Smart Meters

Oscargrouch

Hello All,
Can anyone tell me if the installation of a smart meter could effect my FIT payments if it detects that I am using say 95% of what my PV system generates?:mad:

EricMears

Oscargrouch wrote: »

Hello All,
Can anyone tell me if the installation of a smart meter could effect my FIT payments if it detects that I am using say 95% of what my PV system generates?:mad:

Not strictly the 'FIT payments' they'll remain at 45.4 (or 21) pence per unit plus future price rises.

However, highly likely that your FIT provider might use the actual export figures instead of the deemed 50% of generation they're now using.

For most people that would probably result in an increased payment since it's quite hard to use more than 50% of your own generation. If you've really managed 95%, please let us all know how you managed it.

Oscargrouch

EricMears wrote: »

If you've really managed 95%, please let us all know how you managed it.

Thanks for that; don't get too excited, 95% is a hypothetical figure:rotfl:.

EricMears

Oscargrouch wrote: »

95% is a hypothetical figure.

But it's probably also our 'holy grail' - so keep trying :T

WestonDave

On a related note, we've got a meter that will run backwards on export, which presumably EDF will want to change PDQ to avoid us knocking off units. Is the general policy now always to install smart meters on change?

Oscargrouch

WestonDave wrote: »

On a related note, we've got a meter that will run backwards on export, which presumably EDF will want to change PDQ to avoid us knocking off units. Is the general policy now always to install smart meters on change?

I would guess that EDF would install a ‘smart’ if they have to change your meter. That is assuming you have both fuels from them, as ‘smart meters’ monitor both.
The reason I want to try and get a ‘smart’ fitted is to be able to get more accurate real time usage of the energy monitor supplied with them.:j My current ‘energy monitor’ does not account for the fact that I may be feeding in 2KwH from my panels and only using 1.5KwH within the house.

2010

Smart meters are entirely optional, so no one need have them if they don`t want them.

There is no advantage whatsoever in having one installed.
Just an excuse for the power companies to snoop.

Please nobody post all the nonsense about accurate billing.

EricMears

2010 wrote: »

Smart meters are entirely optional, so no one need have them if they don`t want them.

There is no advantage whatsoever in having one installed.
Just an excuse for the power companies to snoop.

Please nobody post all the nonsense about accurate billing.

There may be an advantage - if you have solar panels and use less than 50% of your own generation. OTOH, there would be a disadvantage if you've managed to get your usage above 50%

It's also quite true that you would in future get accurate billing - but then so you would if you check your quarterly bills (even if you pay monthly, RECs will issue a quarterly bill) and immediately correct their flights of fantasy laughingly described as 'estimates'.

Oscargrouch

EricMears wrote: »

There may be an advantage - if you have solar panels and use less than 50% of your own generation. OTOH, there would be a disadvantage if you've managed to get your usage above 50%

I think that in an ‘ideal’ world the Feed In Tariff should stay:j and the generation tariff payments should be abolished, replaced with a system that takes into account how much you generate over a 12 month period.


Perhaps it could work like the current DD system, where you are charged a set amount each month; in the winter you are paying less than what you use, whereas in summer you are paying more. At the end of the year it balances out, sometimes.

Last year I used 2,365 kWh of power, my solar system is expected to produce 2,046 kWh. So based on these figures my expected use of power is only 319 kWh over the 12 month period.
Surely, with the introduction of ‘smart meters’ it would be possible to just charge you for what you actually use, minus the amount you have put into the grid via your panels. If you have generated more than your usage over the year, then you get paid back at the full current export rate at the end of that year?

By doing this it would save having to make sure the sun is out before you switch on your washing machine because this way you have actually ‘banked’ power during the day into the grid to be used by someone else.

Long winded perhaps, but I would be interested in any comments.:beer:

WestonDave

Oscar - it makes sense from a householder point of view, but one of the issues with increasing solar generation is that its a fat lot of use when its dark, and potentially too good on a sunny Sunday afternoon. By having a system which encourages PV generating households to maximise their use of the power they generate you help to reduce the issue. If we moved to your system we'd all be happily putting the immersion heater on after dark for that pre-bed bath, with the power needing to come from somewhere else. On that basis a differential between what you sell as surplus to the grid and what you buy in is sensible.

rogerblack

With the rise of devices that will let consumers use their electricity in the house, rather than exporting, it does mean that it may be worth looking again at the FIT for this case.

FIT is - largely - driven by a desire to reduce CO2 emissions.

If for example, someone swaps from gas to solar water heating, then yes, they reduce CO2 emission from their property, but the countries emission - which is why FITs are paid to the householder - goes up.

If you use 1kWh of solar electricity to heat your watertank, rather than exporting it, then another 1kWh of electricity needs to be generated.
This makes 600g or so of carbon, compared to the 300g or so it would have made if you'd just used the gas heating directly.

IMO, FIT should be - at least for new properties - only be paid fully on exported units, with at most a small payment for internal generation.