Re: Electric Smart Meters
 

i like to know where i stand.

Re: Electric Smart Meters
 

and you didn't before?

Re: Electric Smart Meters
 

FYI, the Utility companies don’t particularly want to install Smart Meters - it’s costing them a fortune, and they get fined* by HMG if they don’t meet target numbers.

https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/...art-meter.html

*for example, Npower was fined £2.4 million in September 2018 for not meeting Smart Meter installation targets, EDF was fined £350k in June 2018, SSE was fined £700k in April 2019, & BG £4.5 million in 2017.

Re: Electric Smart Meters
 

Smoke and mirrors Hugh smoke and mirrors

Re: Electric Smart Meters
 

Not really - I worked for a major utility company as an IT Programme Manager 2016-2018, and I know it's true.

We had an entire Programme (not mine, thank heavens) devoted to installing and managing smart meters (which took a couple of hundred staff and a lot of sub-contractors), none of which we were paid for, with the threat of fines if we didn't meet the Government-set targets of customers who didn't want the meters.

I had the joy of managing the team that had to write the interface between the smart meters and the billing system.

Re: Electric Smart Meters
 

What I meant was it is all about control and money and not for the benefit on the consumer.

Look at the OP as an example. He did not have a Smart meter he now has a Smart meter yet he has clearly said he will use power as and when and how much as he wants.

Most people will be the same. A lot of people now have LED bulbs using next to nothing, new white goods are more efficient than ever. There is very little a household can do to make a difference to consumption in any real terms.

So what is it good for? I believe it is all about control and money as I said

Re: Electric Smart Meters
 

not on a daily basis no.

---------- Post added at 02:54 ---------- Previous post was at 02:51 ----------

I have 9watt = 60watt LED bulbs in all my rooms except for the kitchen which has a strip light.

Re: Electric Smart Meters
 

And you can retrofit the strip light with LED if you want to!

Re: Electric Smart Meters
 

I have a 5 ft led tube in my kitchen. Bought from LEDHut lasted a few years so far

Re: Electric Smart Meters
 

In our kitchen we have Electric oven & hob (with extractor hood), microwave, toaster, kettle, coffee maker, washing machine, deep fat fryer, slow cooker.

Who gives a damn about any energy saving light bulbs in there? :D

The world now suffers from 'eco madness' on a grand scale.

Those new meters are garbage and just meant to make it better FOR THE COMPANY!! (More accurate billing means HIGHER PRICES FOR YOU)

They arent safe and they just are a big health issue!!!!!


Yes avoid them as long as possible!!!!!!

Re: Electric Smart Meters
 

And there's the rub. LED lamps rated at 18w actually need the power companies to pump out around 22w due to their pF (power factor) being less than 1.

We are presently billed per kilowatt-hour, so only pay for 18w. But smart meters can measure in kilovolt-amps, so we could be charged for the whole 22w.

Inductive loads such as the motors in fridges, freezers, washing machines and fans tend to have poor pF, as do the switched mode PSU's in computers.

A home with a total pF of 0.5 can use exactly the same amount of kwh as a neighbour with a pF close to 1, but be slapped with DOUBLE the bill if kvA was the billing unit.

If you're bored, and have lots of coffee, get your head around pF.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_factor

Re: Electric Smart Meters
 

Taf: All hail to 'unity'
[Retired electrical engineer deling with pf metering!]

Re: Electric Smart Meters
 

I have my own electricity energy monitor and the PF can vary between almost unity down to around 0.6 depending upon how many freezers (2) and fridge (1) is on.

Industry has to pay extra for a poor PF so it's probably going to come to domestic users as well.

Regarding computer supplies (switched mode) it is now the law that any unit over 75 watts must include PF correction.

Re: Electric Smart Meters
 

I was led to believe an "average" PF is already factored into domestic prices