topic Smart meter still running when main switched off in Meters & Connections

Smart meter still running when main switched off

Irfi — Sat, 03 Aug 2024 12:16:30 GMT

I was wondering why would electricity smart meter still be running when i switched off mainboard (inside unit) and went out with family for 3 hours?? In these 3 hours snart meter reading jumped from 17771 to 17775 kwh. I am testing because my consumption have jumped nearly 3 times even when i hardly use fan heater during winter and have gas water heater

Re: Smart meter still running when main switched off

Lester — Sun, 04 Aug 2024 04:43:48 GMT

Regardless of whether a smart meter might use a miniscule amount of power sending info every 5 mins (or whatever) to the power supplier, nearly 4kw in 3 hours is ridiculously high.

Get a sparky around, any competent electrician will be able to tell if there is any power consumption with everything off (which there shouldn't be), and then once armed with some facts about any probable meter fault, you can probably ask for the meter to be tested.

The meter is the power suppliers responsibility I think, that should be shown on your bill.

Re: Smart meter still running when main switched off

NeilC — Sun, 04 Aug 2024 06:14:49 GMT

@Irfi

When you said you switched off mainboard do you mean that you turned off all power to your unit.

Your meter indicates you used 3.9 kWh of power during this time.

Could you take another photo of the whole meter box showing all fuses and isolating switches.

Re: Smart meter still running when main switched off

Irfi — Sun, 04 Aug 2024 08:59:00 GMT

@LesterD My daily consumption has been constant fro last few yrs around 10kwh per day mac but from last 2 months its jumped to more than 30 kwh per day

Sparky coming in tomorrow morning to have look, lets see what he has to say

Re: Smart meter still running when main switched off

Irfi — Sun, 04 Aug 2024 08:59:38 GMT

@NeilC This is the main switch which i turned off that day to test smart meter (this pic is taken today). This switch board is located inside my unit (inside closet)

There is another main switch which is located in the panel box in basement car park for the building. I tried to switch off from that panel but nothing happens and electricity is still flowing inside my unit.

Sparky coming in to check tomorrow morning, lets see

Re: Smart meter still running when main switched off

NeilC — Sun, 04 Aug 2024 09:03:54 GMT

@Irfi

So where is your actual meter located then, I expected to see the meter and circuit breakers together?

Re: Smart meter still running when main switched off

Irfi — Sun, 04 Aug 2024 09:34:56 GMT

@NeilC

Smart meter and another main switch with circuit breaker are located in the basement car parking of the building (i live in a building apartment).

And there is one main switch board inside the unit (the one shown in the picture above).

Re: Smart meter still running when main switched off

Irfi — Wed, 07 Aug 2024 01:15:33 GMT

Well the sparky checked and found out that main switch and smart meter located in the basement of building car park are labelled/marked incorrectly, unit 4 mains and meter is supposed to be unit 5 and vice versa. Its a cross metering issue which means i was paying for my neighbour's electricity and neighbour was paying mine.

Rang AGL and they said get the NMI from neighbour, which is actually mine, and will cancel previous 3 months bills (i moved to AGL 3 months ago) and they will cancel previous bills and reissue with correct NMI readings (which in this case is my neighbour's readings for last 3 months).

I only moved to this unit a year ago.

Re: Smart meter still running when main switched off

NeilC — Wed, 07 Aug 2024 01:22:36 GMT

@Irfi

Thanks for the answer

Re: Smart meter still running when main switched off

Lester — Wed, 07 Aug 2024 01:22:49 GMT

WOW, what an error.

Obviously whoever did the metering perhaps many years ago, but all the same good that AGL will take those steps to sort it out for you at least.

Re: Smart meter still running when main switched off

Lester — Wed, 07 Aug 2024 01:34:20 GMT

I'm wondering about your previous 9 months now with your previous supplier, this must have been in error since ther meters were installed / wired up . . . unless something unscrupulous was done by someone along the way.

Probably not much can be done there to rectify the longer term cross billing.

Edit - It is / was possibly an simple labelling / NMI reference problem ??