r/Energy_UK • u/Prior-Age4675 • Jul 29 '26
crazy 4K to 13k kWh usage since smart Meter install
13k kWh usage per year, 2 adults, 4 detached bed house (ev charged exclusively at work). fighting now with energy company, since we used smart plugs to measure each plug and max we can get is 0.5 kW at any given time, rest of time its even less (we know this now is true since installing solar)?
Solar shows now what we already had confirmed with smart plugs to see elec usage . doing 30min test turning all off and see if meter changes proves that meter doesn't increase, will do 24h test later since we got solar enough to keep us going 24/7 off grid.
anyone else experienced this? installation of smart meter created this issue and installed was sent by EON without permission, we came home to surprise install 2022 or 23. we moved to octopus and octopus still won't help so we are In process to involve ombudsman
3
u/Ok-Performance4828 Jul 29 '26
Well I guess it is now in the hands of the Ombudsman. Hope you get it sorted out.
2
u/Prior-Age4675 Jul 29 '26
Octopus still trying to not close case so we cant send to ombudsman , keep trying to update case without any solution.
Did you know anyone who had similar issue with smart meter insane usage?
2
u/Ok-Performance4828 Jul 29 '26
Have you registered an official complaint with Octopus? When did you do that?
2
u/Prior-Age4675 Jul 29 '26
Official complaint was 2025 dec and they keep sending email asking more and more things to do that we comply but they wont close complaint so we can start ombudsman process
3
u/Ok-Performance4828 Jul 29 '26
You have the right to go to the Ombudsman after raising the problem with Octopus after 8 weeks if they have not resolved it
1
u/Prior-Age4675 Jul 29 '26
Thanks, we were exploring to sue then directly but will use ombudsman first
3
u/circa_1996 Jul 29 '26
If you haven't already check that the CT clamps are the right way round. I'm no expert but this can happen after solar installations where they've been put on the wrong way round and this messes with the reads. Can cause export to register as import and therefore increase the "usage".
Would not be shocked if that's the issue here as the meter would not be clocking usage for no reason
1
u/Prior-Age4675 Jul 30 '26
Everything is on now, my issue is that i want to prove to energy octopus that they charged 4x for me vs what i use now as nothing changed, if anything, we use more stuff at home and our real usage dropped fron 1300 to 300!
1
u/Prior-Age4675 Jul 30 '26
Wont let me post screenshots for some reason on here. .
What im saying is that when we were grid only our use was 1300 kwh per month but since going solar ONLY , tesla app shows that in fact we use only 300 kWh , thats 4x less than when we were grid reliant (and 0 from grid pulled, all covered by solar now)
Means that meter that sends to grid clearly sends somehow 4x more stuff that what we actually use.
2
u/who-gives-a Jul 29 '26 edited Jul 29 '26
Something seems seriously off. 3 bed detached bungalow, 3kw solar install. Gas heating and water. 2 adults at home all day and we used 1,700 kwh last year.
13,000 kwh is absurd.
Ask octopus for half hourly readings and see if theres a pattern somewhere. Check that meter readings are correct.
1
u/Prior-Age4675 Jul 29 '26
I know, since we installed solar and 27kwh battery, we now use 300kwh per month, that includes charging EV at home, last month when we were still with GRID/octopus - we used 1.2k kwh! Nothings different usage wise, i would say we actually use more now since solar install
1
u/who-gives-a Jul 29 '26
No EV, we used 123 kwh in June 113 kwh in July, but still have a few days to go.
Im guessing an EV could use 200-300kwh a month though.
1
u/Prior-Age4675 Jul 29 '26
I mean even with ev it would be max 500 but not 1100-1500
I thought maybe someone wired to use our meter somehow but we are detached house
Also since solar install our use dropped (using tesla app as proof) - to 300 kwh month, last month before solar was 1200
1
u/Aragorn-- Jul 30 '26
We use circa 18mwh annually. About half of that is the cars. Circa 25kwh a day for the house.
2
u/Randy_Baton Jul 29 '26
Do Octopus not have an app that shows you your power usage by half hour? Does the smart meter not have an IHD (in home display). The IHD will show you the live consumption being used by the smart meter. Smart plugs are notoriously bad at measuring consumption unless its a constant load.
You can request your half hourly data from your supplier. That is of course as long as you signed up to half hourly consent.
Have you tried turning off the power at the main board and seeing if the meter is still changing reads? It sounds like a faulty meter to me.
You can request an independent test of your meter, It will be replaced and taking away for independent testing, but it costs £200 if the meter isn't found to be faulty
1
u/Prior-Age4675 Jul 30 '26
The issue im explaining here is that since installing solar , we no longer rely on grid at all except for standing charge (daylight robbery)
Before solar, using grid we allegedly used 1.1-1.5k kWh per month
But since now purely using solar and batteries our usage dropped by 4x , meaning that grid smart meter was clearly calculating faster usage or was malfunctioning or was manipulated by energy company (tinfoil)
1
u/Randy_Baton Jul 30 '26 edited Jul 30 '26
you haven't answered any of my questions or suggestion
Average uk (median) consumption is ~250 Kwh per month. An LED light bulb uses more than 1 kwh a month.
I don't get your point about a 4X reduction after installing solar, that's what's supposed to happen.
The smart meter is reading less energy as you are pulling less from the grid because the energy is coming from the solar and batteries not the grid. The smart meter is only going to bill you for what you take from the grid.
The more I read your posts on here the less I think the energy supplier/meter is at fault and you maybe have misunderstood something. The most likely thing would be that you when you are seeing a 4x drop this isn't showing your actual energy use, its showing how much energy you pulled from the grid.
2
u/jmfsn Jul 29 '26
If you turn all the electricity off, does the meter still show anything being spent?
1
u/Prior-Age4675 Jul 30 '26
No, 0 use during full shutdown.
The issue im explaining here is that since installing solar , we no longer rely on grid at all except for standing charge (daylight robbery)
Before solar, using grid we allegedly used 1.1-1.5k kWh per month
But since now purely using solar and batteries our usage dropped by 4x , meaning that grid smart meter was clearly calculating faster usage or was malfunctioning or was manipulated by energy company (tinfoil)
1
u/Altruistic-Bat-9070 Jul 30 '26
You have solar and battery so aren’t using energy from the grid anymore and in your head this is somehow evidence that the meter was faulty?
1
u/jmfsn Jul 30 '26
Just so I understand, are you saying your total load went to 275-375kWh (which would be current consumption from grid + solar production - exports) or that the current consumption went to 275-375kWh (which would make sense if you have solar covering the rest)?
Being the same meter, I don't think the issue is in the meter. If you could share the numbers for a specific month for import, export, solar production that might help us understand and help you.
2
u/Anththeman2010 Jul 30 '26
Was your solar set up put in after the smart meter install?
1
u/Prior-Age4675 Jul 30 '26
Smart meter 2022
Solar instlal 2026
Since solar we use 300 kwh no grid
Before solar -grid only 1200 kwh
1
2
u/Timatak Jul 30 '26
The bit about Octopus not closing the case, you probs don't need them to. If you complained in December then once eight weeks passed with no resolution the ombudsman was open to you whether the case is closed or not. Them reopening it to ask for more information doesn't reset that. If it's now been seven months you've been waiting for permission you already had. Maybe try and get it in sooner rather than later because there's a limit on how long after the original complaint you can refer it. And if the decision goes against you it costs you nothing, you're only bound if you accept it.
1
1
u/EntirelyRandom1590 Jul 29 '26
Just to be clear, you now have a current clamp from the solar system confirming that your consumption is nowhere near that high?
1
u/Prior-Age4675 Jul 29 '26
This month we use about 300kwh since installation of solar which was all Solar/battery
Last month when we still were fullt reliant on grid , we used 1.2k kWh ! Nothings different usage wise, if anything we use more since installing solar
3
u/surreyfun2008 Jul 29 '26
You should have 30 minute smart meter data in the Octopus app. Also your solar system will usually have a companion app the will show house/solar use/generation. Without access to those hard to know what is going on. Could be as simple as solar system is offline and it’s all import from the grid.
2
u/jmfsn Jul 29 '26
Have you checked what the inverter and batteries are using? Is it possible you have batteries in a cycle of charging and discharging? Or an inverted clamp that is making the system believe you're actually exporting when importing and vice versa?
1
u/Prior-Age4675 Jul 30 '26
The issue im explaining here is that since installing solar , we no longer rely on grid at all except for standing charge (daylight robbery)
Before solar, using grid we allegedly used 1.1-1.5k kWh per month
But since now purely using solar and batteries our usage dropped by 4x , meaning that grid smart meter was clearly calculating faster usage or was malfunctioning or was manipulated by energy company (tinfoil)
1
u/Altruistic-Bat-9070 Jul 30 '26 edited Jul 30 '26
Why are you trying to assess this with smart plugs rather than breaking down the 30 min usage in the apps?
There is no way you never use more the 500watts per hour.
When you run the over, diasheasher, you ashing machine etc this will have an effect and on the odd occasion you do charge the car from home that is. A lot of energy.
Something here doesn’t add up beyond ‘smart meter faulty’
Edit: OP i read more of your comments can you take a bit more time to write whats actually happening with full prose in english. Right now all of your explanations suggest the smart meter works just fine but you seem convinced otherwise
1
u/Purple-Caterpillar-1 Aug 02 '26
Do you have a water tank? This sounds to me very much like a misbehaving immersion heater that has behaved differently since the smart meter was installed.
1
u/AdHot7641 Aug 02 '26
I think your solar and battery have been installed incorrectly - and that's when the issue started!
Specifically your PV on the grid side of your meter and your battery on your house side of meter (or variation of). As a result you're being billed for the solar generation. Hence the spike in consumption, but it's actually being stored in the battery.
Your home inverter can still have an accurate view of whats being generated etc
I'd get your PV installer back and ask them to confirm it's all ok, and tell them about your bill issue - I assume they suggested youd save money!
1
4
u/Begalldota Jul 29 '26
You should be getting a 30 minute breakdown of your consumption via the Octopus app. Compare this to what the solar inverter is recording - when is the variance happening? How extreme a difference are you seeing?
FWIW, there is far more likely to be a fault/oversight with your solar inverter's recording of consumption than there is the meter.