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  • Bad Utility meter?

    I need some advice on a customer's situation. This guy has been paying $250 to $400 bills to the utility for many, many years. He's my former boss (from the machine shop I worked at once upon a time) - and can afford it, but I went over and analyzed his service in prep for doing a solar system and discovered that the house sits there all day (they are work-a-holics) drawing less than 4amps /120vac. I've got access to his APS account which now has detailed reporting and according to APS, his load never goes below 17 amps 24/7. Kind of looks like the meter has a sticky spot in it causing it to show a minimum floor of usage. If I'm right, he's probably mistakenly spent like $20,000 on our friends at the utility.
    The question is: what can be done to prove to the utility that the meter is bad so they will refund him? I imagine that if we have APS come check out the meter, they'll replace it and "lose" the old one. I could wire a second meter in series pretty easily, but I don't imagine they will accept that as proof. Do we need to get a lawyer involved? Are there any certified monitoring services available that will hold up in court? Ideas?
    BSEE, R11, NABCEP, Chevy BoltEV, >3000kW installed

  • #2
    If he has electric water heat, house heat, or runs air conditioning, (or a pool or spa) that can easily bump it way up. or request an energy audit from the electric company, you flllout a survey and when the results don't agree with the bill,, THEN you request a meter check)
    Powerfab top of pole PV mount (2) | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
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    • #3
      File a complaint, copy PUC, and have the meter checked. If you are a PE get a Panel Board Meter and connect connect up the CT and PT so you can record WH usage to CYA. If you are a PE, write a complaint, have data to back it up, on a Letter Head with your credentials carries clout and gets attention.
      Last edited by Sunking; 04-23-2017, 05:34 PM.
      MSEE, PE

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      • #4
        I'd get a second meter, wire it up and see what it says. Record the data. If any major disparities in meter readings turn up, use it, along and anything else you have as SK suggests. If the meters agree, that would indicate the existing meter is probably not malfunctioning.

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        • #5
          Yes there are professionals that have calibrated power meters that are available but odds are its not worth it to hire them. A lot of folks have equipment for measuring power but unless the equipment including the PTs and CTs are tested and calibrated to a known standard, the results can be challenged in court. There usually is a requirement that the equipment be calibrated both pre and post test to NIST standards. Once the post calibration is complete the test uncertainty can be calculated and that will give a legally supportable snapshot of the utilities meters current inaccuracy. Before you spend a lot of money on this you need to get a complete copy of the terms of service and look for the inevitable limitations on the utilities liability for errors related to metering. I expect at best they are only required to swap the meter.









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          • #6
            I found the Terms of Service and they claim to do the right thing:

            6.4.3 If after testing, a Meter is found to be more than three percent (3%) in error, either fast or slow, proper correction shall be made of previous readings and adjusted bills shall be rendered or adjusted billing information will be provided to the MRSP.
            BSEE, R11, NABCEP, Chevy BoltEV, >3000kW installed

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            • #7
              Originally posted by solarix View Post
              I found the Terms of Service and they claim to do the right thing:

              6.4.3 If after testing, a Meter is found to be more than three percent (3%) in error, either fast or slow, proper correction shall be made of previous readings and adjusted bills shall be rendered or adjusted billing information will be provided to the MRSP.
              OK get a meter and check. If more than 3% out, file a complaint with test results. Naturally they will not use your results, but it will make them come out and do their own test. Squeaky wheel gets the grease.
              MSEE, PE

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              • #8
                Originally posted by solarix View Post
                I found the Terms of Service and they claim to do the right thing...
                Ask how far back they will make an adjustment. It's probably limited to less than "many, many years" as you say they have been overpaying. I was in a similar situation and the refund I got from being over-charged was limited to the last 12 months.
                Dave W. Gilbert AZ
                6.63kW grid-tie owner

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