Smart Meter per-device usage - how does it know?!?

littleteapot

Yes as others have said, many common domestic appliances have a fairly predicable load pattern and usage time. Of course this is not entirely reliable as there are so many different permutations of manufacturer of similar devices with subtly different 'signatures'. Peole have different usage times, etc.

A colleague and I were mulling over this when the smart meter rollout began. We predicted that at some point this would be implemented for the purposes of load-based pricing. For example charging an electric car could be detected, and a much higher rate charged so that the 'fuel' duty could be passed onto the government. Using an electric shower at peak time could be priced highly to deter people from adding to peak demand. Whereas an immersion heater being used in the middle of the night could be priced at a much lower rate.