Power meter reading and cost

[jmccarty]

This is very frustrating. I will look at the whole arrangement again after work.

[Crossy]

This is very frustrating. I will look at the whole arrangement again after work.

Sorry for the confusion here.

Do you actually have a 3-phase supply to your home?

[Deepinthailand]

Been to PEA took both bills they gave them the once over both correct!! Asked for explanation. It seems prices do vary month to month by small amounts if you pay direct to PEA. There was other bits they talked about which sort of went over my head. The bottom line is both bills were correct as they said maybe next month diffrent again.

[jmccarty]

This is very frustrating. I will look at the whole arrangement again after work.

Sorry for the confusion here.

Do you actually have a 3-phase supply to your home?

Yes, the builder is European and puts 3 phase supplies in all the homes he builds in Thailand. I would expect it to be more efficient, but it does not appear to be.

I have been in this house for over 3 years, the bill is normally 8k to 11k/month. I don't know why we are suddenly using more than double. Maybe my dog is turning all the AC units on when nobody is home?

[KhunBENQ]

Belay my previous assertion!!

This is the spec. for the nearest meter I can find:-

file2_1457590218.pdf

Note that the industrial strength meters 15(45), 30(100) and 50(150) are all 5 digit WITHOUT decimal, the baby 5(6) is 4 digit + decimal.

So it looks like our OP really did use 126 units per day.

Since the meter has apparently been checked against another he really does need to check what's running.

You are right (again ).

For the thread I made the effort to walk out and even drive round the corner to check some meters.

Indeed! Only the small 5/15 A have a 1/10th digit which is also clearly distinguishable by the white background and comma separator.

The 15/45 A meters count plain kWh. All digits same color.

As others already noted the meter from the OP is good for a small apartment building, a workshop/small factory.

Seldom found for a single private house.

126 kWh per day!!!!

Unbelievable.

20000 Baht per month. Good enough for our whole village road.

3 phase: from another thread I read that there is no difference in tariff for private household except for a little higher base charge.

Something of the story is missing or the whole neighborhood is hooked to this meter.

I am simply confused and give up here.

Edited July 12, 2016 by KhunBENQ

[jmccarty]

Would there be any reason to have 3 meters in the same box? Looks like 2 are feeding the 3rd. I take it as 2, one for the ground floor switch box and the 2nd for the 2nd floor switch box (which are in the same stairwell).

[Crossy]

Would there be any reason to have 3 meters in the same box? Looks like 2 are feeding the 3rd. I take it as 2, one for the ground floor switch box and the 2nd for the 2nd floor switch box (which are in the same stairwell).

I assume the incoming meter is the one provided by the supply authority (which the landlord pays) and you have separate sub-meters which he reads, jacks up the charge (slightly in your case) and you pay.

[jmccarty]

I will go take some more pictures of the set up and upload them.

[jmccarty]

Here is all of the meters. The 1 on the far left (01) is connected to nothing and not rotating.

The 2nd to left (No number) is also connected to the far right (02) which is where the landlord's meter reading occurs

The 3rd from left (03) is on, not sure what it is measuring. It continues to rotate when all of the switch boards circuits are off

The No number meter and 03 are both being fed by a 600v AC input.

Edited July 12, 2016 by jmccarty

[Tagaa]

Had 3 phase at an old house of mine. There was no 10th's of a KwH on a 3 phase meter. A Kwh is a KwH is a KwH. There is no additional charge for 3 phase KwH's.

Now I have single phase, 30 Amp...no decimal point, no 10th's of a KwH. My neighbor has 5 amp service & there is a clear decimal point & the 10th's digit is even outlined in red. No decimal point, no tenth's of a KwH. No multiply by ten. It's simple subtraction.

I use the A/C almost every day. Normal usage, depending on time of year is 700 to 1400 KwH per month. My average cost, complete with taxes & other add on charges is 4.05 to 4.07 Bt per KwH.

If you have everything turned off, including the refrigerator, and the meter is still turning, he has something he uses being fed off of your meter. Unplug EVERYTHING and see.

Edited July 12, 2016 by Tagaa

[Jdietz]

At 8PM tonight, switch off the main breaker, sit quietly for a bit and see who comes running to get their TV and AC working again...

[jmccarty]

At 8PM tonight, switch off the main breaker, sit quietly for a bit and see who comes running to get their TV and AC working again...

Good idea. I think at worse, my neighbors house may have been connected to my meter partially. I have an electrician from my workshop coming to have a look at it tomorrow.

Watch this space.

[bankruatsteve]

What about your swimming pool? Do you have pumps running 24/7?

[jmccarty]

Well, my electrician from my work came over with an amp meter clamp and we looked at the red, blue, black and white wires between the meter with no tag, and meter 02. Approx 6 amps was on the red, black and white, and 26 amps on the blue wire. We tried to isolate where the largest amperage draw was from by eliminating circuit breakers. It was difficult though with my non-Thai vocabulary and his limited English skills. The water pump for the house is not working right and drawing 6 amps when it switches on, then settling at 4 amps. It is running very hot and likely on its last legs. I did discover that the main living room attached to a dining room and kitchen, all open plan, draws only 6 amps on one wire when isolated by circuit switch and with an 18k BTU split unit running, 2 refrigerators, a large LED TV with surround sound system, and a few kitchen appliances plugged in. The other 3 wires display from 0.2 to 2 amps at that time.

When all circuits switches are off, the blue wire displays 0.2 amp, nothing in the other wires.

I can not isolate any one switch to question (yet) and they are not all labeled correctly.

I think it will take my next Saturday to go through them again, one at a time to find what is consuming so much power.

Unless, I am being tapped by someone somewhere.

I will tonight switch all of it off and look around for street lights etc.

And I did discover that meter 3 above is my neighbors power on the next property. In watching his consumption, he is consuming at around 100 units per day with AC on in the entire house, almost always. His house is a bedroom smaller than mine in the main house, and he has a large guest house by the pool which is powered off most of the time.

I still do not have a solution.

[OccamsRazor]

That 26 Amps is not normal. That would be 5.7 kw/hour or 137kwh/day (4110 kwh/month) or 18k baht+ per month.

You mention a pool. Motor? If a stalled motor it will consume a lot of current but then it would also most like smoke.

[jmccarty]

The 26 amp wire is an engima. I can't find anything that is burning out aside from the water pump, that can't be drawing that much amperage and continue working. Though it is hot! I will work on it some more on the weekend, hope I don't electrocute myself! It is frustrating that I can't even hire an electrician that can help with this!

[Aussie69]

Be safe !