High usage - no way to check

[woofmain]

Here's my situation. Moved into this house in July last year. Family of 6.

Got the first partial bill (Jul-Aug) - with average daily usage of 103 kWh ($27 per day).

Second bill (Aug-Nov) - average daily usage of 67 kWh ($15.5 per day).

Then the latest shock (Nov-Feb) - average daily usage of 89 kWh ($21.4 per day).

I can't seem to pin the excessive usage to any particular change in usage pattern. What's more, the estimated bill for the third bill was showing estimated $800 up until the bill was issued, which came as over $2000. Consequently, the estimate for current billing period again is showing 140 kWh over 5 days, equating to 28 kWh per day ($12 per day) - with projected bill at $830.

Both on the app and online, I can't seem to get an hourly usage breakdown - it only shows a daily average. I have spoken to AGL over the phone 3 times now, no one can seem to explain why 1) I can't see a hourly breakdown and 2) why my bill jumped almost 3-fold from projected to actual, despite on a smart meter.

I started manually tracking the reading and also requested AGL through online form a detailed meter reading file.

Anyone saw this pattern before, have ideas what maybe going on and what else I should be doing?

[woofmain]

Just received an update from AGL that my meter is a Manually Read Interval Meter (MRIM) type - which is why they can't get realtime information. Which doesn't explain why they can't seem to get it updated up until the last day of issuing my bill.

[Lester]

@woofmain sounds like a bit of a shock (no pun intended) with the new porperty !!

Why is it a manually read interval meter ?

Are you isolated, patchy or no internet, or no wifi ?

I'm sure if AGL want to charge you using interval data (30 min), then surely if possible they would get a digital meter put on.

(Not sure if new build, or existing home, owned or rental.)

Are you on TOU (time of use) or single tariff ?

With any off peak or CL (HWS or other needs) ?

Is AGL new to you or have you been with them in a previous property ?

For a family of 6, I would think that bills about the $800 - $1000 mark per quarter might be about right.

We are 2 here, and we do have some fairly heavy IT power needs, lots of cameras etc.

We use around 15 to 18 kwh a day usually, but if hot for a few days we'll run air conds and that can see usage of up around 30 kwh a day.

But when son comes home from interstate often, we might see usage and quarterly bills of that amount routinely !!

We went solar and solved our issues in general, but disregarding that, your problem is trying to keep tabs on the costs and usage . . . estimates that can not ever be accurate, and you probably can't access your data like one can with an online account, usually a day is there in data late the next day for checking.

Mind you, this raw data is not easy to disseminate sometimes, depending if on single tariff, with or without CL / off peak, relatively easy . . . or if TOU, with or without CL more complex, you have a lot more data that needs seperating to get the data in the correct tariff blocks of time (eg using a fairly complex spreadsheet).

BTW, no one has access to real time data from AGL download, it's always a day or so later.

So you are more worried about the cost, or just being able to monitor or get correct updated daily costs, so not to get any surprises, or maybe both ?

If that meter has to be read, then you will never get accurate info, the best thing you can do is try and get a proper digital meter installed, that can communicate daily with the electricity supplier, who then passes the data onto AGL for their use on your account pricing / data uploads etc.

Not sure about your plans to deal with ever rising power bills, do you have any plans ?

Solar ?

Solar and battery ?

Maybe a huge 30kwh or so of grid connected batteries you can charge in cheapest time and use during peak rates ?

Or just modify usage habits, appliances as they need replacing etc to try and control these ?

Hopefully you can get through all this, it's not easy trying to figure out peoples possible issues with short forum posts.

[SYED_AGL]

Hi woofmain,

Thanks for reaching out!

I wanted to clarify that basic and MIRM meters are read every quarter, unlike smart meters. The meter reader usually takes the reading about 5-6 business days before the bill is issued, which is why the update can happen up until the last day before the bill is generated.

Let me know if you have any other questions!

Thanks,

SYED