high meter readings. HELP!

Argo foc yourself

My most electricity bill was extremely high. I decided to check it out and do some investigation. The meter was spinning quite erratically. I was timing the spin on the meter wheel. It would take 24 seconds, 24 seconds, 24 seconds and then 4 seconds, 5 seconds and then back to 24 seconds.

The only thing running - other than tv was the cooker. Once I turned off the cooker it would take 42 seconds to spin. Turn the cooker back on and it was spinning at 4 seconds. turn the kettle on and it was 4 seconds.

Is this normal consumption or do i have a problem/leakage in the kitchen area.

Any help or advice is appreciated.

Bruthal

The meter spinning at different rates can be caused by loads switching on and off. The electric cooker would be an example of this.

With an electric plate on at 20 percent for instance, the simmerstat of the cooker plate will simply vary the on to off ratio of the hotplate, so it will go on and off for durations according to the stat setting selected.

When cold, the plate will be on when the stat is first switched on, for the time duration according to the stat setting, before it starts going on and off.

Argo foc yourself

Bruthal wrote: »

The meter spinning at different rates can be caused by loads switching on and off. The electric cooker would be an example of this.

With an electric plate on at 20 percent for instance, the simmerstat of the cooker plate will simply vary the on to off ratio of the hotplate, so it will go on and off for durations according to the stat setting selected.

When cold, the plate will be on when the stat is first switched on, for the time duration according to the stat setting, before it starts going on and off.

Sorry i should have sad - it was the cooker oven and not the hob

Bruthal

Argo foc yourself wrote: »

Sorry i should have sad - it was the cooker oven and not the hob

Same applies. The oven has a thermostat rather than simmerstat, but the same thing happens, the oven will go on and off to maintain the temperature set on the stat.

That, or another heating element somewhere, might explain the meter disc changing rates of spin, but the high bills is another thing, if they are suddenly after increasing with no usage changes.

Outkast_IRE

How is you home heated ? Electric heating ?

Argo foc yourself

Outkast_IRE wrote: »

How is you home heated ? Electric heating ?

no oil fired heating. only two people in the house. bill is usually about 2-250 for two months. this bill 600 for two months

Bruthal

Thats 30 units extra a day used. Very big increase alright.

Any other electric item added, maybe an electric car or something like that.

Argo foc yourself

Bruthal wrote: »

Thats 30 units extra a day used. Very big increase alright.

Any other electric item added, maybe an electric car or something like that.

nothing added. only regular stuff running - lights, tv, radio, kitchen appliances (none of which have been changed in the last year).
thought it may be a faulty immersion but didn't make much difference. Seems to be the kitchn area where it runs so erratically

brightspark

Are the bills based on actual or estimated readings?

Your bills are high regardless, from previous posts I see that you have spotlights which may be partly to blame.

Other than that....do you have a water pump or something like that?


What is the rev/kWh ratio on your meter? It's written on the front of the meter.

Bruthal

With everything switched off, check the meter is stopped or almost stopped.

Dozer Dave

A fridge is often a culprit.

Argo foc yourself

brightspark wrote: »

Are the bills based on actual or estimated readings?

Your bills are high regardless, from previous posts I see that you have spotlights which may be partly to blame.

Other than that....do you have a water pump or something like that?


What is the rev/kWh ratio on your meter? It's written on the front of the meter.

spotlights not an issue. this is not in my own home. This is in my mother in law's house.
no water pump. nothing new introduced to house. old house.
the rev/kwh is 375.
how often should the ESB calibrate these meters>?

Argo foc yourself

Dozer Dave wrote: »

A fridge is often a culprit.

that is true but I had fridge running and the wheel was doing a full spin every 42 seconds which seemed normal. once i turned on the oven it was every 4 seconds

Argo foc yourself

Dozer Dave wrote: »

A fridge is often a culprit.

that is true but I had fridge running and the wheel was doing a full spin every 42 seconds which seemed normal. once i turned on the oven it was every 4 seconds


Just not sure if that is normal for over or has something happened!!

Argo foc yourself

Dozer Dave wrote: »

A fridge is often a culprit.

that is true but I had fridge running and the wheel was doing a full spin every 42 seconds which seemed normal. once i turned on the oven it was every 4 seconds


Just not sure if that is normal for oven or has something happened!!

Argo foc yourself

Bruthal wrote: »

With everything switched off, check the meter is stopped or almost stopped.

yeah next step!

Bruthal

Argo foc yourself wrote: »

spotlights not an issue. this is not in my own home. This is in my mother in law's house.
no water pump. nothing new introduced to house. old house.
the rev/kwh is 375.
how often should the ESB calibrate these meters>?

Co-incidently, 375 revs per kwh would mean a 4 second rotation is about 2.4 kw load. For the bill you mentioned would be an average of 2kw 24 hours a day for the entire billing period.

brightspark

With a 375 rev/kWh

At 4 seconds per rev..
Your load is 3600/(375x4) i
Equal to 2.4kW

Typical for a kettle


42 seconds per rev would be about 220w

(Bruthal got there before me)

Bruthal

Argo foc yourself wrote: »

yeah next step!

Well with your normal 200 - 250 euro bill, thats roughly about 800 watts per hour average the entire time.

The high bill means about 2000 watts the entire time, an extra 1.2kw all the time.

Now what can that be is the question.

Argo foc yourself

Bruthal wrote: »

Well with your normal 200 euro bill, thats about 800 watts per hour average the entire time.

The high bill means about 2000 watts the entire time, and extra 1.2kw all the time.

Now what can that be is the question.

thanks for all the replies... it is a bit of a minefield. as i said nothing new was introduced but the house is quite old - with old style wiring. I am concerned that there could be some leakage from something. or is it possible the meter has a fault...
I am no electricity professional so all advise is appreciated

brightspark

Do you have access to the previous bills with the meter readings shown. You need to go back as far as the last one with "a" for actual not "e" estimated.

It's possible that you have been underpaying for some time. They only try reading 3 times a year now and if they can't access the meter they leave a note for you to ring in the actual reading.

Argo foc yourself

brightspark wrote: »

Do you have access to the previous bills with the meter readings shown. You need to go back as far as the last one with "a" for actual not "e" estimated.

It's possible that you have been underpaying for some time. They only try reading 3 times a year now and if they can't access the meter they leave a note for you to ring in the actual reading.

this reading and previous were actual

beanie10

Is there a frost heater in the attic by any chance. Came across this before where stat went faulty and heater was on constantly.

TheBully

You dont happen to have a heater left running in attic since winter do you? Kill everything in house via mcb or possibly fuses, have someone wstch meter as u switch them back in again! My guess is attic, or faulty fridge or freezer.

The Esb are not obliged to carry out re calibrations on meters, if u call them and it is not faulty they will charge you 150 i think, if it is faulty it will be replaced free of charge!
However, working in this sector i know 99.99% of meters dont go wrong! And it is almost certainly on your side!

Bruthal

Argo foc yourself wrote: »

thanks for all the replies... it is a bit of a minefield. as i said nothing new was introduced but the house is quite old - with old style wiring. I am concerned that there could be some leakage from something. or is it possible the meter has a fault...
I am no electricity professional so all advise is appreciated

An earth fault is possible, but that would be a rare cause.

Something like a heater left on all the time and forgotten about.

A pump on all the time, but it would be an achievement to reach that level of usage with a pump in a domestic premises.

A faulty meter is a possibility. The esb can do a check on that id say. Again rare though, older meters tend to under read as they magnetically saturate with higher loading.

Recently we had another thread where another house was connected into the problem house supply. Probably another rare occurence.

An owl monitor type device could be fitted to monitor it yourself.

Argo foc yourself

Bruthal wrote: »

An earth fault is possible, but that would be a rare cause.

Something like a heater left on all the time and forgotten about.

A pump on all the time, but it would be an achievement to reach that level of usage with a pump in a domestic premises.

A faulty meter is a possibility. The esb can do a check on that id say. Again rare though, older meters tend to under read as they magnetically saturate with higher loading.

Recently we had another thread where another house was connected into the problem house supply. Probably another rare occurence.

An owl monitor type device could be fitted to monitor it yourself.

I just fitted an owl monitor this morning

dubpeter

Argo foc yourself wrote:

no oil fired heating. only two people in the house. bill is usually about 2-250 for two months. this bill 600 for two months

Your bill could have been estimated for the last few months and they got a proper reading and this is the balance you owe to take you up to date. Estimated bills can mean 2 things: u either pay too much or pay too little.

brightspark

Is the owl meter showing a similar usage as the esb meter?

Any outside lights that might have been left on?

Uninsulated immersion left on? Maybe tap left running when it was left on even if insulated? Or a leak?

Cooker left on by mistake? (Unlikely but could happen)

Any electric heaters? Might have been used extensively if the oil ran out for a few days? Or your mother in law was feeling cold

I am surprised you have two consecutive actual readings but I suppose it does happen sometimes.

Bruthal

dubpeter wrote: »

Your bill could have been estimated for the last few months and they got a proper reading and this is the balance you owe

Yes another possibility in some cases.

Outkast_IRE

Immersion left on for prolonged period ?

Or its been a long time since an meter reading and now you got stung