faulty esb meter

Design78

looking for some advice, I have thought my esb bills were too high for some time now. I called provider a few times and enquired but to no avail.
When I knock off the main trip switch on the fuse box the meter keeps running. I 've now been told I need to get esb out to check the meter too see if it is faulty. I have also been told if no fault is found i will have to pay €400 for the check.

Can someone let me know if there is any additional checks i can do myself.

Thanks

PrismES

Is the meter beside the fuseboard?
Do you live in an apartment?
Can yoy see the cables entering the bottom of the meter, if so how many are there?
When you switch off the main switch does the meter continue to spin at the same speed or does it slow down?

paddymick

If you have switched off your main switch and the meter is still turning then surely its a problem with the meter so get the ESB out unless of course some one has tapped into your mains between the meter and your fuse board..stranger things have happened!
Any drug dealers living next door running a little herb factory??:p

Design78

PrismES wrote: »

Is the meter beside the fuseboard?
Do you live in an apartment?
Can yoy see the cables entering the bottom of the meter, if so how many are there?
When you switch off the main switch does the meter continue to spin at the same speed or does it slow down?

Thanks for the response.

Fuseboard is inside the front door and meter is outside.
Its a mid terrace house.
There is two cables coming out of the meter, one brown one blue.
The meter continues to spin at roughly the same speed - using approx 15 units a day.

It used 7 of these while I was at work today with everything plugged out apart from frigde/freezer.

Squall19

removed, see last post for reasons

Design78

paddymick wrote: »

If you have switched off your main switch and the meter is still turning then surely its a problem with the meter so get the ESB out unless of course some one has tapped into your mains between the meter and your fuse board..stranger things have happened!
Any drug dealers living next door running a little herb factory??:p

removed, see last post for reasons

Design78

Quote removed, see last post for reasons


If my calculations are correct I've overpaid about €2,000 over the past 3 years so I'd rather it be proven faulty and get something back off them. If all fails I'll get myself a big magnet and do the whole estate just to annoy them!

M cebee

If the meter is clocking up units with main isolating switch off theres a problem

paddymick

removed, see last post for reasons

Squall19

removed, see last post for reasons

M cebee

If youre overpaying and its only an if

you may be better to gather the evidence

rather than calling hotlines with false claims and having meter changed hurriedly

Design78

M cebee wrote: »

If youre overpaying and its only an if

you may be better to gather the evidence

rather than calling hotlines with false claims and having meter changed hurriedly

Yea I'm thinking I should get a fully registered electrician out to do a report before the ESB visit and have some form of documentation to make a claim ..... If it's faulty that is.

M cebee

I would certainly take a more patient approach than previous suggestions

especially if it turns out there is a meter issue

which is far from certain yet

Tow

M cebee wrote: »

I would certainly take a more patient approach than previous suggestions

Exactly. Get an electrician out to have a look. A faulty meter is far more lightly record less electricity than more.

If the meter is turning the power is going somewhere. So either:
The main switch on your fuse board does not isolate everything.
The meter is not (yours) connected to your board.

Last suggestion removed, see last post for reasons

Pete67

Are you sure you pulled the main switch/fuse on the consumer unit when you checked the meter? Just from your description of 'When I knock off the main trip switch on the fuse box ' this sounds like you may have tripped the RCD using the test button? The main switch does not trip, it has an integral fuse.

Not all loads pass through the RCD - lighting, fire/security alarms etc usually do not.

If the main switch is pulled, you can remove the fuse. If the meter is still rotating at this point then you have a genuine issue and you should call out an electrician to find out what exactly is happening.

Design78

Pete67 wrote: »

Are you sure you pulled the main switch/fuse on the consumer unit when you checked the meter? Just from your description of 'When I knock off the main trip switch on the fuse box ' this sounds like you may have tripped the RCD using the test button? The main switch does not trip, it has an integral fuse.

Not all loads pass through the RCD - lighting, fire/security alarms etc usually do not.

If the main switch is pulled, you can remove the fuse. If the meter is still rotating at this point then you have a genuine issue and you should call out an electrician to find out what exactly is happening.

I'm nearly sure I did - I have two rows of switches on the fuse board to the left of these rows there is two larger switches (grey and a red one) I knocked both of these off and did a quick check around the house - lighting was off.
I'll ask an electrician to pop out and look at it.
Thanks!

ted1

Get a sparks to fit your own meter , this will prove there's a problem. A single phase meter won't cost to much.

Tow

Any updates?

glic83

im interested to here the outcome also

Design78

So am I ;-)
ESB Networks due out tomorrow afternoon, had an electrician look at it and he was scratching his head but has noted all the details.
I'll post up an update as soon as I have word from ESB Networks.

Design78

Just to update you, ESB networks were to call out yesterday between 2pm - 5pm and I took a half day for this. When he was not yet there at 4.30pm I called ESB Network and was told the engineer would call me back. He phoned he said he called at 1.45pm and I wasn't there so he checked the meter which is working fine. I was home at 1.55pm and he was not there when I got home.

Below is a small part of the letter of complaint I have sent to Airtricity, ESB Networks and the CER.

• He did not call at the time agreed between myself and ESB Networks.
• I have no proof of him having called and testing my meter and if he did call he was there for less than 10 minuets
• He said he called my mobile twice although I have no missed calls, you have my authorisation contact Vodafone and verify this although you will need a solicitors letter to do so.
• I wanted to be there so as I could show how the meter was still showing usage when the mains are switched off


I'll update you if and when I get this resolved.

M cebee

sounds odd

and what exactly did your electrician say when he wasn't scratching his head

Design78

Had a local electrician pop in and he knocked everything off and said he could see no reason why the meter was still running.
He could have fully checked the fuse board ect but said it appeared to be a meter issue so as opposed to him carrying out any work and then having to charge me, he advised to have ESB Network check the meter as it would appear to be where the issue is.

So basically now I have a situation where:
* ESB Networks claim to have checked the meter and say it is not faulty and will be charging me for this check, even though there is no proof of them having been there. They are now telling me to deal with airtricity or get my own electrician.
* Airtricity are telling me it appears to be a meter issue and to deal with ESB Networks

At the end of the day my bills are coming in at approx €150 -€200 for a single person living in a two bed mis terrace house.
Heating & Cooking is on GAS, I'm out of the house for approx 14 hours a day and have usage for about two hours in the evening. I'm away most weekends, Don't have a clothes dryer. My bills should be a fraction of what they are.

I have checked all appliances and done daily checks on the meter it is continuos usage as opposed to a surge that is running the bills up. I am now also going to be charged €200 from ESB Networks for a meter check I'm not sure they completed. Plus it looks like I will have to pay my own electrician to get to the bottom of it.

M cebee

your electrician should have confirmed whether or not the meter is running with everything off

Tow

Tow , please do not give legal advice here, thank you.

readmylips

removed, see last post for reasons

Bruthal

Design78 wrote: »

Had a local electrician pop in and he knocked everything off and said he could see no reason why the meter was still running.
He could have fully checked the fuse board ect but said it appeared to be a meter issue so as opposed to him carrying out any work and then having to charge me, he advised to have ESB Network check the meter as it would appear to be where the issue is.

Should be no need to check any fuseboard apart from checking the live is going to the main switch. Its easy to switch off and ensure no possible connection beyond the fuseboard main switch. The cover would need to be removed from the fuseboard to ensure that nothing is connected from the incoming side of the main switch, but thats about all that needed to be done. If he just switched off the main switch then started scratching his head, without removing the cover, then he may as well not have come over.

A grip ammeter then on the meter live out beside the meter, and this should show zero with the main fuseboard switch off, and confirmed no possible loop connection from the main switch feed side, and that the main switch is actually going off etc . If it is zero, and meter is still turning, then the meter has a problem (an unusual one). If its not zero, then there is something drawing current from the cable before it gets to your main switch, like an earth fault or unknown spur, but these seem unlikely.

M cebee

shouldnt be too hard either to run a test load for a period of time and check usage

thats what i would do and robbies checks

and a look for illegal taps if thats a concern

Tow

Design78,

Do you live in a 'modern' terrace with a small dividing wall at the front of the house with the meter box set into it and the neighbour's box on the other side of the wall?

Design78

Tow wrote: »

Design78,

Do you live in a 'modern' terrace with a small dividing wall at the front of the house with the meter box set into it and the neighbour's box on the other side of the wall?

Yep thats the exact set up

Design78

robbie7730 wrote: »

Should be no need to check any fuseboard apart from checking the live is going to the main switch. Its easy to switch off and ensure no possible connection beyond the fuseboard main switch. The cover would need to be removed from the fuseboard to ensure that nothing is connected from the incoming side of the main switch, but thats about all that needed to be done. If he just switched off the main switch then started scratching his head, without removing the cover, then he may as well not have come over.

A grip ammeter then on the meter live out beside the meter, and this should show zero with the main fuseboard switch off, and confirmed no possible loop connection from the main switch feed side, and that the main switch is actually going off etc . If it is zero, and meter is still turning, then the meter has a problem (an unusual one). If its not zero, then there is something drawing current from the cable before it gets to your main switch, like an earth fault or unknown spur, but these seem unlikely.

Thanks for this have another electrician calling out tomorrow - the above is really helpful. Hopefully I'll get to the bottom of it.