just how reliable are the new digital electric meters

[Elgin]

This is an interesting post as we too had a smart meter fitted just over 1 month ago and like one of the earlier posters we have kept readings records since our electricity was connected (quite a few years without it)!!! I had reason to contact Endesa, via their website, in English, and they have responded as I felt that our consumption has inexplicably increased from our 'norm'. Our consumption is very consistent and we have the records, as Endesa does, to prove it. They have been very efficient in responding to me and then we received an email, In Spanish this time, to say that an engineer would come and check the meter as I am questioning its calibration, however, IF there is nothing wrong with it we have to pay for that privilege!!! I believe our records speak for themselves and will argue that point should they say there's nothing wrong. This is nothing to do with the cost purely the consumption. We've yet to receive a new bill but of course that must be imminent.  We were also previously on a dual tariff and that arrangement seems to have been honoured. All machinery goes wrong from time to time so I think it is worth the effort to keep a check on these things.

It is exactly the same in the UK. If checked & functioning correctly then you have to pay for the testing.

I had this with Endesa when my meter went wrong.  However, as soon as they saw the meter they accepted it was faulty and (as per other posts) ended up about €100 up

[gus-lopez]

This is an interesting post as we too had a smart meter fitted just over 1 month ago and like one of the earlier posters we have kept readings records since our electricity was connected (quite a few years without it)!!! I had reason to contact Endesa, via their website, in English, and they have responded as I felt that our consumption has inexplicably increased from our 'norm'. Our consumption is very consistent and we have the records, as Endesa does, to prove it. They have been very efficient in responding to me and then we received an email, In Spanish this time, to say that an engineer would come and check the meter as I am questioning its calibration, however, IF there is nothing wrong with it we have to pay for that privilege!!! I believe our records speak for themselves and will argue that point should they say there's nothing wrong. This is nothing to do with the cost purely the consumption. We've yet to receive a new bill but of course that must be imminent.  We were also previously on a dual tariff and that arrangement seems to have been honoured. All machinery goes wrong from time to time so I think it is worth the effort to keep a check on these things.

It is exactly the same in the UK. If checked & functioning correctly then you have to pay for the testing.

[Oats]

This is an interesting post as we too had a smart meter fitted just over 1 month ago and like one of the earlier posters we have kept readings records since our electricity was connected (quite a few years without it)!!! I had reason to contact Endesa, via their website, in English, and they have responded as I felt that our consumption has inexplicably increased from our 'norm'. Our consumption is very consistent and we have the records, as Endesa does, to prove it. They have been very efficient in responding to me and then we received an email, In Spanish this time, to say that an engineer would come and check the meter as I am questioning its calibration, however, IF there is nothing wrong with it we have to pay for that privilege!!! I believe our records speak for themselves and will argue that point should they say there's nothing wrong. This is nothing to do with the cost purely the consumption. We've yet to receive a new bill but of course that must be imminent.  We were also previously on a dual tariff and that arrangement seems to have been honoured. All machinery goes wrong from time to time so I think it is worth the effort to keep a check on these things.

[fidgetmidget]

Thanks LL, I am registered but never noticed that option!
FM

[lord lucan]

Hola fidgetmidget,

You can register online with Endesa, fairly straightforward itself, then they offer a "live chat" option in english.

L L

[fidgetmidget]

Just had my bill in for 78€ for one month. And we were away for 6 days!! October was only 53€ so a visit to Endesa next week.

We were away from 5th Oct thro to 20th Nov and our bills were exactly the same as when we are home full time. No TVs on and there is always a large screen on at any one time in our house, no laptops, no lights, no electric water heater!!! How can that be...can anyone at Endessa speak English without spending an hour on the phone waiting to be connected or is it necessary to actually visit a local office with an English speaking person?
FM

[Rtis]

A smart meter helps the company make more profit (no meter reader ) as for being scammed and supposedly dangerous, there is nothing anyone can do,they WILL be fitted, turn up by all means at Endesa or others they will just shrug their shoulders . They done our village one morning a year and half ago,not noticed any difference in the facturas .

[macc]

If you have a smart meter Felipe they don't have to tell you anything. You don't pay, or stop a direct debit, they no longer need to send a person out to disconnect you, it's done remotely, just like a meter reading.

[felipe]

Been monthly for most of this year. They did it without telling me.

[macc]

These meters have nothing to do with energy efficiency, and are being rolled out worldwide. When there is nothing wrong with what you have already but you are forced to accept a newer model, bells should ring. In Spain this changeover is weirdly enough by Royal Decree 809/2006 of 1 July 2006 and Ministerial Order ITC/3860/2007, of 28 December, here in Spain you may not have a choice for changing just yet, but it's getting there. Check out what these meters are capable of, and most people are willingly accepting the changeover because they are misinformed and being lied to or just know nothing about the changeover. Watch this documentary, i know it's old and in America and Canada, try watch it all and it may help you understand what really is going on, or maybe not, but regardless, check things out for yourselves.     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uMfx-FsJiE

[lord lucan]

Hols Felipe,

How do you get monthly billing?

L L

[felipe]

Just had my bill in for 78€ for one month. And we were away for 6 days!! October was only 53€ so a visit to Endesa next week.

[lord lucan]

Hola,

Yes, that kind of statement requires some justifying evidence.

L L

[shadeseeker]

Macc, please explain what you mean by the smart meters being dangerous.

[macc]

You are being scammed with smart meters, they will never be cheaper. May make you alter your usage, but you will always pay more for your electric. They are not being installed to benefit the consumer in any way at all, and are pretty dangerous.

[lord lucan]

Hola,

Was under the impression that the standing charge is reduced by going on their One Luz type tarrifs aswell.

L L

[Elgin]

hello elgin
having read your post about endessa I wonder if you know what is the cheapest endessa tarrif?  we have a two tarrif meter.

thanking you in advance.

pinky

To an extent it depends upon your circumstances but Endesa's ONE Luz Nocturna works for us.  Pricing is fixed annually with separate rates for day (afternoons & evenings really) and night (night and mornings).  It supposedly gives a permanent 12% discount but what it is 12% less than is a bit debatable.  When I switched over to it it was cheaper than the previous tariff but not by 12%.    I think it is on line only so you have to sign up for it on their website and have online billing etc.  (that works fine for me as I have never received a paper bill in the post from Endesa).  If you are very clever with how and when you use electricity and can be bothered with the faf of checking prices daily then it might be possible to actually get cheaper electricity on the base PVPC contract but it does involve checking every day as to when the electricity is cheapest and even then there are times that it may be more expensive than a fixed price deal.  The pricing is set by the Red de Electricity de España (REE) and NOT by Endesa .  For example, to see tomorrows pricing go to https://www.esios.ree.es/es/pvpc?date=02-12-2017.

[pinky]

hello elgin
having read your post about endessa I wonder if you know what is the cheapest endessa tarrif?  we have a two tarrif meter.

thanking you in advance.

pinky

[Elgin]

Not sure.

Soon after ours was fitted it was hit by a power surge.  It stop distinguishing between day and night usage and added accumulated night units to the day unit total.  It took a long time to convince Endesa that the meter was faulty meanwhile they took over €600 from our bank account because the next bill was highly inflated.  Eventually the meter was fixed and Endesa reworked how much I should have been charged  and then deducted that from subsequent bills (result was free electricity for almost 6 months).  In the end I think I was about €100 up but it all took a lot of work.

More recently, I have noticed that the usage data that is available has been going a bit awry.  Between 1 and 26 November there were 3 days when they say I only used 3 or 4 kWh and no power at all after 8 am.  At this moment i am not 100% sure whether this is the meter or a data transmission issue but my suspicion is it is the meter and I am getting some free electricity now and then.  As you can imagine I am not rushing to report an issue to Endesa.  A few days ago somebody reported issues with getting a bill from Endesa and Endesa had said the was a meter problem.

Other than the above two incidents the digital meter has been working ok with monthly usage in line with the usual for the time of year (I have read my meter monthly for 8 years now with all the data stored on a spreadsheet).

[Cheese]

 Accuracy of these new metres.