How I Fixed My Smart Electricity Meter That Was Intermittently Cutting Power (Solved)

TL;DR:

If your smart electricity meter is intermittently cutting power to your home without a noticeable spark on the lines connecting from the grid, check your circuit breaker (cut-off switch) for a fault especially in the neutral wire.

The Problem:

My smart electricity meter randomly cut power to my residence. When the power cut off, a yellow (off) light would turn on at the front of the electricity meter and then go off after a while, and then repeat the cycle.

The Drama:

I had an electrician and the power company check my connection to the grid, but they all found nothing wrong. They concluded that the problem was with the electricity meter, but the power company's meter handling unit was difficult to get in touch with.

After four days of trying and waiting, I decided to hire a second electrician. This electrician tested the junction boxes and observed the meter, and he also concluded that the fault was with the point of connection with the electric grid.

I suspected that the problem was caused by a loose contact at the point of connection with the grid or an issue within the cable leading to the electricity meter. I also suspected that the meter was simply reacting to irregular power and cutting off to avert internal damage or protect equipment or reduce risk.

The dilemma was that the power company had already come to inspect the point of contact with the grid, so it would be nearly impossible to convince them to check it again.

The Resolution:

I insisted that the third electrician bypass the cut-off switch with a wire. The neutral cable was the first to be bypassed, and by connecting a solid copper wire from the neutral input of the cut-off switch to the neutral output, the problem effectively disappeared.

Using a kettle, we confirmed that power was effectively restored. The power fluctuation and automatic cutting off were gone. We therefore proceeded to replace the breaker and all was good and dandy.

Conclusion:

If you are experiencing the same problem with your smart electricity meter, I recommend that you follow the troubleshooting steps that I outlined in this article. By placing a load at a point before the breaker or cutt-off switch, you can determine if the fault is from the cable leading to the grid or the point of contact with the grid. If all is well, you can then proceed by placing a load before the meter and bypassing the cut-off switch with a wire, to quickly and easily determine if the fault between the input of the cut-off/breaker and input of the electricity meter. If it is, you can then replace the breaker and the problem should be solved.

Additional Tips:

• If you are not comfortable bypassing the cut-off switch yourself, you can hire an electrician to do it for you.
• If you are still having trouble after testing the grid connection and bypassing the cut-off switch, you may need to then check the electricity meter or your electrical wiring after the meter.
• To prevent this problem from happening in the future, make sure that the connections at the point of contact with the grid, the cut-off/breaker, meter and junction boxes are tight and secure.

I hope this article was helpful. If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment below.