Faulty Pre-Paid Electricity Meter (City of Cape Town)

[FGRL]

Key Points:

Location: Century City

Property Details: 2 bedroom unit in Century on Lake

Number of People: 2

Regular Electricity Consumption: 74.1 units per week (6 full days and half of the 7th)

Problem Statement

We are pedantic with our electricity consumption and use R150 (74 units) per week (a running report is maintained) and it appears that our consumption has increased dramatically in the past few days.

Further Information

Consumption tracking for the past few months:


*Note the sudden change from 13/03/19


Consumption Tracking (13 hours)



The above details my checks since last night, after 0 units kicked in at 7 am I basically put in 71.4 units and started tracking usage, I started with a base test (no changes) and confirmed the rapid decrease, however, I tested further by proceeding to switch off all fans, non-essential plugs etc and still found a rapid decline, ultimately I switched off DB main switch and all other switches and waited...

0.5 units in 15 minutes.... eish!!!

So I logged a call with City of Cape Town and they came out and said the only option is to physically go to a municipal office, pay R800 and log a request for an “accuracy test of residential meter on site”.....

If they come out and the meter is faulty we get the R800 back and a new meter, if the meter is not faulty we lose the R800.

What are the lease provisions in cases like this and have any of you ever had a situation like this before?

Any advice appreciated!

FYI: I don’t have the R800!!!!!

 

[Marsie27]

I don't know the answers to your questions, but before you go further maybe check that your fridge and freezer aren't running all the time and that the thermostats didn't get messed up by loadshedding? Is your geyser on a timer that's gone and it's heating 24/7 instead of maybe 1/24? Can you check if your geyser thermostat isn't messed up?

 

[Pineapple Smurf]

what model number is your pre paid meter coz mine is new (less than 2 years old) and i can see how much power it is consuming by dialing 050 Enter on it
If you switch all your appliances off do this test and see how much power is still trickling through.

 

[FGRL]

I don't know the answers to your questions, but before you go further maybe check that your fridge and freezer aren't running all the time and that the thermostats didn't get messed up by loadshedding? Is your geyser on a timer that's gone and it's heating 24/7 instead of maybe 1/24? Can you check if your geyser thermostat isn't messed up?

Brand new Bosch energy efficient fridge/freezer that is working like a charm. To be safe I switched it off for an hour and the electricity still reduced sadly....

Geyser is one of those weird wall installations that only heat up as you use electricity (like an external box on the wall thingymajig). Same test applied as above...

In fact when I switched off my master DB board switched the electricity meter remained on and told me the immediate consumption (by entering #1#) was 1 unit!!!

Crazy!

 

[FGRL]

what model number is your pre paid meter coz mine is new (less than 2 years old) and i can see how much power it is consuming by dialing 050 Enter on it
If you switch all your appliances off do this test and see how much power is still trickling through.

Conlog BEC44-05



The only code that works on this old lady is #1# which shows immediate usage.... when DB is off it shows 1 and when kettle is on it shows 3 and when hot water running it shows 13....

 

[Pineapple Smurf]

from what you are saying the meter shows:
1 kilowatt when switched off
3 kilowatts when kettle is on (my kettle uses 2 kilowatts)
13 kilowatts when geyser is on (my geyser uses 2 kilowatts)

If so then there is something seriously wrong with that meter. But that is if it is showing it in kilowatts.
Please post another photo of kettle on and after you press #1# (same as my 050 Enter).

 

[FGRL]

Before Kettle switched on:


After Kettle switched on:

 

[FGRL]

from what you are saying the meter shows:
1 kilowatt when switched off
3 kilowatts when kettle is on (my kettle uses 2 kilowatts)
13 kilowatts when geyser is on (my geyser uses 2 kilowatts)

If so then there is something seriously wrong with that meter. But that is if it is showing it in kilowatts.
Please post another photo of kettle on and after you press #1# (same as my 050 Enter).

Done. See my post!

 

[FGRL]

Weird ass geyser thingymajig:


Photo before switching on kitchen hot water:



Photo after running kitchen hot water tap for 30’seconds:




OMG!!! 19!!!!

 

[Pineapple Smurf]

that tells me 3 kilowatts per hr with kettle on
Doesn't make sense, never heard of a kettle using so much power.

19 000 watts per hr with geyser on

1.2KW per hr with nothing running.

Right now at home here on my own i am using 0,37KW running my fridge, hifi, 1 light, wifi, laptop, external monitor, wifi in kitchen, extractor fan in toilet.

Something isn't right here. My opinion is something isnt right with your meter and i would get it looked at. But get more opinions here first please, Good Luck

 

[Marsie27]

That meter looks the same as the one in our flat down in Fish Hoek that was there when we bought the flat in 2008 (and it didn't look new then), and not like the one installed in our Claremont house in 2014, so I guess it could be a similar age and could be faulty? Possible loadshedding casualty?

 

[Pineapple Smurf]

PS your geyser is pulling 80 amps which i find impossible as most houses are capped with a 60 amp breaker to run EVERYTHING - clearly not lekker there in your home

 

[Marsie27]

No strange wires hooked up to your pole outside that somebody's feeding off? Happens a lot in some places I gather.

 

[Marsie27]

PS your geyser is pulling 80 amps which i find impossible as most houses are capped with a 60 amp breaker to run EVERYTHING - clearly not lekker there in your home

Those 'instant' geysers are not like normal ones. We had one for a few years nearly 20 years ago and I vaguely remember it pulled hectic amps when it was running.

 

[FGRL]

that tells me 3 kilowatts per hr with kettle on
Doesn't make sense, never heard of a kettle using so much power.

19 000 watts per hr with geyser on

1.2KW per hr with nothing running.

Right now at home here on my own i am using 0,37KW running my fridge, hifi, 1 light, wifi, laptop, external monitor, wifi in kitchen, extractor fan in toilet.

Something isn't right here. My opinion is something isnt right with your meter and i would get it looked at. But get more opinions here first please, Good Luck

Yeah, so off I go tomorrow to Rosemead Electricity Department to pay R800 to get someone out (and hopefully between now and then the house doesn’t blow up!!)

 

[FGRL]

That meter looks the same as the one in our flat down in Fish Hoek that was there when we bought the flat in 2008 (and it didn't look new then), and not like the one installed in our Claremont house in 2014, so I guess it could be a similar age and could be faulty? Possible loadshedding casualty?

It appears Century on Lake was built quite a long time ago and Inmust admit that in the 6 months we’ve been here there has been a few noticeable aged items!!! I reckon you’re right!!

 

[FGRL]

PS your geyser is pulling 80 amps which i find impossible as most houses are capped with a 60 amp breaker to run EVERYTHING - clearly not lekker there in your home

Eek!! I don’t know what this means but it sounds like i should be worried!!

 

[FGRL]

No strange wires hooked up to your pole outside that somebody's feeding off? Happens a lot in some places I gather.

We live in a complex and I can’t even see a pole anywhere near me....

 

[FGRL]

Those 'instant' geysers are not like normal ones. We had one for a few years nearly 20 years ago and I vaguely remember it pulled hectic amps when it was running.

We quickly reduced temp from 60 to 50 degrees and it reduced consumption from 19 to 12..... it is definitely a heavy user!!

 

[FGRL]

EDIT: My dear husband insists I inform you that the “thingymajig” is actually a tankless water heater.