Standing Charge

Ectophile

20122013 said:

Utilita has asked for my permission to 'download' my usage per second or I can opt out? 

Does this make sense? as I thought they monitor your usage anytime ? 

or are they talking about ' 'in-home display' (IHD)'

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/energy/energy-supply/your-energy-meter/using-the-energy-monitor-for-your-smart-meter/

Per second?  The normal maximum is half-hourly.  There's no point in measuring more often than that, and it would overwhelm the radio network if they tried.

20122013

Ectophile said:

20122013 said:

Utilita has asked for my permission to 'download' my usage per second or I can opt out? 

Does this make sense? as I thought they monitor your usage anytime ? 

or are they talking about ' 'in-home display' (IHD)'

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/energy/energy-supply/your-energy-meter/using-the-energy-monitor-for-your-smart-meter/

Per second?  The normal maximum is half-hourly.  There's no point in measuring more often than that, and it would overwhelm the radio network if they tried.

I think that was what the call agent has told me, they said would you give consent so we can measure your usage by the second and I had asked what is the alternative I think it was hourly or daily, I said, 'no to every second' then they said 'are you sure? because if there is a power cut..' I am confused now, it is unlikely to have a power cut and I will only be using max 5 units of electricity a month.  Maybe I will call them to say 'no, to measure every second' It is very odd. 

Scot_39

Smart meters normally report daily - and do so with options for 1/2 hourly, daily and monthly measurement resolutions / frequencies.

So upto 48 readings per day, 1 per day or 1 per month

Daily used to be the default - and 1/2 hourly an opt in.

For last few years - to support HH Settlement bewteen suppliers and generators - 1/2 hourly is the default for new supplies and its an opt out to go back to daily.

There's little I can think of to fear from giving them 1/2 hourly - and lots to gain in terms of usage charts and diagnostics even.

The IHDs iirc gets electric every c10sec - but gas - still 1/2 hrly I believe (I'm all electric).

Spoonie_Turtle

Half-hourly would mean you could probably pinpoint likely culprits if anything developed a fault and started using more electricity than anticipated.  But the main benefit of half-hourly is it opens up TOU tariff options, but obviously in an empty house that's probably not applicable here (and if anything changed, you could update the consent). 

There's nothing to lose by allowing them to access half-hourly usage, but in this situation not all that much to gain either.