Are you receiving abnormally high electricity bill? Then this article is for you. Whether in homes or business, electricity is an essential utility. Electricity companies install energy meters in your homes or business premise to monitor electricity. This meters record electricity usage data in kilowatt-hours (kWh). For context, one thousand watt-hours equal one kilowatt-hour.
In some cases, these energy meters tend to relay inaccurate information about consumption to the company. That leads to incorrect bills, which may be either higher or lower than usual. Fortunately, you can be able to gauge the accuracy of your equipment by performing a meter test, thanks to the accessible energy meter testing equipment. Take a look at some of the ways you can test your meter
Self-test
You can quickly check the accuracy of your meter at home. This method involves being conscious of electricity consumption. First, switch off all electrical appliances at home then note the meter reading. Pick one of the electrical appliances with a high consumption rate. Find out the consumption labeled on it. Power it on, for one hour, then turn it off again.
After that, record the new reading on your meter. The difference between your initial and current reading should equal the consumption wattage of the appliance. If not, then chances are your meter is faulty.
Multimeter Test
A multimeter is an electrical tool used to measure wattage, current resilience, capacity, frequency, etc. It is also a standard error finding device. Almost all multimeters are portable and suitable for outdoor work.
There are two types of multimeters, i.e., digital and analog multimeters. The digital multimeter is the most preferred due to its increased accuracy, efficiency, and low cost.
First, the technician sets the reading to Amperes. He/she then connects it to the meter using its wires to the output of the meter. Since the wires have different colors, it is easy to join them without any possible confusion, both the red and black wires.
Take note of the multimeter reading. You should neither turn on nor off any electrical appliances for an hour. When the hour is over, you take the meter reading again and then deduct it from the first reading you took. Multiply the remainder by the ampere reading you had taken previously. That is your consumption. If the difference between your findings and prior reading are not the same, then your meter could be faulty.
Contact supplier
Seeking the assistance of your supplier is also vital. This move should, in fact, be the first step you take.
The company will then have their technician test the energy meters in your home or business. They can also conduct a CT test. Unless otherwise stated, you do not have to pay anything given that it is in the company’s best interest that they retain you as a client. And most companies understand that this is only possible if you are getting value for your money.
Independent Test
In case you have lost faith in your electricity company’s ability to conduct a reliable meter test, you can make arrangements for an independent party to do it. This might, however, cost you a few bucks.
However, you would rather incur this one-time cost as opposed to receiving inaccurate electric bills. Another advantage of this arrangement is that it has very few chances of bias and it and can be used to verify the accuracy of supplier and self-tests.
In Conclusion
Over the past few years, electricity companies have been able to develop more interactive and efficient energy meters, all thanks to technology. Despite these improvements, meters are still prone to faults that result in inaccurate readings. Conducting a meter test is one way of identifying these faults.
Always remember to contact your supplier once you identify potential problems because ultimately, they have some of the best equipment for testing energy meters. This will ensure that meter errors are rectified promptly, and you are only billed for what you consume.