Meter replacement

[JohnW2]

It doesn't interest you so it has to be stopped? By all means make your request with the mods. Or perhaps stop reading it?

It does interest me, quite a lot ... but I don't think it should be in a DIY electrics forum (if anywhere 'public') - do you?

Edit - I forgot to add - I have asked the mods if the discussion is acceptable in a DIYnot forum.

Kind Regards, John

 

[DiyNutJob]

Now, when hacking, you obvious don't test on live systems, you build a lab, reverse engineer, and then take it from there, and it's obviously for experts, i.e. software and electronics engineers.

Rather than hacking electric meters, isn't it more profitable to hack the bank of england? It's not being done because it cannot be done. Likewise for all banking systems on line. Public key cryptography is what these systems use, likewise for your browser when accessing https. I use it to protect a paid app tethered to a server. No break in's for more than 10 years. The smart meters are tethered to the energy provider's servers. Cracking them will not be possible. Nation level entities could do it. But, they have no reason to do it.

 

[john4703]

I like my smart meters. I can use the app on my phone and see exactly how much gas and elctricity I used every hour over the pst year or more. I get accrate bills every month.

 

[JohnW2]

I like my smart meters. I can use the app on my phone and see exactly how much gas and elctricity I used every hour over the pst year or more.

That might possibly be useful for some purposes.

For what it's worth, I can (if I so wish) use my my monitoring system to see exactly how much electricity (I don't have gas) I used during every minute in the past 5+ years - although it is extremely rare that such information is even remotely useful

Kind Regards, John

 

[omph]

Rather than hacking electric meters, isn't it more profitable to hack the bank of england? It's not being done because it cannot be done. Likewise for all banking systems on line. Public key cryptography is what these systems use, likewise for your browser when accessing https. I use it to protect a paid app tethered to a server. No break in's for more than 10 years. The smart meters are tethered to the energy provider's servers. Cracking them will not be possible. Nation level entities could do it. But, they have no reason to do it.

You clearly haven't the slightest clue as to what you're talking about.

 

[SUNRAY]

Indeed But have you seen the results of the high court action?

And some more on TV today about; "hundreds if not thousands of illegal warrants" to change meters.

 

[DiyNutJob]

I like my smart meters. I can use the app on my phone and see exactly how much gas and elctricity I used every hour over the pst year or more. I get accrate bills every month.

I get accurate bills when I submit my meter readings.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

I like my smart meters. I can use the app on my phone and see exactly how much gas and elctricity I used every hour over the pst year or more. I get accrate bills every month.

Similar here, apart from those times when I changed energy provider and my SMETS 1 meters didn't work as Smart. During those times, I resorted to weekly reading and completing a spreadsheet.

Unlike John, I do find the consumption information both interesting, and quite useful - especially so when trying to devise ways to economise on consumption.

 

[Alec_t]

trying to devise ways to economise on consumption.

Any novel ways to recommend?

 

[JohnW2]

Unlike John, I do find the consumption information both interesting, and quite useful - especially so when trying to devise ways to economise on consumption.

I was probably not clear enough, because I definitely do find the consumption information to be both interesting and useful - which is why I collect and analyse it!

What I wrote, in response to John4703's 'boasting'; that "... I can use the app on my phone and see exactly how much gas and electricity I used every hour over the pst year or more." was that my monitoring system can better that, but that I rarely found it useful to have (as I do) 'per minute' consumption data over a period of 5+ years.

As you say, consumption data can be very helpful in helping one to devise ways to economise, but one doesn't usually need more than a few days' data to achieve that. If the 'whole installation' (in my case, 'whole phase') data shows suspicious' usage, then I would usually move on to monitoring of individual final circuits, parts of circuits or, ultimately, individual loads.

As is often said, the great majority of the significant 'economising measures' possible are usually ones that one is aware of, on the basis of knowledge and common sense, without the need to measure/monitor anything, but there can be some 'surprises'. One 'surprise' I recall, early in the days of my monitor, was that, when their batteries start ageing, UPSs (of which I used to have several running) can consume a lot, since they spend nearly all the time keeping the battery charged

Kind Regards, John

 

[DiyNutJob]

Any novel ways to recommend?

Press the OFF switch. Not many people know this, and quite novel. Also, if you find ways to power off the phone-home circuitry of smart meters, you could save £20 a year on the reduced consumption.

 

[JohnW2]

.... Also, if you find ways to power off the phone-home circuitry of smart meters, you could save £20 a year on the reduced consumption.

I think you'll find that consumption by a 'smart' meter's internal electronics is unmetered - i.e. power for them is derived from the supply upstream of the metering.

In other words, if you left such a meter with absolutely no loads within the installation (i.e. switched off by isolator or CU main switch) then I don't think it would record any chargeable usage, even if it were left in that state, with all it's 'calling home' etc., for years.

Kind Regards, John

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Also, if you find ways to power off the phone-home circuitry of smart meters, you could save £20 a year on the reduced consumption.

The 'phone-home' circuitry is operated at the cost of the supplier, before the meter. Gas meter reports to electric meter, using battery power, electric meter then phones-home, using it's unmetered supply.

 

[DiyNutJob]

The 'phone-home' circuitry is operated at the cost of the supplier

Unlikely. It operates at your cost by way of standing charge. If they increase the phone home frequency, your standing charge goes higher.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Unlikely. It operates at your cost by way of standing charge. If they increase the phone home frequency, your standing charge goes higher.

They make a quick call home, once per day. Under what circumstances might they need to increase that frequency. How much do your mobile calls cost?