Controlled load meter and solar unit usage 9:30am to 3:30pm SA

[kwaka9]

Recently AGL expanded the hours for use of the controlled load meter to between 9.30am and 3.30pm (in SA).

This was to make use of the excess Solar Power from the grid on mild and sunny days.

I recently received my December bill and it has no split of power being used by the controlled load circuit
- whether it is from the grid (CL) or from solar, just has . . .

Controlled Load  165.295kWh (UNITS)     $0.1753 (PRICE)     $28.98 (TOTAL AMOUNT)

It should have . . .

Controlled Load  100.000kWh (UNITS)     $0.1753 (PRICE)     $17.53 (FROM GRID)
                                 65.295kWh (UNITS)     $0.0500 (PRICE)     $03.26 (FROM SOLAR)

                                                                                                         $20.79 (TOTAL AMOUNT)

Raises the question, at what unit price are we being charged for our solar for use on the controlled load portion????

My medium sized solar system of 3.3kWh, generated 405.414 kWh during December with a feed in Tariff of $0.05 (how generous!) earnt a whopping $20.27

My total PEAK units was 233.22kWh, at $0.3688 oer unit with a total of $86.01

How do ALL electricity companies justify such a blatant rip-off of privately generated solar, and get away with it!

[-Olgi-]

Hi @kwaka9,

Welcome to AGL Neighbourhood! Electricity taken from the grid is what you get charged for regardless of whether it's on your Controlled Load or General Usage register. 

Your solar consumption prior to exporting excess to the grid doesn't incur a charge as you're using electricity that your solar is producing. This doesn't appear on the bill either, because our system is only connected to your meter and therefore only gives us information of how much power you import and export from and to the grid.  

If your bill is stating that you have used 165.295kWh on your Controlled Load register, this means that this is how much you've taken from the grid for your appliances that are connected to Controlled Load. Any solar that you may have also used for your hot water system,  is on top of 165.295kWh and does not show on your bill. 

I do need to have a look at your account to help you further. I'll send you a private message to grab this information from you.

Thanks,

-Olgi-

[mickunder]

I dont understand the Controlled load. It was originally for off peak power in the middle of the night.

Now the cheapest controlled load is in the middle of the day.

Does this mean my hot water will automatically turn on in the middle of the day?

My controlled load Off peak (middle of the night) is now 20c/kwh - was 16c I think. The Shoulder (middle of the day) is now 16c, which is the previous night time rate.

I was also told by AGL last week, that I cant power my hot water directly from my panels and/or battery as it is on a controlled load circuit. (this info took 2 hours on the "chat" line and half an hour and 4 different operators in 30 minutes on the phone to get this info)

Can you please clarify these 2 issues. Thanks

[-Olgi-]

Hi @mickunder,

Welcome to AGL Neighbourhood!

Controlled load times are pre determined by your distributor and can change. To check whether your hot water system can be connected to your solar, you would need to engage an electrician. I will need to obtain more information from you to find out about your Controlled Load meter.

I'll send you a private message to grab your account details.

Kind Regards,

-Olgi-

[mickunder]

I have sent you my  meter details. Do you have a response yet?

[_Mark_]

Hi @mickunder, I'm going to send you a private message to just discuss these things with you if you haven't had a response yet! Thanks- Mark.

[Wisha]

This is NOT true and is NOT how hotwater systems on controlled load work. I have been through this extensively with the Ombudsman.

You are indeed charging customers for their own solar. The Smart meters were never designed to handle controlled load during the day with solar input.  Controlled load was designed to be used at night. 

The meter has no way to register solar feed in while controlled load is being used. Mains loads will be offset by solar. Controlled load will not. 

Therefore, customers are Absolutely being charged for their own solar when controlled load is energised during the day. 

[Lester]

@Wisha . . . "

This is NOT true and is NOT how hotwater systems on controlled load work. I have been through this extensively with the Ombudsman.

You are indeed charging customers for their own solar. The Smart meters were never designed to handle controlled load during the day with solar input.  Controlled load was designed to be used at night. 

The meter has no way to register solar feed in while controlled load is being used. Mains loads will be offset by solar. Controlled load will not. 

Therefore, customers are Absolutely being charged for their own solar when controlled load is energised during the day."

You are technically right, but not about charging customers for their own solar.

As you said, CL is totally separate from the regular usage and solar feed in recording.

CL does not use anything from solar, ever.

If CL is on during the day, common now with solar soak, and times set by the supplier not the retailer, then you are paying for CL at whatever tariff is allotted, and not using solar, which nowadays you are usually giving away for peanuts.

However with a digital meter(s), all the times of use can be separated and charged appropriately.

I have monitored our power use extensively since we went solar (nov 2023), having moved from analogue single rate with off peak and separate CL meter for the HWS, to a new digital meter, or rather 2 meters as SAPN here in SA set it up 'like for like', so the main digital meter is for regular usage and solar, the 2nd meter is (was) for CL.

I covered my setup, and how I overcame the CL / solar problem here . . .

https://neighbourhood.agl.com.au/t5/Meters-Connections/Is-it-fraud-New-Controlled-Load-using-your-so...