Power bills high, inconsistent, non-sensical

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#2604821 16-Nov-2020 16:00

rogercruse:
We changed to Electric Kiwi and our power bill isn't that complex.

We also get daily usage information. Plus other benefits like: a daily 'Hour of Power' where all the electric used in the hour is free - which is enough to top up the hot water tank and warm up the house in the morning, discount on prepayment, etc.

Me too, their information is easy to comprehend, their service easy to interact with & pricing is as sharp as I've found - especially if you use the Hour of Power to your advantage.

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Jase2985

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#2605483 17-Nov-2020 14:18

its 3 and a bits months worth of chargers over winter.

Little bit higher than average but nothing too extreme.

orangegreen

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#2605802 18-Nov-2020 07:18

Thanks. It turns out the company that does the meter reads took four months to send the meter reads to the power company. We now know that we can send a photo of the meter a few days before billing and get an accurate bill. Thanks for everyone's help.

Bung

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#2605843 18-Nov-2020 09:20

What type of meter do you actually have? Having to have someone read your meter doesn't match the company's statement that all customers need smart meters. With a smart meter Ecotricity should be supplying average daily and hourly consumption readings so you can see if there is something unusual about your usage patterns.

orangegreen

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#2605871 18-Nov-2020 10:04

We have a legacy meter, there is actually a smart meter but because it's an area with no cell coverage it doesn't work. We do have a vodafone sure signal box that's gives cell signal but I'm told there isn't yet a way of it communicating via this or wifi. There is something unusual about our usage, it spikes at 3am.. But my guess is the usage chart is irrelevant as there is nothing actually measuring the every 30 minute readings a smart meter would record and send to the supplier?

Dratsab

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#2605898 18-Nov-2020 10:38

orangegreen: Thanks. It turns out the company that does the meter reads took four months to send the meter reads to the power company. We now know that we can send a photo of the meter a few days before billing and get an accurate bill. Thanks for everyone's help.

If you talk to them [nicely] you might also find they're quite amenable to allowing you to pay the bill off over a period of months without penalty, given that this situation is not your fault.

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Paul1977

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#2605944 18-Nov-2020 12:39

orangegreen: We have a legacy meter, there is actually a smart meter but because it's an area with no cell coverage it doesn't work. We do have a vodafone sure signal box that's gives cell signal but I'm told there isn't yet a way of it communicating via this or wifi. There is something unusual about our usage, it spikes at 3am.. But my guess is the usage chart is irrelevant as there is nothing actually measuring the every 30 minute readings a smart meter would record and send to the supplier?

If you have a legacy meter how do you know your usage is spiking at 3am? Are you watching the meter?

webwat

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#2606552 18-Nov-2020 23:28

Check that your hot water cylinder isn't leaking power, if its a few years since you changed the sacrificial anode then might be corrosion on the element. Even a little bit of power leakage can produce some big power bills because it also makes your cylinder less efficient.

Time to find a new industry!

matisyahu

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#2606555 18-Nov-2020 23:34

I used to have a dumb metre with Meridian and what I would do is get a bill each month, I would then send my metre reading via the Meridian website which would then issue me with a new bill based on the information I sent. I'm familiar with the service provider you're with but I'd enquire with hem whether they have a similar facility so then it is possible to submit metre readings on a monthly basis so that you have an accurate amount required to be paid.

"When the people are being beaten with a stick, they are not much happier if it is called 'the People's Stick'"

E3xtc

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#2606602 19-Nov-2020 08:35

Paul1977:

If you have a legacy meter how do you know your usage is spiking at 3am? Are you watching the meter?

Likely the OP is using the Ecotricity web ui which shows usage trends etc down to an hourly grain...maybe :)

Paul1977

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#2606625 19-Nov-2020 09:18

E3xtc:

Paul1977:

If you have a legacy meter how do you know your usage is spiking at 3am? Are you watching the meter?

Likely the OP is using the Ecotricity web ui which shows usage trends etc down to an hourly grain...maybe :)

But OP said multiple times it's on a dumb meter.

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