Meter testing and replacement
Short answer. A consumer can apply for their meter to be tested against a reference standard. A fee is payable and is refunded if the meter is found defective, in which case it is replaced and the affected billing adjusted. The critical discipline is documenting the changeover: final reading, initial reading, multiplying factor and new seals.
Who this is for: Anyone who suspects their meter is over-recording, and anyone whose meter is about to be replaced under a programme or after a fault.
Before applying for a test
Rule out your own installation first, because a test that finds the meter accurate costs you the fee and settles nothing.
Switch off every circuit and watch the meter. Movement with no load means the problem is downstream. Then reconnect circuit by circuit and watch what each adds — a failing geyser element or a pump running longer than it should are far more common than a fast meter.
What the test involves
The meter is tested against a calibrated reference, either at the company's laboratory or with portable equipment on site. You are entitled to be present or represented, and it is worth being there.
Meters have a defined accuracy class with a permitted error band. A meter inside that band is accurate for billing purposes even if it is not exactly right; one outside it is defective and is replaced.
If you do not accept the result
The company tested its own equipment, and that is a fair reason to want another view. The Provincial Electric Inspector has jurisdiction over metering disputes and can order independent testing.
That route is what exists for exactly this situation, and it is where a disputed test result belongs rather than with NEPRA.
The changeover, documented
Meter replacement is where billing errors are introduced — a mistyped final reading, an initial reading not recorded, or a multiplying factor carried over from a meter with a different current transformer ratio.
Photograph both meters, get the meter change certificate, and check the first bill afterwards against it. A wrong multiplying factor can multiply a bill tenfold with nothing else on the page looking unusual.
Documenting a meter change
- Photograph the old meter's final reading and its number plate
- Photograph the new meter's initial reading and number plate
- Obtain the signed meter change certificate before the crew leaves
- Confirm new seals are fitted and note their numbers
- Check readings, meter number and multiplying factor on the first bill
Frequently asked questions
Who pays for the meter test?
The consumer pays a prescribed fee on application, refunded if the meter is found defective. It is modest relative to the billing at stake in most disputes.
Can I have my meter tested by a private electrician?
A private check can tell you whether to pursue a formal test, but it has no evidential standing. Only a test through the company or ordered by the Electric Inspector produces a result that changes a bill.
How long does replacement take?
Typically one to four weeks depending on stock, and longer for less common meter types such as three-phase or bidirectional units.
Related meter guides
Go further
All 10 guides are listed in the meter guides index. To check the reading against your actual bill, open the official duplicate.