new smart meters never sent any readings through and it took a weird amount of persuading that were still using gas and electric. What worked was emailing them pictures of the manual meter readings which were obviously different to what they had on record/could download over the air. They've since switched us back to a non-smart account and we send readings manually as normal. Will chase up the smart meter getting fixed another year.
youngestisapsycho · 17/02/2022 10:20

This is why I'll never have a smart meter!

GreenOwl · 17/02/2022 10:49

Have the units changed?

My gas meter measures in m3 and having just checked it, I've used an average of 20m3 every month for the past 10 years.

You're giving kWh which is different. Using a conversion table, it appears I'm using an average of 211kWh per month.

I only realised there was a difference due to the figures others were giving in this thread.

cakeorwine · 17/02/2022 19:12

@youngestisapsycho

This is why I'll never have a smart meter!
I used to say that but I do like mine. It's interesting to see the spikes in usage and to easily see what we are using.

And then tell DS what his shower cost.

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