Severely over-charged by new supplier

[longrob604]

Hello

Apologies if this is not the correct sub-forum to post in. I am based in the UK (https://social.energy/)

I have a "Social Energy" solar panel system with battery that was installed around 2 years ago.

Everything was fine until Social Energy (supply side) went bust and I was transferred to British Gas (in Dec 2021). Social Energy still operates, but they don't supply energy (only the hardware).

After that, my electricity bill has increased by more than 400%. I have queried this with BG on a number of occasions and they have always told me that this was due to the increased unit cost, which I never really accepted because that "only" represents a 100% increase.

Recently I have been investigating this in more detail.

I have noticed that, even on days when I have zero usage from the grid - because the battery still has charge overnight and the next day there is enough sun to keep it charged, and I can verify this with the Social Energy app which gives a breakdown of the usage (solar, battery and grid), I still get charged by BG for quite considerable usage. For example, yesterday I had zero usage from the grid, yet my meter (1st gen smart meter) showed a usage of 5 kWh! I know that there is zero grid usage because on the app it shows a flat line at zero for grid usage, whereas the battery and solar usage fluctuate all day, as the house usage varies and the sun goes in and out. There is nothing unusual about the app statistics, when the sun is fully out it shows around 5kWh being generated, and when the sun it goes in it drops. When I switch on an appliance such as kettle or microwave, the app immediately shows a spike in usage.

For the month of April, according to BG I have used around 300kWh. According to the Social Energy app I have used around 80kWh.

I spoke to BG this morning and the first person I talked to said that this was due to me being on the wrong tariff, resulting in me paying for electricity that is generated by my panels and used by my house, and that the overcharging would be reversed. I was quite surprised by this (and I asked the person several times if they ere sure, and each time they said "100%"), but it actually made complete sense. I am on their standard variable tariff. They said they would send me an application form for a feed-in tariff. However, about an hour later they called me back saying that that person had made a mistake and that it couldn't possibly happen. They now refuse to discuss the matter further other than to say I should arrange (at my own cost) an inspection by a qualified electrician, and that they suspect that the system has not been installed correctly (in which case why did these problems only emerge the moment I was transferred to BG?)

I am thinking of turning of the main breaker of my consumer unit and checking what happens then, but this is very problematic for me as I work from home and also have children.

Any advice on how to deal with this would be much appreciated.

Thanks.

[Jerry Kirwan]

You appear to be between a Rock-n-Hardplace. Your only hope is to document your installation, You (If your are 'Qualified') or a 'Qualified' Electrician, probably on your dime. There is a possibility there is a wiring error in your system or a defect in your metering. It is strange that this occurred after the switch to BG but there is also a possibility that previous provider was making a mistake in your favor. With or without a mistake in metering.

You also need to do your home work and document your electrical loads. You did not give us any idea of sizing for either the panels or battery as that will be important. I am also not familiar with the equipment described, as to the metering it contains or what/where the metering is actually measuring. It appears your system has data outputted. If I were in this situation I would install a dual CT with historical trending to both PV & Utility data recording. Your utility will argue it is not certified metering but it will give you an idea of where the power is being distributed?

This is not going to be an easy solution and unfortunately the burden of proof is on your shoulders, as they have the upper hand because they will simply continue billing at the same rate. You are taking on water at a fast rate.

[sdold]

It's been mentioned here on the forum that, if the system is turned on before being authorized, the excess generation flowing to the grid can actually "run up" the meter causing a charge as if you had used that power. Any chance you could shut off your system, perhaps by shutting off its breaker at the panel, during times where you know you are producing significantly more than you are using? At least until you get this sorted out.