Smart Meters

Robin9

The old clock ones used to be 10 -  

carl.waring

Delboytoo said:

I worked in an industry that requires measuring equipment be calibrated every year or two based on manufacturer's requirements.

This means that they will give an accurate readings. So what is the period for the smart meter?

No reason to think it's any different. Every couple of years, isn't it?

Delboytoo

I tried to get it from our suppliers (the companies who supply it to us) they did not know.
My electricity meter is  between 10 To 20 years, may gas is ??.
I expect them to know better and will keep saying NO until I recieve the data .
As I also take readings myself, put them in a spreadsheet before I submit  them

buglawton

EDF came to install a smart meter in a flat I let. It has economy 7 type circuits for day and night rates (even though storage heater aren't used anymore). The guy turned up, took a look and said he didn't have the right type of smart meter with him. Apparently a '5 port meter' is needed. Anyone heard of these? Haven't heard back from EDF since, I assume stocks are short.

Another thing. So many complaints in this topic about poor phone signal or thick walls preventing the meters signal getting out. Why hasn't anyone made a smart meter accessory to simply connect into WiFi?

Biscuit_Tin

buglawton said:

EDF came to install a smart meter in a flat I let. It has economy 7 type circuits for day and night rates (even though storage heater aren't used anymore). The guy turned up, took a look and said he didn't have the right type of smart meter with him. Apparently a '5 port meter' is needed. Anyone heard of these? Haven't heard back from EDF since, I assume stocks are short....

A 5 port meter is one used for E7 where there is a circuit that only comes live during the low rate supply period e.g. for storage heaters.

As the guy said, he didn't have that type of meter with him.
Not sure why he just left you without explaining what will happen/you have to do.

I suggest you contact your supplier, explain what happened (you might even get a goodwill gesture for their shortfall in customer care) and take it from there

victor2

buglawton said:

...
Another thing. So many complaints in this topic about poor phone signal or thick walls preventing the meters signal getting out. Why hasn't anyone made a smart meter accessory to simply connect into WiFi?

WiFi may be widely available, but the infrastructure isn't widespread ebough to make that a possibility. The smart meter would depend upon there being a WiFi router nearby - if the owner of that WiFi enabling account switched it off for whatever reason the "smart" bit of the metering fails. It would have to go behind the normal security a domestic user of broadband has, which BT and Virgin have done with their systems, but it still depends on there being a nearby signal. There would doubtless be other security issues as well.

Gerry1

buglawton said:

Why hasn't anyone made a smart meter accessory to simply connect into WiFi?

By blocking its access to wifi or switching off your router you'd be able to defeat its enforcement facilities, e.g. Load Limiting, Load Shedding and Remote Disconnection.

jimexbox

Why is a smart meter installer required to check your boiler flue? An installer turned up last week to install one, said he couldn't install them because he isn't allowed to access an unboarded loft to check the flue that is viable from the loft hatch. My loft due to the pitch is totally unsuitable to have boards down, so no smart meters for me then. 

victor2

jimexbox said:

Why is a smart meter installer required to check your boiler flue? An installer turned up last week to install one, said he couldn't install them because he isn't allowed to access an unboarded loft to check the flue that is viable from the loft hatch. My loft due to the pitch is totally unsuitable to have boards down, so no smart meters for me then. 

That's a new one to me. When our meters were installed (in the garage), the installer wasn't interested in anything beyond the gas meter, other than ensuring the gas pipe was earth bonded.

buglawton

Gerry1 said:

buglawton said:

Why hasn't anyone made a smart meter accessory to simply connect into WiFi?

By blocking its access to wifi or switching off your router you'd be able to defeat its enforcement facilities, e.g. Load Limiting, Load Shedding and Remote Disconnection.

Very easily managed. You get some sort of alarm/warning that it's off-line and move to a basic consumption model (those extra features that probably aren't implemented anywhere yet would stop working). It might cost a bit more per kWh. Once you reconnect, the stored readings are uploaded. No different from when the communication goes down temporarily in current smart meters. I suspect when the hard core of thick-walled rural properties that are unable to use current smart meters is recognised, WiFi will indeed be the solution.

So ironic that a property can have fibre into the premises, a mesh WiFi and the smart meter is unable to communicate!