Electricity problems

[Rubycon]

It's part of a smart grid and the goal is to have them everywhere.
Of course both the customers and utilities can abuse the technology to do things they never thought about when developing the technology.
Isn't that always how it works?

 

[John Connor]

Isn't that always how it works?

If things were engineered right in the first place with some god damn common sense, we wouldn't hear about these hacks and shit.

Sounds like "smart meter" needs a built in firewall/IDS.

 

[Rubycon]

That can be said with just about anything that's transistorized.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Actually while the odds of a bad meter are slim it is worth checking. I would maybe start with that. Easiest way is to ask them if they can change/test it and go from there.

I would not rule out some phantom load though.

Actually I recall something to the effect that a US hack by the Russians originated from Hydro One. I would laugh so much if it turned out to be from an actual meter. Not sure how these work or if they are even IP devices though.

 

[John Connor]

I can just see the headlines no more than five to ten years from now.

" A hacker shut down 500 thousand service customers in the New York metropolitan area with an escalation privallge in a smart meter."

Hell, not even SCADA systems are secure. Many use very easy to crack passwords.

==EDIT REDACTED==

 

[VirtualLarry]

Are you in the USA? I understand there are scammers that will switch your providers and you wind up paying crazy fees.

I think my friend fell for one of them. They came around door-to-door in his apt., trying to get him to "Switch". They promised better rates than he was paying, but of course, didn't provide numbers, nor did they specify rates in a contract. My friend switched anyways, and now he's stuck with like a $700 bill for the past few months.

Granted, it was Winter in New England, and he has electric heat, so maybe it's not SO far-fetched that he has such a high bill anyways.

 

[pcgeek11]

$700 in a month! Crap. I keep my house at 70 degrees F year round and have never had a bill over $175. 1700 Sq.ft. and I've been here for >22 years.

 

[VirtualLarry]

No, it wasn't $700 in a single month. It was several months, he just couldn't afford to pay it, and it added up.

 

[cbrunny]

They are illiterate there?

Yeah. That's why the Liberals are still in power. People can't read the news. Can't understand the corruption. Fuckin Toronto. If you live in Toronto, I hate you.

Now my blood pressure is up. Gah. Fuck you Toronto.

 

[Scarpozzi]

The bill in my household was in the $200-350 range when I moved in. I had a 30+ year old AC unit and electric coil heater (central air/heat). When the temp dropped, it was extremely inefficient and was the biggest appliance we had on our circuit, so I dropped about $7500 to replace it with a dual-fuel natural gas/electric heat pump from American Standard SEER 15 system. My bill dropped to $120-150/month. Since I put in the gas line for the heating system, I went ahead and switched to a gas range and a gas tankless water heater. My electric bill dropped another $30/month and my gas bill ranges from $20 in the summer to $80 in the cold months. Gas tankless is a pretty decent investment since I've had a lot of electric tank water heaters fail in the past few years (due to corrosion and leaks around the tank or pipe connections)

Smart meters are typically just transmit your numbers to a remote reader. They're pretty standard...but I agree...somethings not right. Someone suggested a power thief. I friend of mine lived in a neighborhood where someone had an RV that a cousin or someone was staying in....when they went to work, the neighbor's squatter was dragging an extension cord to an outside receptacle. It happens.

 

[MrDudeMan]

Trying to single out a specific appliance is a waste of time until you've checked most of the stuff I mentioned earlier. It should take about 10 minutes to diagnose the general area of the problem. It's either going to be the meter, a billing error, someone stealing your electricity, a broken or malfunctioning appliance, or a huge power draw that you haven't noticed.

 

[nakedfrog]

I wonder if OP will ever return, or will be following the cue of poor old Charlie.

 

[Darwin333]

Electricity theft would be unlikely given it's kinda hard to hide and someone would be an idiot to try it, but suppose it's worth checking all your outside plugs to rule it out. Especially in winter when you may never even go in your back yard if you have an outlet there someone could in theory sneak an extension cord under the snow, I guess.

But I'm thinking it's more of a load that is just abnormal like something defective or something new. Any new appliances or "always plugged in" items that you've purchased lately?

Either way it's probably Kathleen Wynne's fault.

I wouldn't think that you could pull enough juice through a single outlet to quadruple the bill either.

 

[Darwin333]

Learn how to check your meter, man! They are gouging you and if it's their error sue their ass!

Even if they are fucking up the reading eventually it catches up. I have a German Shepard Dog and he is often in the back when they come to check the meter so they just estimate it, usually really high. They did this for 4 or 5 months once but when I finally had enough they sent someone to read the meter and I didn't pay a bill for 2 months because of the credit. The meter doesn't reset every month, it just keeps on going and going so I can't imagine that they would get away with over reading it month after month. Very easy to check though.

 

[Jeanie831]

Odd first post, but what PCGEEK11 said. add to that, if your kwh usage is much higher. after getting your meter checked, I'd look at your heating/cooling system. Short of the above and my suggestion, i'm not sure what else it would be. I'd manually check current on circuits in the power center and go from there. Not recommending that to someone though. I'd recommend calling an electrician after/if the above pans out.

Not sure why the power company isn't willing to come out and look.

I was searching online on what I can do about it bc I've been fight with the electric company about it and I came across this site so that's why this is my first post

 

[Jeanie831]

OP is too poor to buy a
[QUOTE="Humpy, post: 38816701, member:

 

[Jeanie831]

I don't have a smart meter. There's no way for someone to steal my electricity, I don't live near any houses. My heat and stove are ran on gas. Thank to everyone that was helpful I really appreciate it. To the ones that made rude comments, is your life really that boring that you have to pick on people that don't use punctuations? I feel really sorry for you, I hope you find something that makes you happy in life so you stop trying to bring people down to your level. Have a great day!!!!!

 

[Darwin333]

I was searching online on what I can do about it bc I've been fight with the electric company about it and I came across this site so that's why this is my first post

Have you compared your KW/H usage from the same month last year as advised yet?

 

[Jeanie831]

Have you compared your KW/H usage from the same month last year as advised yet?

Yes I did, I'm using less

 

[Sheep221]

To the ones that made rude comments, is your life really that boring that you have to pick on people that don't use punctuations? I feel really sorry for you, I hope you find something that makes you happy in life so you stop trying to bring people down to your level. Have a great day!!!!!

Not sure to which users you are referring, but I think you've never been on an internet forum like this one so, I can assure you that no one is picking on you here or anything, forum conversations are usually held differently and this is not what you are probably used to, but the community is really great, you may even browse some other threads and find maybe something else you might want read or post about. Welcome and cheers.

If you are using less power you can't be billed more, this is an economical issue, a huge mistake on the side of power distributor.

 

[Jeanie831]

Have you compared your KW/H usage from the same month last year as advised yet?

Yes I did, it's less

 

[Thebobo]

Yes I did, I'm using less

I would call service at your electricity provider and demand to speak with a supervisor and explain your situation. Demand that they send out someone while you are there and you can show them you are not doing something in the house that that can consume that much electricity. They should be able to figure it out being there. Seriously anyone with any common sense would know that a Jump that high is absurd.

Can you take a video of your meter for a 30 secs and post it? That way we can see the power consumption. Also maybe you have an electrician friend and he can clamp an AC current meter on the main AC cable and figure what your wattage being used is.

Good luck

 

[Jeanie831]

Not sure to which users you are referring, but I think you've never been on an internet forum like this one so, I can assure you that no one is picking on you here or anything, forum conversations are usually held differently and this is not what you are probably used to, but the community is really great, you may even browse some other threads and find maybe something else you might want read or post about. Welcome and cheers.

If you are using less power you can't be billed more, this is an economical issue, a huge mistake on the side of power distributor.

Thank you, I'm was talking about the two one said I was a complete moron and the other something about my mother. I know nobody knows but my mother just passed away 3 months ago. I have been looking around reading other forums and such. I have to admit this is the first forum like this I've been apart of. And yes I know but electric company are assholes and they have not sent anyone out to check. They just keep sending me shut off notices. I have proof from their website stating what my bill was and what they charged me. It's hundreds in difference

 

[Jeanie831]

I would call service at your electricity provider and demand to speak with a supervisor and explain your situation. Demand that they send out someone while you are there and you can show them you are not doing something in the houses that that can consume that much electricity. They should be able to figure it out being there. Seriously anyone with any common sense would know that a Jump that high is absurd.

Can you take a video of your meter for a 30 secs and post it? That way we can see the power consumption. Also maybe you have an electrician friend and he can clamp an AC current meter on the main AC cable and figure what your wattage being used is.

Good luck

I even have proof from their website stating what my bill was and what they charged me. It's hundreds in difference

 

[boomerang]

Yes I did, it's less

Sounds like your meter is on the fritz. I had my ancient gas meter replaced because it was leaking. I could smell gas when standing next to it. The replacement meter was extremely loud. It's mounted on the exterior wall of our bedroom and it would actually wake us up at night. They came out and monkeyed around with the mounting (I'm sparing everyone the long story) with no positive results. Soon after it evidently quit reading altogether and with autopay, I didn't even notice I wasn't getting billed.

Anyway, they eventually caught it and I came home one day to a notice that started out with something along the lines of "Your gas has been shut off... " and I'm thinking whaaat? Reading further it was because they had replaced the defective meter. It was just a notice letting me know and had a number to call if I needed to have pilot lights lit.

The new meter is nice and quiet.