Smart meters

[didds]

Would a smart meter provide information such as it would be feasible to tell if "more" electricity was being used between eg 21:00 and 21:05? Or would it be a larger time frame eg 21:00-21:30? Or a more specific timeframe eg 21:03:27 and 21:09:46 ?

And would the power consumed in such a period be meassurable to a specific kW level? so the eg one could see that at property A, up until 21:07 and after 21:18 the energy consumed was Y kW, but between those times it was Z kW (where Z > Y ).

I'm just intrigued as to what level of sophistication meters can measure.

(We don't have one!)

didds

[csearle]

Hi didds, I no longer have a smart meter, but I had one in my last rental property.

First up: I can't claim to have explored all the intricacies of my gadget. My experience was of a small portable display that could tell me my current power consumption and, if supplied with my charge per kWh, could tell me how much my electricity had cost me that day/week/month. That was about it.

I suspect that your expectations exceed what you are likely to encounter.

Regards,
Chris

[didds]

bang goes my murder story plot denouement then! LOL.

didds

[swill453]

The meters themselves can take and store (and report to base) readings every half hour. Whether you as a consumer can get access to this information is down to the capabilities of the provider's website (or app).

As has been said, the monitor you get given along with the smart meter is unlikely to be able to give you that level of historical data.

Scott.

[UncleEbenezer]

bang goes my murder story plot denouement then! LOL.

didds

Miss Marple being a fan of modern technology?

You're kind-of assuming all smart meters are equal. I don't believe that's true. You can always hypothesise something: if you're not sure it exists, then make someone's teenage offspring a geek who had made the meter you want from a raspberry pi.

I've seen some pretty impressive production-vs-time plots on a smarter meter supplied with solar panels: a meter that monitors both production and consumption in the house. But I wasn't considering the level of detail that would've answered your question.

[RedSnapper]

The meters themselves can take and store (and report to base) readings every half hour. ......

Not actually (at least not always) the case. Our smartmeter (NPower) measures gas every 30mins but it measures electricity every 30secs. Readings are sent back to base once a day as I understand it. I doubt it records data to the level you're looking at though. It's certainly not available to me anywhere. Having said that it's far from implausible that a slightly more sophisticated device might at least store the data locally.

[Howyoudoin]

Matt's cartoon on smart meters yesterday made me laugh.

https://scontent-lht6-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/ ... e=5C0EED91


HYD

[didds]

Our smartmeter (NPower) measures gas every 30mins but it measures electricity every 30secs. Readings are sent back to base once a day as I understand it. I doubt it records data to the level you're looking at though. It's certainly not available to me anywhere. Having said that it's far from implausible that a slightly more sophisticated device might at least store the data locally.

but presumably then the power/energy company potentially have this granularity stored, which might be availble to the appropriate authrorites etc...

cheers

didds

[swill453]

but presumably then the power/energy company potentially have this granularity stored, which might be availble to the appropriate authrorites etc...

I'm pretty sure the power companies can only download half-hourly readings at most, and even then they have to ask your specific permission to be allow them to do it, the default being a single daily reading.

(Yes I agree they only actually make the download once a day whatever readings they're downloading).

Scott.

[servodude]

Generally the meters themselves can be configured to record as regularly as anyone might need them to. How they are configured will be up to the power company involved (their requirements and the regulations for wherever they are deployed).

That's not to say that this data will ever leave the meter; often it will eventually be overwritten by some future record.

have fun
- sd

[didds]

it presumably depends on the make and model of meter etc, but can you download information from some meters yourself?

didds

[swill453]

it presumably depends on the make and model of meter etc, but can you download information from some meters yourself

I'm pretty sure not. The little monitor you get given communicates with the smart meter, and can show you instantaneous and historical consumption. But I don't think you can download it as such.

The data that's sent to the energy company may be available to you from their web site, but that will depend on their capabilities.

Scott.

[vrdiver]

it presumably depends on the make and model of meter etc, but can you download information from some meters yourself

I'm pretty sure not. The little monitor you get given communicates with the smart meter, and can show you instantaneous and historical consumption. But I don't think you can download it as such.

Scott.

If the smart meter is broadcasting data then presumably it could be intercepted and an independent record stored?
A quick google suggests a hacker could even get enough data to show which TV programme you were watching!
https://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2012/0 ... you-watch/

VRD

[Bouleversee]

I was surprised to hear on the Today prog. this morning that Npower had had a massive fine for not installing enough smart meters; surprised because customers can refuse to have them (this one did, for a start). The present model can't do its job if you switch suppliers, although the customer can then read it themselves and supply the reading to the supplier. I can't see how they can save anyone a significant amount of money. We are far too busy comparing quotes from all our various service suppliers, insurers etc. to check which of our various pieces of equipment are not energy efficient and if we know that without looking at any device, it requires time, effort and lots of dosh to replace those items.

[Watis]

I'm surprised too that a power company can be fined for not installing enough smart meters when their customers can refuse to have them (for now . . .)!

I've been keeping records of my energy usage over the last ten years or so and have found that my electricity consumption is steadily falling. I put this down to a combination of being more energy conscious and the replacement of old stuff as it wears out with modern equivalents. An obvious example is when an old CRT screened TV is replaced with an equivalent with an LCD or LED screen. My LED TV uses just 0.1 of a watt when in standby and it doesn't have an off button at all.

My '90's hi-fi unit, however, is warm even when on standby, so it's now unplugged when not in use.

Watis

[Dod101]

I have the same experience as Watis. My electricity consumption has been falling as well. I have no doubt that LED lights in the kitchen have helped hugely Al five use the same power as one of the old ones for example, and most of my other light bulbs have been changed as well.

My smart meter display is seldom working. It keeps getting unlinked for some reason but the meter itself does give the supplier an actual reading of my consumption.

Dod

[Watis]

I have the same experience as Watis. My electricity consumption has been falling as well. I have no doubt that LED lights in the kitchen have helped hugely Al five use the same power as one of the old ones for example, and most of my other light bulbs have been changed as well.

My smart meter display is seldom working. It keeps getting unlinked for some reason but the meter itself does give the supplier an actual reading of my consumption.

Dod

Oh yes - I forgot to mention the switch to LED bulbs throughout the house. A slight saving over the CFLs, which were becoming duller over time, as they do, and a big improvement from incandescents.

Watis

[didds]

We don't have a smart meter, hence my ignorance of all this.

How does a SM reduce the energy consumption? Or is it a case of the homeowner keeping an eye on usage via its facilities and tweaking stuff themself?

didds

[Bouleversee]

I see the fine imposed on Npower was related to business customers not private ones.

[swill453]

How does a SM reduce the energy consumption? Or is it a case of the homeowner keeping an eye on usage via its facilities and tweaking stuff themself?

The official word is

Better understanding of your usage
With the smart meter display, you can see the direct impact your habits and lifestyle have on your bill. This is particularly useful to prepayment meter customers, who can better track how their usage impacts their available credit. By making your energy usage easier to understand, you can make smarter decisions to save energy and money, including feeling more confident switching energy supplier.

I think the average savings works out at something like sixpence a year...

Scott.