Electric Power Meters

[Tig]

At our local curling club our electric bills have seemed excessive for years. This issue has been investigated by electricians and electrical engineers who are club members as well as by outside contractors. Summertime is the easiest time to investigate since the building is lightly used and the ice making equipment is turned off. Tracking club use and monitoring current does not even come close to to accounting for the power use we have been charged. The last study in July 2006 could not account for usage that equated to a 20 amp draw, all day, every day.
In the end our power company has been uncooperative so the club has always shrugged and paid the bill.
Last year the meter was vandalized and subsequently replaced. Now our power bills are 50% less per month, every month.
Does any one have any experience or knowledge of power meter operation or certification. Could a faulty meter rip us off like this for years?

 

[RobertN]

They(electric company panel meters) are not calibrated equipment. You could buy inexpensive power meters and have them log to an excel spreadsheet via a USB interface. The inexpensive ones I have seen are for low power 115V stuff though. Some go for $250 or so. They are made to plug in to a regular wall plug to meter things you would plug in like refriderators, TV's, computers etc.

You could open the electrical panel, and switch everything off. Then turn one circuit on at a time, with an amp clamp on the circuit. isolate each leg.

 

[RonMar]

An electrician with an amp clamp probes could monitor the incomming legs for current flow. This could be recorded with a digital volt meter with a record/log keeping function to compare actual use against the meters recorded use.

 

[chh]

It is my undestanding from talking to out power company that a faulty meter can overcharge you. According to them it is very rare for it to happen and my company will come out and check or switch a meter if you suspect a problem. They do charge you for a service call if nothing is wrong with the meter though. They do that to keep everybody that comes up with a high bill once and a while from demanding a meter change on a whim. They switched out all of our meters in the last 2 years though to a type than can be read from the office(no more meter readers) and they claim the newest generation of meters is not likely to have a problem. Based on that conversation with them then, Yes, a faulty meter can overcharge you for years.

 

[ultrarunner]

Had a similar issue when my brother was renting a small shop area and the utilities were included with his rent.

About 6 months in, the property owner's son said my brother is using too much electricity and the rent was increased.

I did a quick calculation and determined there is no-way my brother could be using much power based on the equipment he had.

I purchased a utility meter identical to the one's the utility company uses. I installed it ahead of the the sub-panel serving my brother's space with the owner's permission.

My suspicion's were correct and my brother used very little electricity.

It turns out that the Silversmith next door had installed an electric kiln for his wife's pottery hobby and the Kiln was installed about the same time my brother started to rent.

The total cost for the meter and meter base was less then $100 (At that time)

About a year later, the owner paid to have all the units metered.

I've also had a "House" meter replaced several times by my utility company at a duplex I own.

My tenant went to a neighborhood watch meeting and told me I needed to install a light to illuminate the driveway based on the safety officer's recommendation... I installed a 13 watt automatic pole light at her request.

Several months after the light was installed, I get a bill from her for $45 dollars for the electricity. I explained the cost to operate the light is only pennies a night. She was unhappy and went to the city and the city said that I had to install a "House" meter for the light since the light also benefited the other tenant.

You know the story of "No Good Deed Goes Unpunished"... so my 13 watt light was becoming a major issue between public safety and the rental commission.

I acquiesced and pulled a permit and installed a third electric meter for just one 13 watt lamp. The lamp uses so little power that it almost doesn't register and that is why the meter has been changed out at least 3 times that I know of.

So... yes, meters can be wrong or at least the Utility company thinks they can.

 

[tallyho8]

I had an air conditioning business and with no business in the winter I was able to shut down and take a 3 month vacation each winter. Noting my small use of electricity each year the power company would figure their meter was wrong or tampered with and come install a new one.

 

[George2615]

It is possible that the meter is faulty. I had a faulty meter many years ago at a house I rented. Complaints to the power co. went nowhere. They came out and checked and said there was nothing wrong. Then one winter day a large chunk of ice dropped from a 2 story eave right on the meter and broke it. They came out and replaced the meter and my electric bills dropped in half. In fact they sent repair crews out 3 times after they replaced the meter because my usage was way under what the previous meter always read and they thought I had bypassed the meter somehow. I kept telling them the old meter was bad and out of calibration but they had to check for themselves.

 

[Tig]

It will be interesting to discuss this years power bill with the electric company.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Would you have any possible right to go back after the electric company for a credit? I would imagine if the meter some how read less then you used and they found it they would try and find a way to get their money.

I am glad you guys got it figured out though. I use to watch curling when I was in school. It always intrigued me since I had never seen it before until I found it on the Canadian channel (I think it was CBC). It did look like fun, kind of like bowling on ice.

 

[Tig]

I've heard it said that the curling club is the third public building built in every Canadian town. First was the Church and second was the school.
It's a fun game, very rich in tradition and etiquette. Winners buy the first round, losers buy the second round and so on and so on..... It's best to live withing walking distance of the club.
As for a credit from the electric company, I won't hold my breath, but I will pursue the matter for a while.