Installing solar panels in your home is usually a reason to start saving and paying less on your electricity bill. But this is not the case in all cases and there are who denounces that it does not compensate and who they are delighted. A Polish family has gone through both phases. When they installed the solar panels, they knew that the savings were not immediate and that they would have to wait some time for the profitability to compensate for the investment.
The photovoltaic installation cost about 7,000 euros and the surprise came later when the bills began to arrive, which were much higher than usual. Then they tested the meter where they realized that it was recording incorrect consumption.
Miguel Ángel, 78-year-old retiree: “I’ve been sharing a flat for 6 years because I can’t live alone with 650 euros; the other person who lives here earned 450”
A plumber speaks clearly about his salary: “From starting out earning 1,200 euros to earning a salary of 4,000 euros a month, clean, living, traveling and indulging in my whims”
The problem, as the father explained on the forum ‘Elecktroda‘, it started when they changed the billing period, making it bimonthly. In four months, the home received a bill for more than 600 euros. A very high amount that did not coincide with the consumption data or with those of the solar inverter (device that transforms direct current into alternating current).
The family decided to start continually comparing the readings of the inverter with those of the meter that the distributor had installed. The first reflected a generation in line with the expected performance and the second was the one that triggered consumption.
The company did not respond as they expected.
Attempts to obtain explanations from the electricity company were unsuccessful and according to the testimony published in the specialized forum, the answers were ambiguous and the problem was referred to the different departments.
So, he made the decision to dismantle the counter and send it to a laboratory. They had to install a meter temporarily while they carried out the tests. When they finished, it was confirmed that the meter was broken and was recording consumption that did not correspond.
The proof came when they received the next invoice. Just over 30 euros, of which 15 corresponded to the actual electricity consumption. The difference made it clear that the problem was not in the photovoltaic installation but in the measurement system.
It is essential to have a reliable accountant
The reliability of the meter is decisive both for calculating consumption and for managing the energy poured into the network. In a context of expansion of photovoltaic installations in Europe, verification of measurement equipment becomes a basic guarantee to avoid erroneous invoices.
Common recommendations include regularly comparing inverter and meter data, collecting evidence such as photographs of readings, and filing formal complaints.
Ultimately, as this case shows, independent verification can be decisive in correcting errors that have a direct impact on the domestic economy.