Micro CHP

[Ian Stirling]

Looks at my 40 year old meter.

[Dave Liquorice]

It may look 40yrs old but lecky meters are supposed to be replaced every 10 years by your local supplier as a matter of routine...

[Andrew Gabriel]

All the ones I know of are much older than that, mostly very much so. My parents' one is nearly 50 years old, although it had a new glass fitted about 35 years ago when the ironing board fell out of the cupboard landing on my dad, and he kicked it back in again anger.

I was involved in a remote meter reading project in the early 1990's. At that time, the meters were spec'ed with a 40 year life expectancy and a 10 year replacement guarantee. The 40 year life expectancy ruled out the use of LCD and LED displays, and anything but the most basic semiconductor components (certainly nothing microcontroller based). Things seem to have changed since then though -- I don't think anyone in the industry thinks anything like 40 years ahead anymore.

[Tony Williams]

Routine (disk-type) meter replacement has just happened here. The 'new' meter was older than the one taken out.

Apparently the electricity boards are required to check the calibration at defined intervals, (10? years), which they do by cycling meters out of service, re-calibrating, and putting them back into service.

[B Thumbs]

Mine (C 1976) was replaced a few years ago with one dated 1954. An old one recalibrated?

[Colin Wilson]

They`re replaced on a time interval that is subject to several variants, depending on the type of supply, but I think 12-20 years is the norm.

[Mike]

Yeah- I thought that after posting. But somebody said these things are used on yachts so it must be possible to get them going without mains.

[sylva]

the website of a guy that has one in a cottage, though the details are no longer there he still has a couple of pictures. He has a 24V whispergen which charges batteries and then runs an inverter.

AJH

[Ian Stirling]

I can state with certainty that it's not been replaced for 20 years. Maybe it's different in scotland?