Prepaid meter eating units (Wh) without using it

D

Dooks111

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For two days now we have our mains breaker switched off.
We have a Conlog wCIU prepaid meter.
We live in City of Tshwane Municipality.

Date & TimeUnits (kWh)
11-03-2025 18:42275.89 kWh (Switched mains off)
12-03-2025 00:18275.88 kWh
12-03-2025 08:45275.86 kWh
12-03-2025 16:18275.85 kWh
13-03-2025 07:27275.83 kWh

As you can see it keeps on eating the units even though there is no connection whatsoever.
So do you also pay for the meter to be on over and above of what you use as well? (to me it seems like it)

It is not much but doesn't really seem fair - we were forced to get the prepaid meter.

Let me know your thoughts?
 
Looks like roughly 0.02 kWh every 8 hours, or 2.5Wh every hour.
So every 400 hours (16 days) you will lose 1 unit.
Or about 2 units per month.
 
If it is an old box meter that is inside your home "not the digital keypad with the main unit connected at the municipal side" then you probably seeing the meter consuming power for itself. It is is a new unit "keypad unit" and it main unit lives out side on the municipal side you might want to check if your cable isn't compromised in some way. That said I am sure the main unit also consumes power to stay alive and it might be that.
 
Your meter, not the CIU, needs electricity to run and the usage you see is most likely the meter consuming electricity..
 
WAslayer said:
Your meter, not the CIU, needs electricity to run and the usage you see is most likely the meter consuming electricity..
Click to expand...
I know but this is kind of the point I am trying to make, why is it setup to use units to run itself - so if you have zero units left, it will still stay on. Like @ajax worked out in a previous reply, its about 2 units a month basically to "run the prepaid meter".
On the current scales/rates (R 3.10879 incl. lowest - R 4.27317 incl. highest) it works out to about R6.22 - R8.55 per month just to keep the meter on.
 
It's the prepaid meter itself using electricity (~2 unit per month).

If you have 0 units your elec will switch off and the meter will not be powered.

Edit: I read now that you have the mains off. Not the meter then... curious.
 
Dooks111 said:
I know but this is kind of the point I am trying to make, why is it setup to use units to run itself - so if you have zero units left, it will still stay on. Like @ajax worked out in a previous reply, its about 2 units a month basically to "run the prepaid meter".
On the current scales/rates (R 3.10879 incl. lowest - R 4.27317 incl. highest) it works out to about R6.22 - R8.55 per month just to keep the meter on.
Click to expand...
The point you are trying to make is that you want the meter to run itself for free..
 
Longboi said:
It's the prepaid meter itself using electricity (~2 unit per month).

If you have 0 units your elec will switch off and the meter will not be powered.

Edit: I read now that you have the mains off. Not the meter then... curious.
Click to expand...
Us okes in durban with our ol' faithfull spinny disk meters use 0Wh.
 
WAslayer said:
The point you are trying to make is that you want the meter to run itself for free..
Click to expand...
Yes. Basically we are now forced to pay to run the municipalities meters over and above what they are smoking us for with the prepaid rates as well.

I know I know ... it is minuscule - but still. Lose-lose for the consumer
 
Dooks111 said:
Yes. Basically we are now forced to pay to run the municipalities meters over and above what they are smoking us for with the prepaid rates as well.

I know I know ... it is minuscule - but still. Lose-lose for the consumer
Click to expand...
Be more concerned about the upcoming VAT increase and lack of adjustment to the income tax brackets...
 
Yes, we will keep on losing in every which way direction in this country and there is absolutely nothing we can do about it - just move to another country where there are more drama and other issues. So just best to hush and accept what is happening currently.
 
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