Author Topic: Home Energy Smart Meters  (Read 22219 times)

andytheflyer

  • Andytheex-flyer.....
Re: Home Energy Smart Meters
« Reply #125 on: 12 December, 2018, 09:35:30 pm »
Our supplier has been chasing us for ages to have one, so I just tried to book to have it fitted. I was told it couldn't go in an outside box.

Ah ha!!  That solves my problem then.  My meters are both in an outside box, with only a thin plastic door between the internals and the howling westerlies, bearing driving rain up the eastern slope of the Dee valley, which on a wet and windy winter's night saturates that wall of the house and lifts the roof tiles as we lie in bed, listening to the gale. Good job that both meters boxes are sheltered behind a 30 yo laurel bush then.

Many houses have outside meter boxes, that's so that the meter readers can get to them.  Is this more incompetence from the smart-meter promulgating fascists?

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: Home Energy Smart Meters
« Reply #126 on: 12 December, 2018, 09:39:11 pm »
Does anyone know *why* the meters can't go in an outside box?  It's not like a traditional meter is particularly waterproof, so I doubt it's that.

Re: Home Energy Smart Meters
« Reply #127 on: 12 December, 2018, 09:45:38 pm »
It said something about low-profile meters and outside boxes. Didn't make a great deal of sense to me. I'm not necessarily saying that no such meter will fit any outside box, just that that's what our supplier said when I tried to book.

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: Home Energy Smart Meters
« Reply #128 on: 12 December, 2018, 09:49:09 pm »
Not fitting in a standard meter box sounds entirely typical of the level of standardisation we've come to expect from the smart metering fiasco...   >:(

Jaded

  • The Codfather
  • Formerly known as Jaded
Re: Home Energy Smart Meters
« Reply #129 on: 12 December, 2018, 10:24:40 pm »
They cancelled my first appointment because I’m dual fuel with my supplier and the meter installer didn’t know that.

I told the installer that the gas meter was outside and the door was broken. He still made he appointment. (That one got broken too, and I got £30 for it).
It is simpler than it looks.

Re: Home Energy Smart Meters
« Reply #130 on: 13 December, 2018, 05:40:15 am »
Our electricity meter is a smart one and in an outside box.


Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

Miles cycled 2014 = 3551.5 (Target 7300 :()
Miles cycled 2013 = 6141.4
Miles cycled 2012 = 4038.1

Re: Home Energy Smart Meters
« Reply #131 on: 20 December, 2018, 11:59:29 am »
A Youtube video of BigClive taking one to bits.  Answers a lot of questions, I don't know which type though.

https://youtu.be/G32NYQpvy8Q

Feanor

  • It's mostly downhill from here.
Re: Home Energy Smart Meters
« Reply #132 on: 20 December, 2018, 12:11:30 pm »
I've not watched the whole thing but...
That thing he called a relay for disconnecting you.

Is it?
I couldn't make out the writing on it.

Is it not more likely to be a Current Transformer which does the metering?
I don't see any other metering device in-line with the main terminals.

FifeingEejit

  • Not Small
Re: Home Energy Smart Meters
« Reply #133 on: 20 December, 2018, 01:32:28 pm »
I've not watched the whole thing but...
That thing he called a relay for disconnecting you.

Is it?
I couldn't make out the writing on it.

Is it not more likely to be a Current Transformer which does the metering?
I don't see any other metering device in-line with the main terminals.

Captured and zoomed in
Switch on the 250VAC line
Magnet on the 24VDC line

So fits his description.

Feanor

  • It's mostly downhill from here.
Re: Home Energy Smart Meters
« Reply #134 on: 20 December, 2018, 01:59:43 pm »
Yes, I've watched more of it now.
It is a disconnector.

The current measurement is using an in-line Shunt, not a CT.

<ETA>
But I was a bit surprised how confused he seemed to be about the function of the shunt. He zoomed in on it and scratched his head and wondered what it was. And yet the PCB screen print clearly showed what it was, if it was not obvious enough from inspection.

Re: Home Energy Smart Meters
« Reply #135 on: 21 December, 2018, 09:43:17 pm »
I don't think that was the case at all - I think he was just intrigued by the way they'd implemented it as a special insert rather than just using the copper bus bar.

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: Home Energy Smart Meters
« Reply #136 on: 21 December, 2018, 10:00:09 pm »
But I was a bit surprised how confused he seemed to be about the function of the shunt. He zoomed in on it and scratched his head and wondered what it was. And yet the PCB screen print clearly showed what it was, if it was not obvious enough from inspection.

I've watched enough Big Clive, EEVBlog and so on to know that there's a special ability to miss the obvious that kicks in as soon as you're talking to a camera.

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: Home Energy Smart Meters
« Reply #137 on: 05 February, 2019, 12:25:27 pm »
I'm currently waiting for an engineer from Western Power Distribution to come and install a data logger, with a view to sorting out the insufficiency of voles at KimBarakta HQ.

I'll ask him why they can't use the convenient smart meter to obtain the relevant data.  I suspect we all know the answer...

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: Home Energy Smart Meters
« Reply #138 on: 05 February, 2019, 12:30:59 pm »
Our electricity meter is a smart one and in an outside box.

So is ours.

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: Home Energy Smart Meters
« Reply #139 on: 05 February, 2019, 01:49:22 pm »
I'll ask him why they can't use the convenient smart meter to obtain the relevant data.  I suspect we all know the answer...

They weren't aware it could do it, but wouldn't have access to the data even if it did.

Re: Home Energy Smart Meters
« Reply #140 on: 05 February, 2019, 06:14:54 pm »
An update on SSE - they still are unable to supply a smart meter if a solar FIT meter is involved.  They will ring me when the situation changes - not holding my breath.
The sound of one pannier flapping

Wombat

  • Is it supposed to hurt this much?
Re: Home Energy Smart Meters
« Reply #141 on: 10 February, 2019, 03:40:18 pm »
Oh go on, it saves me holding MY breath...  I'm still stunned that they've got this far, yet have failed to manage to install smart meters to solar PV installed properties, especially when it was the FIT department that last invited me to have a smart meter, and the dumb meter fitter had received a message saying he could install smart meters to PV fitted properties as of now ("now", being about 3 months ago).
Wombat

Tim Hall

  • Victoria is my queen
Re: Home Energy Smart Meters
« Reply #142 on: 18 February, 2019, 08:52:05 am »
Sequence: Smartmeter installed 05/10/18
Direct debit payments continue at the same amount as before
Youthful looking cyclist has much more exciting things to do than contact EDF to see what the score is.
Emails come in every now and then saying my bill is available to view on line.
Youthful looking cyclist etc etc .
Today EDF drop nearly six hundred notes in my account. Just like used to happen in the old direct debit days.
Take a peek st the EDF website, benefits of Smartmeters section where a sentence leaps out:
Quote
Accuracy Only pay for what you use

Uh huh.
There are two ways you can get exercise out of a bicycle: you can
"overhaul" it, or you can ride it.  (Jerome K Jerome)

Wombat

  • Is it supposed to hurt this much?
Re: Home Energy Smart Meters
« Reply #143 on: 18 February, 2019, 10:14:44 am »
That has less to do with the capabilities of smart meters, and more to do with EDF totally failing to make use of the available data properly.
Wombat

Tim Hall

  • Victoria is my queen
Re: Home Energy Smart Meters
« Reply #144 on: 18 February, 2019, 10:26:51 am »
That has less to do with the capabilities of smart meters, and more to do with EDF totally failing to make use of the available data properly.
I'm sure that is the case.  I might grink them to see what their take on it is.
There are two ways you can get exercise out of a bicycle: you can
"overhaul" it, or you can ride it.  (Jerome K Jerome)