Load shedding by Smart Meters

[AndyPRK]

I wonder if txts for me to book a sm appointment will stop. I doubt it.

 

[JohnD]

reply STOP

 

[JP_]

ah, but then they know you're reading the messages!

 

[AndyPRK]

I would hope supplies would be denided for only 30 mins at a time.


Aren’t we lucky in this county to have 60A+ supplies.

How do Europe Cope!

Think someone thought of it before me!
from another forum

Oh yes it can ! Take and look at Section 4.7 of this User Manual and you'll see how just how wrong you are. Hardly surprising, because they've kept very quiet about it. I wonder why?
That's a half truth, as the Load Limiting is enforced by the remote disconnection switch. "The load limit value for the customer is set at 5kW. When the customer exceeds the threshold value in the first instance power supply is cut. Customer reduces load and power can be reconnected. When the customer exceeds the value in the second instance, the customer again has to reduce household load to reconnect power."

 

[EFLImpudence]

That's a half truth, as the Load Limiting is enforced by the remote disconnection switch. "The load limit value for the customer is set at 5kW. When the customer exceeds the threshold value in the first instance power supply is cut. Customer reduces load and power can be reconnected. When the customer exceeds the value in the second instance, the customer again has to reduce household load to reconnect power."

Does that mean the meter can tell the prospective load while the supply is disconnected?

 

[AndyPRK]

I think that unlikely

They aren’t that smart

 

[bernardgreen]

Does that mean the meter can tell the prospective load while the supply is disconnected?

It would be possible to measure the connected load with the supply "disconnected". Disconnect the 230 V AC and measure the resistance of the connected loads.

Another "feature" that was once mentioned was the use a new and variable charging unit (VCU) . At present one unit = 1 kW for one hour ( or 500 W for 2 hours etc ).

By adopting a new charging unit the supply could charge more per kWHr when the load exceeded an agreed maximum.

If less than 5 kW load then one 1 kWHr clocks up one VCU in the meter

If more than 5 kW then one VCU is clocked up every 500 WHr ( 1 kWHr = 2 VCU )

Customer is charged per VCU and not per kWHr and pays double when using more than 5 kW

 

[AndyPRK]

though reading the manual now, that is clearly not how they do it (measuring resistance)

The customer has to press a reset button on the front to reconnect the supply. If still too high, will trip again

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Obviously some re-wiring of consumer units in the UK would be necessary but this was already the cse with Economy Seven and similar where Off Peak circuits were switched ON and OFF by the DNO's time switch.

I thought the idea was that the smart meter would talk to the DNO, the DNO would then be able to request certain less essential loads be turned of or reduced, the meter would then instruct the load directly to turn itself off. Smart meters, smart loads.

 

[EFLImpudence]

Looks like e recipe for chaos to me.

Not least because of the inconvenient location of many(most?) meters.

 

[FrodoOne]

Interesting, and starts to make some sense. The cost of installing smart meters cannot possibly be offset by the savings of not having so many employees reading meters - most people read their own meter. don't they? Maybe a desire to move everybody onto a Economy 7 format, which means much bigger bills for most people.

Re this post.
As far as I know, virtually nobody in Australia has ever (normally) "read" their own electricity meter, except if there was a discussion/argument with their electricity supplier.

Also, in Victoria (Australia) the installation of "Smart Meters" has been/is obligatory, which does not worry me.
So far, the only benefit I have obtained from that is the opportunity to access a ten minute by ten minute analysis of the load which I draw each day, as compared to my average daily load for the same daily period.

There is now a proposition (if one agrees) to give customers who accept the option of a $20 AUD monthly discount on their bill, if one accepts being "cut off" from supply during peak demands in that month.
If one had "Solar Power" (with the opportunity to operate when "Mains Power was cut off - which is not common) that would be a quite attractive opportunity.
After all, when there is the highest demand for electricity due to high temperatures in Summer, it is very likely that the Sun is shining to run one's PV system and the air conditioner BUT, only if the system concerned CAN operate when it is cut off from coordinating with the supply from the "Grid".

 

[JP_]

It's been a long time since I've seen a meter reader. Now with Bulb, you put your own readings in through the website. Much easier really.

 

[AndyPRK]

Meter readers do exist. They come out in their vans and fiestas when we are at work.


No. DOn't think so. That would make sense.

But no changes to peoples homes are planned. Mainly due to who would pay for them I guess!

I guess in future smart appliances could communitate over Wifi to the meter

 

[ironsidebod]

I guess in future smart appliances could communitate over Wifi to the meter

And that's when the genie comes out of the bottle. Manufacturers can't implement anything securely now and that's unlikely to change any time soon.

It won't be long after the introduction of these devices before the communication protocols are reverse engineered and the fun and games starts with the meters!

 

[EFLImpudence]

As most devices nowadays switch off when power is lost, could the smart meter just disconnect momentarily if the consumption was too high?

You would then have to leave some appliances off in order for the supply to remain on.

Would that work?