Smart Meters. Am I being over-charged?

I have just had a phone call from someone at EDF to tell me that was a problem with our smart meter. She’s phoning back in a couple of hours because I told her I had no authority to authorise anything.
I then rang EDF on a different phone to check it was legitimate.
It is so how daft do I feel? Why do I think everything is a scam?

To OP - sorry I don’t know the answer to your query to how you can get a neutral reading.

There was a man on the radio recently who said he would be very surprised indeed if any of the meters he installed DID work because he had the briefest training having previously worked in a casino! 😝

Good morning
I have a smart metre and it is definitely not more expensive and you can ask to go on the priority list free of charge if your in the vulnerable or poorly category and also if you use more heating or electricity for illness reasons as you go then on a cheaper tariff still.

The same as the water company will do.

I heard on radio quite recently that they are not working correctly and people have been told by engineer fitting them that this is the case. My husband is retired Electrical Engineer and he won’t have one.

You could try a couple of simple tests on your meter before contacting the company. I assume it is electricity?

Firstly turn off every appliance in your home, not forgetting security systems, water softeners, clocks to cookers etc.
Observe the meter readings over an hour or so to see if anything is recording.

Buy an electricity usage monitor and record the usage of an assortment of appliances over an hour or two, and compare the readings on the monitor with your smart meter monitor.
Tumble dryer, dishwasher, washing machine or fan heater should give a good reading.

This should give you an indication of what is going on.

Do you know who lived there before annodomini?
If so I'd contact them and ask if they know how many units (kwh or whatever) they used.
Send them your info so they know you are asking in good faith.

Well you could change companies, they d take it out then

(I have so far refused one I prefer to do my own reading (after having a year long plus tangle with my company needing to use an ombudsman about huge mistakes on their part )

Thank you both so much for this information. I will be in touch with Scottish Power tomorrow and try to get things moving asap. The meter is a new on and I have only been in the flat for 10 months, so can't make comparisons with previous usage,
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You don't say how old your Smart Meter is, but I believe it was the earlier ones that were faulty, so I would investigate that. If it's a fairly new one then the chances of it being faulty are slim.

I'd be inclined to compare recent usage with last year's usage (or a similar period before you had the meter). Say Jan-Mar 2023 compared with Jan-Mar 2024. Not the cost but the units of gas and electricity used. Then you can see if there is any difference.

Yes, you can ask for an independent check.

www.gov.uk/guidance/gas-meter-accuracy-and-disputes

www.gov.uk/guidance/electricity-meter-accuracy-disputes

This is what those sites say:

Although the test is free, you may have to pay your energy supplier for organising it if your meter is found to be working correctly, which was the case for the vast majority of meters tested in 2021.

The Process

*Ask your energy supplier for an independent test of your meter. You will be contacted to agree a time for its removal and the installation of a replacement.

*It’s best to note your meter reading and serial number on the day it is disconnected.

*Your meter will be securely packaged and sent to an approved laboratory for testing by an independent examiner.

*The examiner will post you a certificate with the test results. A copy will be sent to your energy supplier and the meter owner if this is a different company.

*If your meter is working correctly, within the legal limits, the certificate will say it is accurate.

*If your meter is faulty, the certificate will say it is a failure, either stating how far it is outside the legal limits or noting that its readings are unreliable. Your energy supplier will contact you to sort matters out. This may involve compensating you for over-billing or agreeing a payment plan for under-billing.