[Suem]

I purchased property 29/10/21 but did not move in until 19/12/21 as it needed decorating. I have taken regular meter readings- on 15/12/21 reading was 14841 and on 23/12/21 it was 17936! I am a single person in a small 2 bed house so how is this possible?

[theunknowntech]

Howdy! I'm theunknowntech, a forum volunteer who also happens to be a world dominating evil genius. Muhahahahaha!

I am at your service too, so let's see what we can do here. I can't access your account (my evil genius powers don't work there!), but I can give you advice. Hopefully it helps you out!

Hmm... That doesn't sound right...

What kind of heating is there at the property, and has anything electrical been left on in that time? I'd like to see if I can do a few quick diagnostics, but feel free to do these whenever you get time. I'll be notified of any replies to this thread, so please feel free to reply here and I'll come back. If you could also post photos of your meters, that would be great.

I'd like you to do something called a Creep Test. It's a test that's designed to identify if the electric meter is faulty and clocking usage even in cases where it should be stopped. It's a fairly quick and easy test, but for me to write it out is quite long so I've transferred it directly from my notes - it also helps to ensure I'm getting it written down correctly each time.

Before you get started, I strongly recommend only doing this test during daylight hours for your own safety and you may want to have a torch handy just in case. Please also make sure to safely shut down and turn off any sensitive electronics and gadgets like your computers, TVs, games consoles, Wi-Fi Router, Smart Home gadgets and anything else that might be affected by having the power suddenly go off. You can leave the fridge/freezer on though and keeping a couple of lights on is helpful so that you know when you're done.

If you're happy to go ahead, here's what to do. These steps might sound a bit tricky as I generally copy/paste them directly from what Blastoise186 gave me, but they should work.

1. Locate the electric meter and fuse box/consumer unit
2. Take a quick meter reading and note it down - you'll need it later
3. As you're on Prepayment, please make sure you've got some credit and you're not in Emergency Credit - otherwise it can disrupt the test. If you don't have much left, now is a good time to top-up!
4. Turn off the power to the entire house using your consumer unit - it'll only be for a few minutes so don't worry about being off-supply for a long time
5. Observe your electric meter for about five minutes. the red metrology LED (or the spinning disc in older meters) should stop completely and the meter should not clock any usage after the first 30 seconds or so
6. After five minutes, take another meter reading and note it down
7. Turn the power back on
8. Compare the two readings you took at the start and finish of the test

If the meter is not faulty, the two readings should be about the same. However, if they're massively different and/or you noticed the metrology LED (or spinning disc) continue to run and/or the meter was still clocking usage despite the power being off, then there's almost certainly a fault with the meter itself. In this case, you'll want to request a Meter Accuracy Test. It'll cost around £160 upfront and you'll get this back if the meter is confirmed to be faulty, as well as having the meter replaced and a refund issued for the lost credit once E.On has managed to figure out how much it's thrown into a black hole. Please bear in mind that the test fee is not refunded if the meter is found to be working correctly. With that being said, if it failed the Creep Test then that's already a very good sign that the meter probably is faulty - the MAT is still required to make it official but doing the Creep Test first might save you wasting £160.

Hope this helps. Let me know the results of the Creep Test and I'll try to advise further. If the Creep Test doesn't identify the issue, I'll try to ask a few more questions in case I can pin down potential culprits.

[Beki]

Originally Posted by Suem

I purchased property 29/10/21 but did not move in until 19/12/21 as it needed decorating. I have taken regular meter readings- on 15/12/21 reading was 14841 and on 23/12/21 it was 17936! I am a single person in a small 2 bed house so how is this possible?

Are there multiple meters at the property?

[Suem]

No just one meter. It is just a small semi detached house

[Suem]

I will do the creep test tomorrow but I am a pensioner and can not afford £160. My bill since 29/10 is £950 and it is only me here. Nothing has been left on and I have air source heating which is meant not to be expensive

[Suem]

No just 1 meter, no gas just electricity

[theunknowntech]

Thanks. I know enough about ASHP to know they can be somewhat inexpensive as long as you use them correctly. The costs can surge if they're badly optimised though.

The Creep Test should help to figure out if there's a meter fault, but it can be expensive. If you're unable to pay the cost of a MAT though, don't worry. I think arrangements can be made to figure something out, especially if you're already on the Priority Services Register. This why I always prefer to recommend the Creep Test first, as it means you run less risk of losing that £160.

[Beki]

@theunknowntech I definitely agree with you. @Suem, you can always pop me a private message so that we can have a look into your account with an Energy Specialist. Here if you need me 😊