Smart meters

[polygonum]

Quite.

"The customer has got a perfectly functioning meter. There are no safety issues. The customer always pays his account on time. Because we want to change the meter to something the customer doesn't want and doesn't need (in his view), we will cut him off. As this doesn't actually ensure that a smart meter is installed, please Mr Magistrate issue an order to allow us to enter the property and make the change. While you are at it, we'll need an order to ensure the legal owner and occupant is restricted from those parts of his own property that we need access to for however long it will take to perform the work."

[dennis]

They already have right of access.

[polygonum]

On what grounds?

Scottish Power say:

Access and equipment Access for authorised persons

4.1 You will allow us, the Transporter, Distributor or any other person authorised by the Transporter, Distributor or us full, free and safe rights of access to your Premises:

4.1.1 at all times if the Transporter, Distributor or we think it is necessary to stop and/or disconnect the supply to avoid danger to life or property; and

4.1.2 at all reasonable times for any other purpose authorised by the Gas Act 1986 or the Electricity Act 1989.

I couldn't find anything in the Gas or Electricity Acts that said they have right of access to replace a perfectly good and safe meter. Doesn't mean it's not there - but I couldn't see it.

[Dave Liquorice]

disconnect

They don't have to, they can dig a hole in the highway or remove the connection at the top of a pole. Not 100% but certainly an option.

[Dave W]

What make and model of meter did they fit?

The meter seems to be constructed in two halves. The bottom part with LCD display is model no.SGM1311. The top part is model no.SGC1311 - it must be the radio section as it has a MAC address on it. Manufactured in 2013. I found the approvals document on the web, showing various errors due to temperature, frequency and voltage, but I couldn't find any other information about it. The document said it was made by GE Power Measurement S.A. at an address in Spain.

[Andy Burns]

Now taken over by Aclara.

The spec says "Internal Load Switch: Contactor rated at 100A" so, their man is probably ignorant of that, rather than lying to you but it is possible for them to turn you off remotely.

[Dave Liquorice]

And a Smart Meter that can actually do demand side management without just cutting the whole supply to the premesis.

Or are the silly buggers expecting people to make significant, long term, reductions in consumption when they have a little table top display?

[Tim Lamb]

I think so:-( Encouraged by *economy 7* type billing slots.

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[Dave Liquorice]

smart

without

Pretty sure the "smart" meters being installed currently can't support that either. To be actaully used by Joe Public, and thus be effective in demand reduction, the appliance needs a simple interface with simple choices:

MAX Eco - only do the task when power is the cheapest over the next x hours. Where X is the available price forecast period.

Eco - do the task when power is cheapest in the next: - 6 hours - 12 hours - 24 hours - 48 hours

Non-Eco - Do it now.

Having some centralised control panel might work until the novelty wore off. Having to set say the wash cyle on the machine then find the panel to say when to do the wash just ain't going to happen long term. It also adds to the complexity of the system. With the "smarts" in the applliance all the meter has to do is "broadcast" the tariff information, easily done with a very low bit rate link (as in a few tens of bits per second) over the mains wiring.

[Tim Lamb]

Economy 7 might not have been a good analogy.

Suppose your next electricity account was billed over the 30 min. consumption information with different prices for each slot? Presumably you would make efforts to shift your usage to the cheaper periods?

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