This smart meter must think I'm stupid

[Pigmy Pony]

Ok, we've had a smart meter for maybe 3 or 4 years now, and I've not really given the supplied display much attention until now, it's been in the dining room where we have to get off our backsides to go and look at it.

But now we have moved it into the lounge where it is on full view all of the time. At the moment the display is set to show electricity usage and money spent so far today.

When we went to bed last night (11pm) the display showed £2.96. Ok, that's not so bad. Then I came into the room at 6.30am and the reading was £1.11. Right now ((7.05am) it is showing £1.13, that's 2p in 30 minutes.

I think the energy company is sneaking some "usage" onto my meter when I'm not looking, ie asleep. Anyone here have any idea what's going on?

Incidently, our display is like the one in the pic. When I got up it was showing two green bars (2 fridges, 2 freezers and wall light in lounge), and when I switched the 'big light' it went up to 4.Switching on my MF A5 amp and CD player added 1 more bar. All of which have been on since I got up and cost the 2p my display has er, displayed.

Edit: we're now at £1.14! Something not right here

[Firebottle]

Two of the largest consumption devices are fridges and freezers, because they are plugged in 24/7.

What have you got in your 'big light'? No Leds yet? All our lights are Led.

[mikeyb]

I binned mine.

They give you a device that plugs into the mains to help you save electricity, yeah that's smart right enough.

Stuff is either switched on or it isn't that's how you save electricity.

[Macca]

what is the power consumption of the display unit? Even if it is low it is still on all the time. Over a year that's going to add up now the price has gone nuts.

I'd get rid of one of those freezers for a start. How much frozen food do you need to have in storage at any one time?

[Pigmy Pony]

Two of the largest consumption devices are fridges and freezers, because they are plugged in 24/7.

What have you got in your 'big light'? No Leds yet? All our lights are Led.

No, 40W old school bulbs. Three of them. Should probably do something about that. Take your point about the fridges/freezers, but Anita likes to 'stock up' on things that are on offer, so some money is saved in doing that.

But as you say, they are on 24/7, and this is my point - less than 3 quid in 24 hours, but over a third of that is during sleepy time, when we are not using the telly, kettle, coffee maker, microwave, electric cooker, hifi, lights, etc. There's a con here somewhere. Thank God the 'adult toy' works off batteries

[struth]

you will have usage from 00.00 to 6.30 plus the daily charge. mine is at £1.11 AND GAS IS UP TO 64P. usually 35p so i reset the thermometer to 18c and it must have kicked in at on point costing 29p..

[Pigmy Pony]

you will have usage from 00.00 to 6.30 plus the daily charge. mine is at £1.11 AND GAS IS UP TO 64P. usually 35p so i reset the thermometer to 18c and it must have kicked in at on point costing 29p..

Daily charge! Maybe that's what it is... I'm going to stay up past my bedtime tonight, see what happens at midnight.

[Wakefield Turntables]

Ok, we've had a smart meter for maybe 3 or 4 years now, and I've not really given the supplied display much attention until now, it's been in the dining room where we have to get off our backsides to go and look at it.

But now we have moved it into the lounge where it is on full view all of the time. At the moment the display is set to show electricity usage and money spent so far today.

When we went to bed last night (11pm) the display showed £2.96. Ok, that's not so bad. Then I came into the room at 6.30am and the reading was £1.11. Right now ((7.05am) it is showing £1.13, that's 2p in 30 minutes.

I think the energy company is sneaking some "usage" onto my meter when I'm not looking, ie asleep. Anyone here have any idea what's going on?

Incidently, our display is like the one in the pic. When I got up it was showing two green bars (2 fridges, 2 freezers and wall light in lounge), and when I switched the 'big light' it went up to 4.Switching on my MF A5 amp and CD player added 1 more bar. All of which have been on since I got up and cost the 2p my display has er, displayed.

Edit: we're now at £1.14! Something not right here

Do you own an electric car? Have you conisdered using the car to power the house? It's a very popular concept in the States. Additionally do you use a dish washer? I worked out that mine cost 87p (94p including the washing tab) to use every time on eco setting . Thats approx £343 yearly. You will eventually reach a level of consumption where you simply can't reduce any further and that will be your daily usage, you will then soon be able to work out your bills. I don't have a smart meter fitted, I hate them!

[Macca]

No, 40W old school bulbs. Three of them. Should probably do something about that. Take your point about the fridges/freezers, but Anita likes to 'stock up' on things that are on offer, so some money is saved in doing that.
:

Under the old rates a modern freezer would cost about £50 a year to run, the rate has roughly doubled so that's £100 a year and goes up again in October so will be around £125 a year. If the freezer is old and sited in a warm environment, you could double or triple that. So running two old freezers located in a warm house could cost you £800 a year from October.

[Pigmy Pony]

Do you own an electric car? Have you conisdered using the car to power the house? It's a very popular concept in the States. Additionally do you use a dish washer? I worked out that mine cost 87p (94p including the washing tab) to use every time on eco setting . Thats approx £343 yearly. You will eventually reach a level of consumption where you simply can't reduce any further and that will be your daily usage, you will then soon be able to work out your bills. I don't have a smart meter fitted, I hate them!

Andrew, that's an interesting point you make about the electric cars: you use electric to charge the car, then the car hands back the electricity to the house? Is it to do with off-peak rates? If so, I can see that working Not that we have an electric car.

Re. the dishwashing: Yes we have a dishwasher, but not used it in months. And we have stopped washing up as-we-go, and started to let it all pile up through the day and do them all at once.