Smart meters that overmeasure load - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: MrMobodies
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 01, 2022, 05:07:52 am
content: Just had some panels and batteries installed a couple of months ago. Octopus said they would require a "smart meter" for any feed in tariff including at a fixed rate with 2 readings an hour. This wasn't a requirement in the previous system from my previous house in 2012.I didn't think much about this smart meter until I was shown the terms and conditions and alarm bells ringing straight away on this tariff:https://octopus.energy/blog/terms-conditions-agile-go/QuoteIt is nice that they are honest that they may not always be reliable.On the other hand when I hear that word "proprietary technology" I think bullshit is about to come up.I phone them up and was told that the biggest complaint was that customers not getting a good reception and they have report the readings for the day which isn't a problem for me but if it was working two readings an hour seems to me excessive.They also have a switch in them to turn off the electricity supply remotely if it has a signal as the last resort of not paying the bill. When I broke that down what it meant, if they feel I haven't paid the bill they don't need to get a court order to send someone out to disconnect the supply which they might think twice about. I am not happy about the level of power they have to instantly switch it off. I said to them that there is no signal in this area and I asked what about one that can support other modes of communication like work with the broadband too of cellular fails. The response was the "contractor they use are not proactive they are reactive" and will only come out when it fails. When asking about the meter not being accurate I was told it could all of a sudden, give the wrong reading and fail during firmware updates. A big nono.I expect the meter or any measuring appliance to be accurate, uphold the readings to function long term without anything that could interfere and cause it to malfunction. I asked them what manufacturer and model of meter they were planning to install but was told they wouldn't know and on another call to them they use three types but refuse to tell me which one so I can get hold of the the datasheets and find out more facts and workings about them so I can instill some confidence. On my first call I was told I can revert at anytime to the previous meter if I was unhappy. My second call confirming this with more questions and was told they will not revert as " they are not fitting those anymore" despite them being available and if I don't want a "smart meter" just keep the existing but they won't offer me a feed in tariff. I was told there are no issues with their meters and to take no notice of the issues relating to smart meters complaints from other energy providers on that second call.I gave it some thought over the weeks but the more i have been reading the more trust I loose.A thread about many complaining over their bills doubling to Scottish Power after changing to a smart meter and not able to revert to their previous meter:https://community.scottishpower.co.uk/t5/My-Energy/Smart-Meter-showing-incredibly-high-usage/td-p/1530QuotePage 2:QuotePage 7:QuotePage 10:QuotePage 11:Quotepage 19:QuotePage 24:QuotePage 27:Quotehttps://www.express.co.uk/news/science/1630037/energy-crisis-outrage-smart-meters-overcharging-advice-updateQuotehttps://www.express.co.uk/news/science/1702718/smart-meter-energy-crisis-ovo-energy-bills-power-cutsQuotehttps://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/man-raging-over-40000-electricity-23763766QuoteMeters sold in the UK found to be over calculating usage under different loads 2017 study:https://www.smart-energy.com/regional-news/europe-uk/inaccurate-smart-meters-readings/Quote*Isn't that dishonest? not mentioning which meter manufacture and model can cause customers to be grossly overcharged? leaving them possibly gaslighted? with so many possibilities.Wrong price set remotely by the energy provider.https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scots-couple-charged-13000-ovo-28417575QuoteSoftware failure that can influence the price.IHD monitor/app sync failure.Firmware update failure.Pricing mistakes during remote changing of rates.Overcalculating loads.Sounds to me like more trouble than what it is worth.I calculate that the fixed rate offered with this "smart meter" will only bring in about £80 to £100 a year which isn't worth it. I think I prefer the manual readings at a flat rate. I think it could be a pick and mix what "smart" meter gets put in and whether it would over measure based on certain loads so I don't to take any risks that is going cause problems in the long term.What do you think?

author: thm_w
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 02, 2022, 12:46:08 am
content: https://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/smart-meters-and-power-factor-correction/https://www.eevblog.com/forum/projects/avoiding-being-overcharged-by-your-smart-meter-by-using-ac-line-filters/Errors can happen on analog meters, one of your quotes even involves incorrect manual data entry.If you think its a concern, then measure the power with your own tool and compare the two.

author: Ed.Kloonk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 02, 2022, 02:19:57 am
content: Quote from: thm_w on December 02, 2022, 12:46:08 amI'm sure if there is any error, it would be in the customer's favour anyhow.hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

author: Ed.Kloonk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 02, 2022, 02:33:06 am
content: Quote from: MrMobodies on December 01, 2022, 05:07:52 amThese smart meters are a boon for power companies when wholesale electricity prices are volatile. Ask the Texans. When the shit hit the fan and everybody started cranking up whatever that had that could generate heat, the power companies claimed that the grid couldn't take it. (It can). What really happened is the wholesale price shot through the roof and the simple solution for their money haemorrhage was to nix the power and leave customers in the dark (and the cold).I don't believe for a minute that the feature is for dealing with deadbeat customers. In what universe does any credit providing company cut you off and prevent you from racking up even more debt just because you can't pay the bill?

author: eti
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 02, 2022, 02:41:41 am
content: Using “Beta” as a probable escape clause for “¯\_(ツ)_/¯ we overcharged you? Oh well, it IS beta firmware after all”What a weak cop out to use a potentially unreliable product ON PAYING CUSTOMERS. “Smart”? Not at all so. Idiotic, but it benefits them, not us, so they have to word it as “smart” as it’s the latest lemming-magnet buzzword.

author: Geoff-AU
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 02, 2022, 05:08:27 am
content: Fit more batteries and tell them to turn it off and leave it off?