If you change to Flick ( which is for me the cheapest ) you can see a graph showing your consumption in 30 minute intervals.
Makes it very easy to track down the cause of any spikes in consumption.
maclad,
Mar 10, 5:34pm
The only thing I know which suddenly puts your power bill up so high is hot water wastage. I got sick of power bills many years ago and started turning every thing off at the wall each night rather than leave them on standby, there is only me in the home and I saved $25 or $30 each month just from that.
strathview,
Mar 10, 6:56pm
Just for the record many smart meters can not be read by the electricity company because they need a cellphone tower to be able to able to read the meter. We are 10 minutes from the centre of invercargill and they can not read ours. We are on the edge of reception for a cellphone tower and have boosters in the house so we can use our cellphones. Can't get fibre either and can't connect to copper. We can get rural broadband but it is really slow and drops out when it is windy. It is rather amusing watching the meter reader navigating the electric fences to get to the meter. All they have to do is drive 6 metres to the gate and they have clear access but no they have to go over the fence.
spyware,
Mar 10, 7:01pm
Your your graph shows normal for a low user.
zak410,
Mar 10, 8:14pm
It shows 67% more usage than similar houses, in the last 3 estimates.
But to me the important part is that I used (and paid) 3x more this February than a year ago, for similar usage.
trade4us2,
Mar 10, 9:37pm
Your July Aug Sept estimates were far too low, so the actual reading in November is very high. So the stupid power company has made the estimates for Dec Jan Feb too high. The March actual reading will be very low again.
aredwood,
Mar 11, 11:18pm
The smart meters will have a flashing LED or a flashing icon on its little screen to indicate how much power you are using right now.
If your meter is one of the EDMI Atlas series meters. Hold down the Select button for 5 seconds or so, then it gives you a different set of screens that it can display. press the Select button to change between them. it has screens to show how many amps being used, Total wattage being used, the power factor etc. Far more information than the non smart meters offered the customer.
dibble35,
Mar 12, 5:44am
He doesnt want to listen to us/believe us. Zak, why dont you go and actually read the meter, you should find it is not much higher (if it is higher) than the estimated figure they gave for your Feb account. You will probably have a very small power bill to pay this month or you may even be in credit. You always have the option of phoning them with the actual reading every month when you get your estimated power bill if it is way higher (or lower) than what you have used. My very first estimated power bill was for $200, in reality I had used 1/4 of that, I rung and it was sorted then and there. No more massive (or low in your case) estimates after that.
johotech,
Mar 12, 8:04am
The estimates are too low as others have said. That's why the actual reading is much higher. Now they have seen that their estimates are too low, and have increased the estimates amount in the last few months. You can't have a "smart" meter if you are getting estimates. It might be a digital meter, but there's no way that it is a smart meter with remote monitoring.
gabbysnana,
Mar 12, 8:10am
The price of power has gone up alot since last year so it's useless using $ value. The units used are a low user.
trade4us2,
Mar 12, 9:19am
I don't know why power companies think that we want the $ value. I have asked Meridian to give me the units per day in their weekly email but they don't seem to understand. I know that we use around 17 units per day in summer and up to 30 units in winter. If it's anything different I may need to check something. Fortunately my hot water cylinder is behaving itself after I put the overflow pipe back on instead of those stupid unreliable relief valves. Yes I can sign in and find out, if I can remember the password and go through several screens. My smart meter still has trouble sending data several days a month, and the peak usage indicator is useless.
zak410,
Mar 12, 12:28pm
Thanks all for your comments.
Being Monday, I phoned my electricity supplier to give them the actual readings from my meter, as they say my meter has connectivity problems. We do have bad mobile reception here ?
They thought my readings were way too high so they asked me to send them pictures of those readings to confirm. I did that and now will wait for their reply.
As a matter of interest this is the kind of meter we have; bad picture as the meter is in a dark spot and it is raining here today, still readable though, oh and it says 'connected' :
Does your meter have an external aerial connected?
zak410,
Mar 12, 6:11pm
No aerial.
spyware,
Mar 13, 4:18pm
They aren't high. You're a LOW user who has enjoyed lowly estimates.
nzjay,
Mar 13, 6:35pm
There is certainly an element of the 3mthly read accounts playing catch up on low estimates. but the overall usage has certainly increased also. Trial and error to find just why. The first thing to do is pull all fuses and circuit breakers and make sure the meter actually stops.
aredwood,
Mar 13, 10:07pm
Far better is to actually unplug every single thing in the house, Switch off the stove, hot water cylinder etc. And make sure that the meter stops. Leave all the fuses / circuit breakers as normal.
If power is "leaking away" somewhere, the meter will record it. And you can then start pulling the fuses to see which circuit is the "leaky" circuit. Or if the meter did stop, then something that you switched off or unplugged is causing the problem.
Also start doing daily meter reads, If you can't get daily or 1/2 hourly data from your power company. If you ask your power company for the meter read data, by law they must provide it to you. Up to 2 years worth.
October is missing. The estimates for March and April are too low. The estimates for July Aug and Sept are far too low. The estimates for Dec Jan Feb are too high. Perhaps you should sack your power company and get one that can show your consumption properly. THERE IS NOTHING UNUSUAL ABOUT YOUR POWER CONSUMPTION SO STOP LOOKING. .
sr2,
Mar 14, 12:37am
I couldn't agree with you more.
5425,
Mar 14, 8:54am
Just treat the difference as an interest free loan , due every 4 months .
zak410,
Mar 14, 10:02am
Thanks for that. As soon as I'm alone here I will first switch off the mains' power and check if meter stops; then I will do the test you are suggesting;
Thanks for all replies and hints.
fhpottery,
Mar 18, 1:45pm
GET AN "OWL" CURRENT MONITOR, IT IS EASY AND YOU CAN SEE WHAT YOU ARE USING. JUST GOOGLE IT, THEY ARE CHEAP AND YOU CLIP THEM ONTO YOUR MAINS, OR AN ELECTRICIAN CAN DO IT. THEY HAVE A WIFI TRANSMITTER THAT SHOWS CURRENT USE AT A DISPLAY IN YOUR HOUSE. WORTH A CRACK NIGEL
purdie69,
Mar 18, 2:07pm
I field these types of calls at work frequently. First thing I see is that November would be for October as well so check the number of days that your high accounts cover. You have three months of estimates prior so this will also be a 'catch up' account. Check seals on fridges etc. Turn on torch and put in fridge, check and see if you can see any light if so, faulty seals. The first things I would be looking for is number of days for account, hwc, seals and if anyone extra in the house during the high bill periods.
fibertrix,
Mar 18, 2:30pm
Yes power can leak and cause high power bills. I started getting zapped by the taps in the bath and by the coal range. We don't have electric hot water. Until we got that fixed our power bills were very high.
gwimweeper,
Mar 18, 5:46pm
Jeepers. That would be enough to make your hair stand on end.
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