Noticing a malfunction in your electric meter can be worrying, but it"s important to stay calm and take the right steps to address the issue. An electric meter is a critical device that tracks your electricity usage, ensuring you are billed accurately by your utility provider. When it malfunctions, it can lead to incorrect billing or even safety hazards. So, what should you do if you suspect your meter isn"t working properly?
It’s crucial to first confirm the problem. Look for overt indications of tampering or damage. Verify that there are no error messages and that the meter’s display is operating properly. Minor issues can sometimes be fixed with a straightforward reset. But if the issue continues, it’s time to act more forcefully.
Next, get in touch with your electricity supplier right now. Tell them about the possible issue and include any information you have noticed. Most likely, a technician will be dispatched to examine the meter and identify the source of the issue. Always remember that it’s dangerous and against the law to tamper with the meter yourself; leave this to the experts.
Watch how much electricity you use in the interim and make an effort to stick to your regular consumption habits. Keep an eye out for any anomalies in your power supply or billing. When the technician arrives, having this documentation can help solve the problem faster.
You can guarantee that any issues with your electric meter are resolved quickly, protecting your house and your bills by being watchful and adhering to these procedures.
- Types of electricity meters and their problems
- Possible malfunctions of the electricity meter
- What should a subscriber do if he notices a malfunction?
- What not to do
- Do not try to fix the problem yourself
- You can"t help but react to a breakdown
- Electric meter fault detection
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Types of electricity meters and their problems
There are two primary types of electricity meters that are commonly found in our homes and apartments today:
- Induction devices. In this case, there is a metal disk on the meter display that begins to rotate when an electric current occurs (electromagnetic induction). This disk is connected to gears that transmit rotation to wheels with numbers (counter readings).
- Electronic devices. Here, analog signals coming to the sensor are converted into a digital code, which is displayed on the device display. You do not need to watch the disk rotate, since it is not here – a red diode lamp on the display notifies about the normal operation of the meter.
Possible malfunctions of the electricity meter
The electricity meter may not function for a number of reasons, including loose connections, vandalism, power surges, network overload, and equipment defects from the factory.
Loosely fastened wires on the terminal contacts may cause a metering device fire. Constant sparking melts plastic, which can occasionally catch fire (this is extremely rare, but it does happen). The meter will get damaged and will need to be replaced, but it is unlikely that this will start a fire. Unfortunately, common vandalism could have been the cause of the fire when the accounting equipment was situated on a common panel in the entrance.
It should not be assumed that such devices ignite like paper – the plastic from which the body is made can only burn with an open fire and as soon as the original source dies out, the flame goes out. So the problem here is not fire, but melting – the terminals are deprived not only of their protective casing, but also of the base on which they are attached. Such melting sometimes happens when there is an overload – the induction counter reacts to it with a hum, and the electronic light simply starts blinking frequently, but neither one nor the other can be noticed. If this happens, then you will need a more powerful device.
Additionally, the body may sustain damage (cracks or pieces knocked out); this occurs occasionally during furniture moves and is also a result of vandalism. The gadget needs to be replaced in both situations.
However, suppose you check the device’s monthly readings and discover that they are nearly twice as high as the consumption from the previous month. Although you should contact your electricity supplier about this, you should take the following into consideration before acting on it:
- The day began to wane and it began to get dark much earlier. When daylight hours decrease, this does not mean that people start turning on the lights in all rooms, wasting electricity, no, they watch TV and turn on the computer more often.
- It"s also getting cooler and many people are turning on the electric kettle to make themselves a hot drink. Coffee machines and coolers can also be connected to the network, although this applies more to offices. People are starting to use hot water more often, therefore, the electric boiler consumes more energy.
- Even at home, not to mention offices, in the autumn cold, when centralized heating has not yet been connected, they use various electric heaters such as a blower, a fireplace, a heater.
Note: Because the air conditioner is running nonstop during the summer, there may be a noticeable increase in electricity consumption.
What should a subscriber do if he notices a malfunction?
Then, what should you do if the electric meter malfunctions? The first thing a subscriber should do is get in touch with the electricity supplier, either verbally or in writing. Payment receipts must include the address and phone number of the supplier. Don’t try to explain the situation at the level of a highly educated power engineer; instead, describe it as you see and understand it. In any case, the company representative will advise you on what to do next; most likely, they will ask you to remain at home so they can visit you. However, local laws may vary, so the process might be a little bit different.
This is how an approximate troubleshooting algorithm looks:
- You pay at the bank specified by the company for the call and work of the electrician (usually it is within 650-750 rubles). After providing a receipt for payment by the subscriber, the replacement request is recorded by the operator.
- You are assigned a day on which someone must be at home to allow the inspector to see the electrical appliance – he will record the readings and draw up a report on the need to install a new appliance. You don’t have to be at home – you can ask one of your relatives, friends or neighbors. Most often the time is specified (before or after lunch).
- On your part, if the electricity meter breaks down, you will have to pay for a new device. Its cost will be from 620 rubles or more – it all depends on the model of the device and the type of metering. After this, an electrician will come and carry out the replacement, but the dispatcher will again agree with you on the time of his visit.
The subscriber also has the option of contacting the management company directly; the phone number is readily available online. This is the most extreme scenario, though, as any supplier who finds out that his subscriber’s electricity meter has malfunctioned is only motivated to replace it because it generates revenue, which they are unlikely to give up willingly. Furthermore, there is always red tape involved and a longer wait time when appealing to higher authorities; that being said, a supplier representative will still contact you in the end.
To guarantee correct billing and avoid any safety risks, customers should notify their utility company right away if they discover a problem with their electric meter. To aid the utility company in rapidly diagnosing and resolving the issue, it is crucial to furnish precise information about the problem, such as anomalous readings or apparent damage. Subscribers should also avoid doing any repairs on their own as this could be risky and might not comply with local laws. By taking these actions, you can minimize any interruption to their electrical service and ensure that the malfunction is handled safely and effectively.
What not to do
To begin with, everyone is aware that you shouldn’t go where you shouldn’t, but not everyone follows this sensible and straightforward guideline. There are a few reasons why you shouldn’t attempt to fix your own electricity meter if it is broken.
Do not try to fix the problem yourself
Reasons for not doing tasks yourself:
- First of all, such actions are dangerous to human health and even life. Danger of electric shock. The risk increases significantly when the meter is located in the entrance on a common control panel. The meters are hung there quite tightly and at the same time the zero buses are open – for someone who does not understand the structure of such equipment, this can end in disaster.
- You may accidentally damage one of the seals installed on the device. Then you are unlikely to be able to convince company representatives that it was an accident and as a result you will have to pay a considerable fine (they are also interested in this).
- If the electric meter is broken and you try to remove it yourself, you may touch the connection terminals of your neighbors, and they will be left without light. This will result in an additional call for an electrician, for which you need to pay, and, at a minimum, damaged relationships with residents who are without electricity.
You can"t help but react to a breakdown
Russians have a tendency to act rashly, so if one person rushes to fix an issue on his own, like when something breaks in the electric meter, the other person won’t do anything. In this instance, it would not be detrimental for the subscriber to keep in mind that, upon entering into a contract with the electricity provider, he accepted responsibility for keeping an eye on the metering device’s safety and documenting its state. Therefore, if inspectors visit your home and discover an unavoidable problem, they will probably accuse you of purposefully hiding information because you can’t afford to pay the entire monthly fee. A significant fine is also a threat with this.
You will not be held accountable if you promptly report a malfunction or unintentional breach of the seal. The only expenses you will have to cover are those for the gadget and/or electrician services (seal replacement is included).
Naturally, one may wonder, quite legitimately, "How to pay a monthly fee if the electricity meter is broken?" in this situation. Here, however, things are straightforward: payments for the previous three months are collected, and the average indicator—which is what you should pay attention to—is shown.
The control light only shows that the device is receiving a load, so the subscriber should also routinely verify that the electric meter is operating correctly (everything was simpler with disks). Therefore, it is imperative that you get in touch with the supplier as soon as you notice that the readings have not changed in a few hours or over the last 24 hours.
Note: They may attempt to impose a hefty fine on you even if the breakdown was not your fault and you failed to report it in a timely manner. In such cases, your only option is to request an independent examination, which will come at additional cost.
Electric meter fault detection
It is obvious to detect damage if your meter is burned out or struck by something, but there are other malfunctions that could endanger your safety.
The number of kilowatts, which for some reason has increased sharply compared to previous readings, is usually the only thing that is immediately checked when there is no deformation, blackness from smoke, or mechanical damage to the case. If you suspect something, you can set up a quick test to support or contradict your suspicions.
Remove all current collectors from your home or apartment, including those used for tablet or phone charging. Use an indicator screwdriver to ensure that no appliance is drawing power. If the light bulb illuminates in both sockets after inserting the tip into the first one, it indicates that there is another connection and that there is a voltage reaction at zero in a closed circuit. The indicator will only function when it comes into contact with a phase wire if everything is off.
Now look at the readings on the meter, including the red numbers – record them on paper so as not to forget. Take any light bulb that indicates its power – this indicator will serve as a starting point for checking. Start a stopwatch on some gadget and connect the lighting device to the network for exactly 10 minutes. Let’s say the light bulb power is 40 W (lighting fixtures indicate the consumption of watts per hour), which means that in 10 minutes the readings should be 60/40*10=15 W. That is, in ten minutes the numbers on the board should increase by 15 watts, but given that the power on household appliances does not always correspond to reality, we can assume that they will increase by 16, or in extreme cases, by 17 watts. But if they increase by 50 or even 100 W, then you need to urgently sound the alarm – you are paying for non-existent electricity consumption.
Take the electric meter display in the top photo, for instance. Given that there are 1000 watts in a kilowatt, the final two digits represent hundreds of watts rather than tens. This indicates that the displayed readings should be interpreted as 600 W rather than 60 W. Consequently, there should be no more than 61 in ten minutes of operation for a 40-watt light bulb. Should the amount prove to be greater, the counter’s operation is flawed.
Step | Description |
1 | Verify the malfunction |
2 | Document the issue |
3 | Contact the electricity provider |
4 | Follow the provider"s instructions |
5 | Keep records of all communications |
6 | Ensure a technician inspects the meter |
7 | Verify the problem is resolved |
In the event that you discover an issue with your electric meter, you should take prompt, appropriate action. Ignoring the problem may result in unsafe situations or even inaccurate billing.
First, report the issue to your utility provider. They will give you instructions on what to do next and might send a technician to look over and possibly replace the malfunctioning meter.
Avert tampering with the meter yourself while you wait for the technician. Untrained handling of electrical equipment can be hazardous and exacerbate the issue.
Note down all of the details of your correspondence with the utility company, including the dates and reference numbers. If there are disagreements or a need for follow-up, this can be helpful.
You can maintain the security of your electrical system and guarantee accurate billing by taking quick action to fix a malfunctioning electric meter. To effectively manage the electricity in your home, be proactive and knowledgeable.