What Does “rEd” Mean On an Electricity Meter?

If you have solar panels in your home, you may have seen your electricity meter displaying a “rEd” message. Is it a cause for concern? Is it an error? What does “rEd” mean on your electricity meter?

No need to worry! It’s a perfectly normal message for those who have installed solar panels. To find out exactly what it means, read on!

So, if you:

• Have seen your electricity meter display the “rEd” message;
• Want to know what it means,

Then this post is for you!

What does “rEd” mean on my electricity meter?

On an electricity meter, “rEd” stands for “Reverse Energy Detected”. It’s an optional message displayed on digital meters to prevent electricity fraud. If you try to bypass the meter or wire it backwards, it will show this code to notify your supplier.

However, rEd doesn’t always mean that your meter has been tampered with.

If you have solar panels installed, your meter may display the Reverse Energy Detected message as well. This can happen if your property is producing more energy than it’s using and exporting it to the grid. If this is the case, rEd doesn’t mean there is an error or that the meter has been tampered with, so there’s no need to worry. It simply states that you have been exporting energy.

Reverse Energy Detected is a sticky code. Once this message appears, your meter will keep displaying it, switching between rEd and the actual readings, until your supplier resets it. It doesn’t mean that you are currently exporting energy, but that you have done it at some point.

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Takeaways

• “REd” stands for “Reverse Energy Detected”.
• This code is used to prevent electricity fraud.
• If you have solar panels installed, you may see this code displayed on your meter.
• This message can appear if your property is producing more power than it’s using and exporting it to the grid.

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Did you find this post useful? Have you ever seen this code appear on your electricity meter? Let us know in the comments!

Image source: shutterstock / JWPhotoworks