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Original poster

Weird meter discrepancy

19 replies

SophieLaGeroff · 13/01/2023 16:37

I've recently moved house.

New electricity meter reads 01534.56

I.e. four numbers before the decimal. I thought you always disregarded anything after the decimal.

However, previous owners entered final reading as 15218. So I can't add the current reading as it is (1534) and the person I spoke to said I'm reading it wrong and it must be 15345.

Does it matter? Have the previous owners massively over paid by reading it wrong and not ignoring the decimal? Has anyone ever experienced anything similar?

OP posts:
Original poster
SophieLaGeroff · 13/01/2023 16:39

By the way, the 15218 meter reading was from the move date not from now, so I'm not disputing the difference between that reading and what I've used - just confused that it should have been 01521.8 rather than 1521!

OP posts:
1vandal2 · 13/01/2023 16:41

I'd take a photo of the meter and send it to their customer services

WaterMess · 13/01/2023 16:45

Do you have a picture of your meter? I've always known it to be the first 5 numbers (including 0) but ignore the red numbers or anything after a decimal. So I would input the reading as 01534

TimeForMeToF1y · 13/01/2023 16:48

I'm sure there are more than one type of meter, just send them a photo

BarbaraofSeville · 13/01/2023 16:51

It's almost certainly 015345.6 not 01534.56 as one decimal place is standard on an electricity meter. What colour are the last 2 digits? Are you sure there isn't a spec of dirt on the meter?

The previous owners are very unlikely to have paid for 015281 when it should be 01528 because the cost of the difference is about £4/5k, so they'd notice that wasn't right.

But if the above doesn't sound right and you're sure it's 01534.56, send a photo of the meter including the reading and the serial number to your supplier and let them sort it out.

hedgehoglurker · 13/01/2023 16:52

Yes, in reverse. It was a 5 digit meter, but the previous owners only entered the first 4. There had been a meter change about a decade earlier, but somehow it wasn't properly registered. As the online account only accepted 4 digits, the previous owners only paid a tenth of what they should have.

Despite immediately reporting it when we moved in and providing readings monthly (by email as the online account wouldn't accept 5 digits), it took about 2.5 years for us to sort out! We had to provide many photos, and had an engineer visit to confirm. The only bonus was that due to back-billing legislation, they could only invoice us for the latest 12 months.

Fladdermus · 13/01/2023 16:57

Sounds like you're correct and the previous owners have massively over paid.

www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/energy/energy-supply/your-energy-meter/how-to-read-your-energy-meter/

BarbaraofSeville · 13/01/2023 17:03

@Fladdermus that link contradicts your assertion that the previous owners have entered the wrong reading and over paid, because it shows a single decimal place after a five figure number.

If the correct reading was 015345 (ignoring the 6, like it tells you to do) - the 015281, that's 64 units of electricity, which is what would be typically used in a few days, or slightly longer if a house has been unoccupied, which ties in with the OP saying she's just moved in.

AccidentallyRunToWindsor · 13/01/2023 17:09

You will need to speak to someone. The read they have put in will have caused the account to become 'unbilled' because the bill would be enormous from that and it will throw the system out, usually so a human has to look at it.

You can't enter your read because it's so different from the one they have given

Original poster
SophieLaGeroff · 13/01/2023 17:13

Thanks, I've sent them the picture as their phones are closed now.

It's really clearly a round dot on the display and not dirt! Definitely five numbers starting with a 0 and then two numbers after the decimal point.

I hope it doesn't take 2.5 years to resolve!

OP posts:
Original poster
SophieLaGeroff · 13/01/2023 17:14

It's a digital display so all the digits are the same colour, black.

OP posts:
dementedpixie · 13/01/2023 17:16

Can you post a picture on here?

mummymummymummummum · 13/01/2023 17:20

Are you reading from the actual meter, or from the smart meter display in your house?

(Turns out they're not the same 🙈)

AccidentallyRunToWindsor · 13/01/2023 17:24

@mummymummymummummum haha don't worry in my first fish (before I worked in the energy industry) I tried to read my fuse box. The poor lad on the phone was very nice...bet he had a field day with that one

Original poster
SophieLaGeroff · 13/01/2023 17:24

It's not a smart meter, just a normal actual meter. I don't have a smart meter.

Not sure about the picture as it will be identifying!

OP posts:
AccidentallyRunToWindsor · 13/01/2023 17:25

Cover your meter serial number if you're worried OP. If there's an MPAN cover that

dementedpixie · 13/01/2023 17:44

You can use your picture editor to block out identifying serial numbers

Diyextension · 13/01/2023 19:03

How is a photo of some numbers on a meter identifying?

AccidentallyRunToWindsor · 13/01/2023 19:41

@Diyextension each meter has a serial number which is linked to your address. If you have access to the National database, you could look up any posters picture and know their address so makes sense to not give it away.

Even the first 2 digits of an MPAN tells you what area of the country you are in

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