excessive bills

[sparticus666]

My bills for electric seem to be getting higher, i experience power cuts quite often in Udon. and also i have checked the incoming supply and am getting 160v instead of 220v. (which i have shown them with photos. 

I have spoken with a boss in the PEA and he agreed the transformer is not enough for the village now as new buildings are increasing and said they would upgrade it, But, alas if has never got changed. I have had the " PEA electricians" round today and the outcome is i have a single phase meter 15Amp. we turned on the A/C in the living room and they measured it. they said it was using 13amp and would cost to run 800 Baht a month to run 6 hrs. a day. My question then …

i run a tv , computer and another A/C when that is off for the bedroom which is an inverter approx. 4 hrs, and an electric hot water boiler auto cut off for 2 hrs. in a 24hr period where oh where is the other 4200 baht going? they don't know either. So, now i am trying to get a bigger meter 30amp in the hope at least all appliances will work correctly. the other day i wanted to defrost a bread roll( on 800w i might add). it took 15 mins to do it. Something is drastically wrong somewhere. I told them to upgrade to a new meter to try, but 1st comment was "its covid and hard to get , we cannot get one sent to the PEA in case it gets lost. so someone has to go to BKK to pick it up and then has to stay there 14 days....unf#^*$*g  believable!!

Anyone got any ideas on this?

[MRToMRT]

They must be doing something else as just installing a bigger meter will do nothing. I sympathise though as my own bills are still very expensive IMHO for such a staple.

[sparticus666]

6 minutes ago, MRToMRT said:

They must be doing something else as just installing a bigger meter will do nothing. I sympathise though as my own bills are still very expensive IMHO for such a staple.

Unless the meter i have is failing somehow?

[bankruatsteve]

23 minutes ago, sparticus666 said:

they said it was using 13amp and would cost to run 800 Baht a month to run 6 hrs. a day.

I don't think so.  That works out to about B2300 per month at 220V.  I don't know of any AC that even wants to work at 160V.
It's hotter this year for one thing.  

BTW:  a 30/100A meter will do nothing to increase voltage or current if the grid can't supply.

[sparticus666]

8 minutes ago, MRToMRT said:

They must be doing something else as just installing a bigger meter will do nothing. I sympathise though as my own bills are still very expensive IMHO for such a staple.

Well, all i can do is 1 step at a time. and HOPE we come across the answer eventually . I already told the boss had his company been in the UK i would now be with another company.  

[Crossy]

Task A. Check your supply at the meter with no load and then with a known load (the kettle).

Task B. Do the same at the house.

 

Just to confirm it really is a PEA problem.

 

Do you have a 5/15 or 15/45 meter (it probably makes no difference but just so we know).

 

How far is it from the meter to the house? Can you check the cable size meter to house (it will be marked in mm²).

 

 

 

[sparticus666]

Just now, bankruatsteve said:

I don't think so.  That works out to about B2300 per month at 220V.  I don't know of any AC that even wants to work at 160V.
It's hotter this year for one thing.  

BTW:  a 30/100A meter will do nothing to increase voltage or current if the grid can't supply.

It doesn't .When the power drops it cuts out

[sparticus666]

1 minute ago, Crossy said:

Task A. Check your supply at the meter with no load and then with a known load (the kettle).

Task B. Do the same at the house.

 

Just to confirm it really is a PEA problem.

 

Do you have a 5/15 or 15/45 meter (it probably makes no difference but just so we know).

 

How far is it from the meter to the house? Can you check the cable size meter to house (it will be marked in mm²).

 

 

 

House is maybe 30 mts from meter. Cable size i can get up to see or will that be on the cable that comes out of the meter?

 

[Crossy]

Another question, is there 3-phase at your meter pole (4 wires on small insulators)? You could ask PEA if there is a "better" phase available on your pole. But the real fix is to sort the transformer. You could try contacting PEA head office, that can often kick the locals in to action.

 

1 minute ago, sparticus666 said:

House is maybe 30 mts from meter. Cable size i can get up to see or will that be on the cable that comes out of the meter?

 

Just look where it comes out of the meter, it's marked every metre or so.

[Ventenio]

as a note:   Last month my electric bill was the highest in five years.   I did NOT use the AC more than normal.  probably less, actually.    I had pretty low bills in January and February, which were lower than expected.  May was somehow the highest ever.

 

This month.... candles.  

[Crossy]

2 minutes ago, Ventenio said:

as a note:   Last month my electric bill was the highest in five years.   I did NOT use the AC more than normal.  probably less, actually.    I had pretty low bills in January and February, which were lower than expected.  May was somehow the highest ever.

 

This month.... candles.  

 

It has been very hot, everyone has been complaining about large bills, ours is certainly as big as last year if not slightly higher. Not helped by my WFH and using the A/C in my office during the day. 

[sparticus666]

3 minutes ago, sparticus666 said:

House is maybe 30 mts from meter. Cable size i can get up to see or will that be on the cable that comes out of the meter?

 

 

3 minutes ago, sparticus666 said:

8 minutes ago, Crossy said:

Task A. Check your supply at the meter with no load and then with a known load (the kettle).

Task B. Do the same at the house.

 

Just to confirm it really is a PEA problem.

 

Do you have a 5/15 or 15/45 meter (it probably makes no difference but just so we know).

 

How far is it from the meter to the house? Can you check the cable size meter to house (it will be marked in mm²).

 

 

 

how can i check the load at meter i dont have the tools

 

3 minutes ago, sparticus666 said:

 

 

 

[sparticus666]

6 minutes ago, Crossy said:

Another question, is there 3-phase at your meter pole (4 wires on small insulators)? You could ask PEA if there is a "better" phase available on your pole. But the real fix is to sort the transformer. You could try contacting PEA head office, that can often kick the locals in to action.

 

 

Just look where it comes out of the meter, it's marked every metre or so.

ok

[Crossy]

Just now, sparticus666 said:

how can i check the load at meter i dont have the tools

 

How do you know you have 160V?

 

If you don't have a simple multimeter I would go and buy one, they are a few 00 Baht and you can gather the evidence to throw at PEA.

[sparticus666]

2 minutes ago, sparticus666 said:

ok

 2.5sqmm is what i can see at the moment. Where is the PEA Head office situated  BKK?

[sparticus666]

4 minutes ago, Crossy said:

 

How do you know you have 160V?

 

If you don't have a simple multimeter I would go and buy one, they are a few 00 Baht and you can gather the evidence to throw at PEA.

I have a multimeter, but not sure the setting i would need. Electrics are not really my forte

[Crossy]

Just now, sparticus666 said:

 2.5sqmm is what i can see at the moment. Where is the PEA Head office situated  BKK?

 

At the meter? Are you sure it's not 25sqmm? 

 

Could you post a photo?

 

You should be able to find PEA contact details on their website, probably the main office in your area (not your local branch). But you need to be properly armed with some figures or you will get "you have electric, no problem".

[Crossy]

1 minute ago, sparticus666 said:

I have a multimeter, but not sure the setting i would need. Electrics are not really my forte

 

OK, post a photo of the meter, we can tell you how to set it ????

[sparticus666]

1 minute ago, Crossy said:

 

At the meter? Are you sure it's not 25sqmm? 

 

Could you post a photo?

 

You should be able to find PEA contact details on their website, probably the main office in your area (not your local branch). But you need to be properly armed with some figures or you will get "you have electric, no problem".

lol could be , had to lean into the bush with the sun in my face 

[4MyEgo]

There is no doubt in my mind that electricity bills have shot up in the last 4 years of the records I keep.

 

May 2018 = 1,462.69 baht

 

May 2019 = 2,171.78 baht

 

May 2020 = 1,457.57 baht

 

May 2021 = 3,000.35 baht

 

Now I don't know what happened in May 2020, could be that we went away or the government gave some discount because I recall they did do that sometime during Covid, but didn't think it was that long ago.

 

We haven't done anything unusual from any other years, i.e. we haven't added any other appliances or replaced any appliances, and we turn the air cons off after half an hour and allow the fans to take over.

 

Either way, I know with a large family, if I was in the old country that bill would be 2.5/3 times as much.

[Crossy]

Just now, sparticus666 said:

lol could be , had to lean into the bush with the sun in my face 

 

I know the feeling. I have to use a selfie stick to read our meter ????

 

Let's assume it's 25mm2 for now.

[sparticus666]

1 minute ago, 4MyEgo said:

There is no doubt in my mind that electricity bills have shot up in the last 4 years of the records I keep.

 

May 2018 = 1,462.69 baht

 

May 2019 = 2,171.78 baht

 

May 2020 = 1,457.57 baht

 

May 2021 = 3,000.35 baht

 

Now I don't know what happened in May 2020, could be that we went away or the government gave some discount because I recall they did do that sometime during Covid, but didn't think it was that long ago.

 

We haven't done anything unusual from any other years, i.e. we haven't added any other appliances or replaced any appliances, and we turn the air cons off after half an hour and allow the fans to take over.

 

Either way, I know with a large family, if I was in the old country that bill would be 2.5/3 times as much.

only me and my girl

[Crossy]

7 minutes ago, 4MyEgo said:

There is no doubt in my mind that electricity bills have shot up in the last 4 years of the records I keep.

 

You should keep a record of the number of units used too, that's the best indicator of your consumption as it's independent of the discounts and per-unit cost.

 

The per-unit cost hasn't changed significantly for a long time.

 

Our usage this year, corrected for that produced by our solar, is within 5% of what we used for the same period last year.

[BenDeCosta]

Recently, when I use my microwave, it makes a very different sound, much lower in pitch and it appears to be struggling to turn the turntable inside, and sometimes the light flickers.

 

Crossy, you are the expert. Why on Earth would my microwave be struggling? Dodgy electricity supply?

 

Amps, volts, coulombs, I am too old to remember the difference. But my bills are increasing.

Edited May 29, 2021 by BenDeCosta

[Crossy]

14 minutes ago, 4MyEgo said:

Now I don't know what happened in May 2020, could be that we went away or the government gave some discount because I recall they did do that sometime during Covid, but didn't think it was that long ago.

 

The last round of covid assistance was indeed at this time last year, time flies.

[Crossy]

Just now, BenDeCosta said:

Crossy, you are the expert. Why on Earth would my microwave be struggling? Dodgy electricity supply?

 

Possibly low supply voltage, do you have a multimeter? 

[BenDeCosta]

1 minute ago, Crossy said:

 

Possibly low supply voltage, do you have a multimeter? 

 

My multi-meter is in London. Can you recommend a cheap but good one, I don't want to pay for a Fluke.

[Crossy]

1 minute ago, BenDeCosta said:

My multi-meter is in London. Can you recommend a cheap but good one, I don't want to pay for a Fluke.

 

Tesco or your local building supply outfit should have a usable DMM for a few 00 Baht.

 

My Fluke died many years ago (RIP), I manage with a simple cheapie, just replace same when it dies.

[Peterw42]

4 minutes ago, Crossy said:

8 minutes ago, BenDeCosta said:

My multi-meter is in London. Can you recommend a cheap but good one, I don't want to pay for a Fluke.

 

Tesco or your local building supply outfit should have a usable DMM for a few 00 Baht.

 

My Fluke died many years ago (RIP), I manage with a simple cheapie, just replace same when it dies.

 

Those MR DIY chain stores have great digital multimeters, literally 100-200 baht, and they work great

Edited May 29, 2021 by Peterw42

[Crossy]

A very quick analysis of our energy usage since March last year when I started keeping detailed logs (ok the logs are automatic and held by ThingSpeak).

Corrected for our solar generation (PEA plus solar summed). 

Y axis is total usage in kWh.

 

You may see a pattern developing  ???? 

April 2020 was my first month WFH, lots of A/C use.