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Renewable Energy: Can PV Solar make your grid meter run backwards!?
JTGreen - I didn't have to pay for the export meter but now they (SSE/SWALEC) won't let you have one even if you pay for it - unless your installation is over 30kW. Seems most will not supply export meters - that may be because they know most of your (PV) generation is exported when your at work all day!
"Posted By: Seret They probably aren't aware of what meter you have installed, so I wouldn't assume they it's running backwards. Give them a shout to avoid unpleasantness later.
Surely, everything up to and including the meter is their responsibility. They have to be given access to it. So the question is; why should the householder have any input at all ? Why should the householder do their work for them, where did that creep in ?
What say you Gavin ?"
most have it as part of the FIT terms and conditions / FIT application form.
but yes, they really ought to have a list of meters that run backwards and be able to automate this process, but IME most don't, and rely on the customer telling them, or finding out because the meter readings are lower than previous readings.
So, I shouldn't be liable for any 'backwards running' from today (when I informed them) until they fix the meter.
However, they didn't ask for a meter reading today, so I don't know how it would be possible to prove what usage was before or after today - and given that it runs both backwards and forwards I'm not sure that a meter reading would be useful either.
If the meter has been running backwards they cannot possibly know how much electricity you have used (you could argue that you have had nil usage - how would they check?), their meter is not fit for purpose and they can't charge for a gestimated bill. - as ted has said. I would say that they can't charge you anything until the meter has gone back past the point at which it you got your last bill. Or they change the meter and start charging then?
Was speaking to a WPD man about a PV installation that had problems and he was telling me that in the 'old days' the electricity board was in control of all the infrastructure, now things are different and quite often the metering is the responsibility of a third party. He then went on to mention that WPD had taken over Midlands and their third party metering company contract had expired, so they where subbing the work out to 'ordinary electricians' with the relevant paperwork. All sounded less than ideal to me.
Seem to remember my Father telling me that meter tampering was a serious offence (he worked for the electricity board in the 1940s), maybe criminal even, so it could be that pumping juice back up the like is meter tampering.
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