Gas consumption data logging

[Agile]

As a friends 6 y.o. son said when told to go to bed " Bed is boring".

And that was before all kids had the internet.

17 y.o. here has 950 friends on Facebook but I only have 26, mostly BBC ex colleagues, one RGI and a few other friends, another called Glazier and a personal fitness trainer who just looks nice and seems to be a friend of all the other BBC people as well.

Tony

 

[muggles]

As a friends 6 y.o. son said when told to go to bed " Bed is boring"

Indeed, but at six years old he should be yet to discover just how much fun bed can be if you're not alone in it

 

[SimonH2]

No "hope" about it

http://www.britishgasnewsroom.co.uk/2010/08/british-gas-smart-meter-rollout/

We had this installed free by BG one month ago.

I am still wondering how they intend to power these gas meters - because on my properties, if they want to get power to the gas meter then they'll get two words in reply, and the second one will be "off". I've heard talk of them being battery powered - won't that be a nice little earner for someone to go round changing them every so often.

Also, I find their assurances that the system is completely secure to be, how do I put this politely, optimistic. I look forward to when the system security is broken and someone turns off gas supplies for fun, and then watch the fun as they are faced with the problems of how to upgrade security in such a dispersed system.

 

[Agile]

The card gas meters operate from a battery and that seems to last several years.

 

[tamz]

What you can get depends on the existing meter you have.
Newer meters are pulse enabled meaning you just need a pulse block added. This connects with a rj whateverthefk plug to a data logger or if you fancy to a communicator.
None of this is cheap.
There is also an annual rental charge.
Just wait a couple of years and you will get a smart meter FOC. You will then be able to check your usage in hourly increments on your PC. As this will show your peak usage you can see (with graphs) how you are using your energy. Great advantage to you.
Bigger advantage to the suppliers as they can collate MILES of data about how you use your gas (harder to scam them) and if you don't pay the bills on time the can cut you off at the press of a button. (it costs them probably more than the outstanding amount due to eventually get access to fit a PP meter)
How will they be powered?
Batteries. They will last for years and be changed by some nump paid a fiver an hour or whatever the minimum wage is then.
When you "eventually" get a smart meter you will also get a smart electric meter (it will be fitted by a retrained gas man as it is easier to retrain to swap electric meters (fk it is only 4 wires LNNL) than it is to retrain a spark to fit gas) which will pick up the signal from the gas meter and transmit it through the network to whoever wants it.
Big changes are coming
Beware of what you wish for

 

[JonB]

Whats the matter with a bit of paper & pencil, for your own use.

 

[mikely]

There are units out there that will log pulses from a gas meter that can then be uploaded to a PC. These are pulse data loggers such as http://www.omega.co.uk/ppt/pptsc.asp?ref=OM-CP-PULSE101 and http://www.loggershop.co.uk/madgetech/pulse101a-pulse-data-logger/prod_529.html

If you have a ‘pulse ready’ gas meter with a reflective 0, such as the George Wilson Industries G4 that I have, you just need to rig up a simple interface using a reflective sensor such as:
http://cpc.farnell.com/honeywell-s-c/hoa1397-2/opto-diffuse-reflective-sensor/dp/SC06461?Ntt=sc06461
or
http://uk.farnell.com/kodenshi/sg-2bc/opto-switch-reflective/dp/1253374
I haven't tried it, but looks like it should work.

 

[Agile]

The link needs a seperate interface lead and comes out at about £150.

This one comes with everything and the price is closer to £50 although its a USA site but things can be posted and there may be a UK source of that or similar.

Tony