I live in an apartment and don't control when my electricity is worked on. On September 17 of this year my meter base was replaced and my usage somehow tripled at the meter. I have done everything to cut usage and it keeps going higher. My average October usage is around 360kWh and this bill is 980kWh. No difference in usage. My daily kWh usage is around 12 or so, but since changing the meter base it's up to 40. Any ideas would certainly help my situation. I basically only have a stove, a fridge, a water heater, and a couple TVs and wifi router plugged in. Plugging in a kill a watt device might be impossible on the fridge and stove. I also would like to know who's responsible for the tripled bill?
Huge jump in power bill after meter base replaced.
- Thread starter Jetsfan421
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Well you are. But make sure that things aren't cross wired to your meter. Go to your main panel and shut off every breaker so that you don't have any power to your unit. Then look at the meter to see if it's still running. I did know someone who had their ac cross wired to another unit and she couldn't figure out why her electric bill was so high even though she didn't really use ac. They figured it out when they had to replace the condenser but she got nothing for it.
Your replacement meter could also have someone else's meter number on it.
Your replacement meter could also have someone else's meter number on it.
I had a new smart meter installed on June 5, 2018, this was a new base. They reused the same meter. The installation was by a contractor, one I wasn't exactly confident in. My apartment complex isn't the most competent, and they are responsible for all electrical work. I can only do so much without voiding my lease. Including hiring an electrician.
Call the electric co. Explain what happened. They can do a history on your billing and see why you used 3X the kWh.
power company installed a smart meter this past summer, you got it, my bill went up 25-30 dollars every month since..funny how it was just as high wnen we were on vacation for 2 weeks with most everything turned off just power to refrigerator and freezer.
Originally Posted by Wolf359
Well you are. But make sure that things aren't cross wired to your meter. Go to your main panel and shut off every breaker so that you don't have any power to your unit. Then look at the meter to see if it's still running. I did know someone who had their ac cross wired to another unit and she couldn't figure out why her electric bill was so high even though she didn't really use ac. They figured it out when they had to replace the condenser but she got nothing for it.
Your replacement meter could also have someone else's meter number on it.
This is good advice, and what I would do. If the meter is still turning when you have everything off at your location, that is proof positive that someone else's electric is wired through your meter.
Well you are. But make sure that things aren't cross wired to your meter. Go to your main panel and shut off every breaker so that you don't have any power to your unit. Then look at the meter to see if it's still running. I did know someone who had their ac cross wired to another unit and she couldn't figure out why her electric bill was so high even though she didn't really use ac. They figured it out when they had to replace the condenser but she got nothing for it.
Your replacement meter could also have someone else's meter number on it.
This is good advice, and what I would do. If the meter is still turning when you have everything off at your location, that is proof positive that someone else's electric is wired through your meter.
Gas or electric water heater? Water bill gone up too? If it's an electric water heater, check for a leaking pop off valve/pressure relief.
When I worked maintenance in a huge apartment complex, leaking pop off valves were easy to spot in the winter time because of visible steam outside. The pop off drains ran outside to the backside of the apartments.
When I worked maintenance in a huge apartment complex, leaking pop off valves were easy to spot in the winter time because of visible steam outside. The pop off drains ran outside to the backside of the apartments.
Lots of great advice from everyone. When you call the power company don't settle for a lame excuse, make sure you speak to a supervisor. They made a mistake and they might try to blow you off (who wants to provide great customer service these days).
My MIL had issues after the city replaced the water mains in front of her house. Basement started flooding from the floor drain. She called the water department many times and got the run around. She finally got ahold of the supervisor and he says why didn't you call me first.
My MIL had issues after the city replaced the water mains in front of her house. Basement started flooding from the floor drain. She called the water department many times and got the run around. She finally got ahold of the supervisor and he says why didn't you call me first.
AZjeff
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Your first call should have been to the power company when you noticed the jump in usage, they all have procedures in place to check things like this out. My wife works for the gas company, when there's a problem they send a guy out to determine what's happening. They aren't directed to cheat customers if possible. Can any electricians comment if it's possible for something in the meter base to restrict flow through the meter? The smart meter didn't change your usage but the new base did, that's factual and it 's up to the electric company to determine why. Do you know what others in your apartment pay for their electric?
* Cross-wired with another apartment. (Also includes the possibility that before the work, you were benefiting from a cross-wire situation which is now resolved.)
* Problem with mechanical systems, e.g. hot water leak or loss of refrigerant from the A/C.
* Old meter was under-measuring. This is common with mechanical meters.
* Problem with mechanical systems, e.g. hot water leak or loss of refrigerant from the A/C.
* Old meter was under-measuring. This is common with mechanical meters.
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I use around 20kwh on the hot days running 4 AC, pool filtering, washing clothes, dishwasher, lights, TVs, 4 fridges, a homeserver and a bunch of IT devices.
The real saving i do is i have pure solar water Heater.
The real saving i do is i have pure solar water Heater.
get them to pull the meter out for a few hours maybe on a saturday to see who screams- their power will be off
Originally Posted by AZjeff
Your first call should have been to the power company when you noticed the jump in usage, they all have procedures in place to check things like this out. My wife works for the gas company, when there's a problem they send a guy out to determine what's happening. They aren't directed to cheat customers if possible. Can any electricians comment if it's possible for something in the meter base to restrict flow through the meter? The smart meter didn't change your usage but the new base did, that's factual and it 's up to the electric company to determine why. Do you know what others in your apartment pay for their electric?
If something in the old meter base was " restricting " current flow , it would probably cause over heating . Possibly burned up the old meter base .
Is that what happened ?
Your first call should have been to the power company when you noticed the jump in usage, they all have procedures in place to check things like this out. My wife works for the gas company, when there's a problem they send a guy out to determine what's happening. They aren't directed to cheat customers if possible. Can any electricians comment if it's possible for something in the meter base to restrict flow through the meter? The smart meter didn't change your usage but the new base did, that's factual and it 's up to the electric company to determine why. Do you know what others in your apartment pay for their electric?
If something in the old meter base was " restricting " current flow , it would probably cause over heating . Possibly burned up the old meter base .
Is that what happened ?
What makes you think " they " were actually reading the old meter ?
May not have been . If they were under " guessing " what you were consuming , they charged you enough on the last bill to " catch up " .
May not have been . If they were under " guessing " what you were consuming , they charged you enough on the last bill to " catch up " .
Kestas
Staff member
Good point. My monthly bill would always indicate whether it was based on an estimate or an actual reading.
someone could have tied into a circuit that feeds your place.
or- My cousin used to investigate these for a power company.
In one of those garage shop multiple rent spaces they pulled a meter and power went off in 3 "shops" !!!!!
or- My cousin used to investigate these for a power company.
In one of those garage shop multiple rent spaces they pulled a meter and power went off in 3 "shops" !!!!!
Originally Posted by mk378
* Cross-wired with another apartment. (Also includes the possibility that before the work, you were benefiting from a cross-wire situation which is now resolved.)
* Problem with mechanical systems, e.g. hot water leak or loss of refrigerant from the A/C.
* Old meter was under-measuring. This is common with mechanical meters.
This ^^^ nailed all three.
* Cross-wired with another apartment. (Also includes the possibility that before the work, you were benefiting from a cross-wire situation which is now resolved.)
* Problem with mechanical systems, e.g. hot water leak or loss of refrigerant from the A/C.
* Old meter was under-measuring. This is common with mechanical meters.
This ^^^ nailed all three.
If the base was replaced by the power company they may have replaced the meter at the same time, and the new meter may have the wrong multiplier on it.
If the person who replaced the base did several of them at the same time they may have put your meter in a different apartments base. This could be hard to detect because when the power company comes out to check the meter they only look at the meter number, not the actual wiring and what apartment it goes to. You should find out your meter number, verify that is running, turn off everything in your apartment and see if the meter with your number is not running.
I once heard of a person who was on deployment in the military and had an apartment. His water bed heater drew enough power to ring up a big bill even though he was not home for months.
If the person who replaced the base did several of them at the same time they may have put your meter in a different apartments base. This could be hard to detect because when the power company comes out to check the meter they only look at the meter number, not the actual wiring and what apartment it goes to. You should find out your meter number, verify that is running, turn off everything in your apartment and see if the meter with your number is not running.
I once heard of a person who was on deployment in the military and had an apartment. His water bed heater drew enough power to ring up a big bill even though he was not home for months.
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