Smart meter high at night

  • JoeSoap's Avatar
    Level 91
    @aminpirzada

    This is a long shot but I wonder if your IHD is simply converting the standing charge that is probably applied just after midnight into that much worth of consumption on your IHD. Can you look at the overall cost so far at 1am and see what that is? Looking at my unit rates and standing charge then a cost of around 40p would be in order for that hour after consuming a baseline of around 150w after the standing charge is applied. If I had really consumed 1.06kW in that first hour after midnight then with the standing charge applied it would show around 68p on my IHD at 1am.

    Other than that, I concur with @Mailman and I would advise downloading the Hildebrand Bright app to see you actual historic consumption down to half-hourly intervals.

    EDIT.... The more I think about this, knowing IHDs aren't very hi-tech, I've read before that they cannot add standing charges to the cost that shows on the display. My charges as shown on my IHD do take the standing charge into account so just maybe that extra (fictional?) consumption is added after midnight to produce a real cost to the user as they monitor the IHD. I wonder if anyone like @retrotecchie or @theunknowntech can offer an opinion on this.
    Last edited by JoeSoap; 28-10-23 at 13:28.
    I'm an Eon Next dual fuel customer with no particular expertise but have some time on my hands that I am using to try and help out a bit.
  • JoeSoap's Avatar
    Level 91
    @aminpirzada

    Further to my post above, I found something interesting on British Gas website here and it says...

    ''The standing charge will appear on your monitor between midnight and 1am every day, so your smart energy monitor will show a slight spike in energy use at this time.''

    So, the IHD shows a spike in energy use between midnight and 1am. It's a matter of opinion as to what 'slight' is.

    I'm now more (fairly) sure that the standing charge is applied by showing a fictional consumption of an appropriate amount of kWh during that hour in question but that it doesn't somehow count towards you total usage for the day.

    I do of course stand to be corrected.
  • Mailman's Avatar
    Level 56
    @aminpirzada

    Further to my post above, I found something interesting on British Gas website here and it says...

    ''The standing charge will appear on your monitor between midnight and 1am every day, so your smart energy monitor will show a slight spike in energy use at this time.''

    So, the IHD shows a spike in energy use between midnight and 1am. It's a matter of opinion as to what 'slight' is.

    I'm now more (fairly) sure that the standing charge is applied by showing a fictional consumption of an appropriate amount of kWh during that hour in question but that it doesn't somehow count towards you total usage for the day.

    I do of course stand to be corrected.

    More often than not my IHD is set to kWh so when I looked at this today @ about 0730 it showed a total of something like 0.75 kWh (a normal amount I'd say). The first hour showed consumption of 0.08kWh (or 80Wh) with the maximum of 0.13kWh (or 130Wh) between 0500-0600 all due to the cycling of the FF I'd say. Friday's figures were slightly less at 0.06kWh and 0.08kWh respectively so I'll double check this on Sunday. If a 'slight' draw happens on the IHD between 0000 and 0100 it is statistically insignificant compared to my 24/7 appliance items (FF/Router/VM box).

    Re the standing charge, I'll have a look at my IHD just after midnight tonight (if I remember). It usually goes totally blank before populating the data for the next day. The electricity IHD kWh number increments in real-time (with only a slight delay) but I'd be surprised if the first visible kWh reading just after midnight is anything above 0.01 kWh but the £ electricity cost should reflect the SC shoved onto the IHD i.e I should expect to see 51p (my current SC for electricity) as soon as the IHD springs to life. If it takes 30 mins to spring into life forget it as I shall be in the land of nod by then. 😁
  • JoeSoap's Avatar
    Level 91
    @Mailman

    Thanks for that. I still hope that @aminpirzada can check the cost on the IHD at 1am. Maybe some work differently than others or dark forces are at work.

    I will be in bed at midnight but perhaps my assistant tester @WizzyWigg can stay up until 1am to monitor his IHD 🤞😂
  • WizzyWigg's Avatar
    Level 78
    @Mailman

    Thanks for that. I still hope that @aminpirzada can check the cost on the IHD at 1am. Maybe some work differently than others or dark forces are at work.

    I will be in bed at midnight but perhaps my assistant tester @WizzyWigg can stay up until 1am to monitor his IHD 🤞😂
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  • JoeSoap's Avatar
    Level 91
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    Stand easy No. 2. I knew you wouldn’t let me down 👍
  • WizzyWigg's Avatar
    Level 78
    Stand easy No. 2. I knew you wouldn’t let me down 👍
    Sir....... Standing easy.........Sir . 😉
  • Mailman's Avatar
    Level 56
    A modest but mystery spike in my usage last night has been resolved.

    Went to my garage via the back door to fill up with essential supplies of 🍺 and noticed that the outside security light came on. So a slight spike in my usage last night (recorded on Bright) would have been due (probably) to the resident hedgehog who had come out for his night-time stroll activating the PIR sensor lights (which I never saw BTW). Normally I don't have them on overnight, so switched it off for tonight expecting the overnight consumption to be back to 'normal' at circa 0.58 kWh 'ish (instead of 0.75 kWh) that was consumed last night.

    Don't tell Burglar Bill 🥃
  • meldrewreborn's Avatar
    Level 91
    I’ll be up at the required time - especially as we get a bonus hour tonight.

    However I’ll be of no use to the observations because I don’t have a smart meter or IHD to stare at.

    Earlier though, if the sky is clear, there’s a partial lunar eclipse to see!
    Current Eon Next and EDF customer, ex Zog and Symbio. Don't think dual fuel saves money and don't like smart meters. Chronologically Gifted. If I offend let me know by private message, but I’ll continue to express my opinions nonetheless.
  • retrotecchie's Avatar
    Level 92
    @meldrewreborn

    It's grim here, but it was clear last night and we had a cracking full moon. I won't be out staring at the heavens tonight as they seem to be coming down in liquid form this evening.
    Don't shoot me, I'm only the piano player. I DON'T work for or on behalf of EON.Next, but am willing to try and help if I can. Not on mains gas, mobile network or mains drainage. House heated almost entirely by baby dragons.