My electric meter wheel still moves even when I switch my electric off!

[RazorSHarp]

Even with your electric off, there will be some small charge getting through. My father in law is an industrial electrician and did the schematics for some of BNFL's stations, he told me that each year about 3% of our bill is for electric we never use.

[Joe9T]

3% of our bill is for electric we never use.

 

Does that mean we are obliged to pay for it, though?

 

If we haven't used it, then really we shouldn't be charged for it.

[goldenfleece]

Why cannot hamsters be used to generate electricity/ Simply wire a hamster's wheel up to the national grid and let it generate power as it moves.

 

All unemployed chavs should be chained up for this very purpose:)

[PrincessKate]

Why should we be charged for the cost of powering the meter?

That's NOT electricity actually used within the home.

My meter is outside!

 

 

So will be your outside lights, you not paying for them?

 

contact your supplier, if ure still on a "wheel" meter, thats very old, and not as accurate as the new ones

[Frank Sidney]

I'm sure there is some sort of fiddle for the company involved and you can't do anything about it.

[Dhimmi]

Even with your electric off, there will be some small charge getting through. My father in law is an industrial electrician and did the schematics for some of BNFL's stations, he told me that each year about 3% of our bill is for electric we never use.

Okay, so if all the appliances are switched off / unplugged, and every switch on the consumer unit is OFF and there is nothing else connected, where is the power going to? Ohm's law would have us believe that no current will flow, so no power will be lost! Do you want to argue against Georg Simon Ohm?

 

Perhaps the wiring is old with rubber insulation that is breaking-down? A fire will likely soon ensue if that is the case!

[Dhimmi]

I've tried this myself earlier on today and wish I hadn't because my burglar alarm went off and several clocks needed resetting! However, at least I know my burglar alarm needs a new battery now, and I also know that my meter shows absolutely no consumption when the power is switched off! Nothing moved at all in ten minutes.

[Joe9T]

I've tried this myself earlier on today and wish I hadn't because my burglar alarm went off and several clocks needed resetting! However, at least I know my burglar alarm needs a new battery now, and I also know that my meter shows absolutely no consumption when the power is switched off! Nothing moved at all in ten minutes.

 

Thanks for that Dhimmi, but i'm sorry about your burglar alarm going off!

I will be calling my energy co, but the prob is, if i have changed suppliers (3 times) in the last 11 years, WHO do i claim the money back from?

[Joe9T]

Apparently, according to my supplier, you have to wait about 30 minutes after turning the power off at the fuse box/mains, before checking the meter.

The meter has a memory of usage up to the point when the mains was switched off, so it can continue to move for up to half an hour after.

I'll check mine again after the mains has been turned off for at least half an hour and see if it is still registering usage>

[Dhimmi]

Apparently, according to my supplier, you have to wait about 30 minutes after turning the power off at the fuse box/mains, before checking the meter.

The meter has a memory of usage up to the point when the mains was switched off, so it can continue to move for up to half an hour after.

I'll check mine again after the mains has been turned off for at least half an hour and see if it is still registering usage>

Sounds like what they are saying is that yours is an 'integrating' meter. Is it a small white box with a digital display by any chance? Ours is an olde-worlde dual-rate analogue meter.