N Power are going to change my gas and electricity meters in 2 weeks time. It has got me wondering - how will the gas meter be powered as I presume it needs elestricity to transmit its data?
- posted
8 years ago
N Power are going to change my gas and electricity meters in 2 weeks time. It has got me wondering - how will the gas meter be powered as I presume it needs elestricity to transmit its data?
Mostly they don't, they use mobile phone signals which are not very secure and if you can't get a signal indoors or where ever the meters are it won't transmit
Mine has a 10 year battery ("D" sized lithium cell I think) it uses this to communicate to the smart electric meter, which has the SIM to send readings back to base.
Haven't you missed the point?
I believe the meter has a battery in it.
Gas powered generator, perhaps?
Andy Burns wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@brightview.co.uk:
Sounds feasable. I was thinking there might be a connection to mains needed and I wanted to think about routing.
zaax scribbled
They don't
Inside your home, your smart meter uses its own secure, wireless network system. This works in the same way as other wireless systems like mobile phones or TVs, using radio waves. (Though it is a wireless system you don?t need wifi in your home for it to work. And it won?t use your wifi if you do have it.) Outside your home, the smart communications hub will link your system to a similar wireless network. This network is run by the new Data and Communications Company, which is overseen by the energy regulator Ofgem. There are strict new regulations and codes of practice to keep smart meter data private and secure.
Mine just has an O2 SIM.
Andy Burns scribbled
Better coverage in your area? Gawd knows how electicity smart meters will work out in the sticks.
A little off the subject, maybe. They came to install one for me. Failed. The signal would not reach from the meter to the house. Strange my mobile and internet do, however heard no more, so I assume they have given up!
And there has been only one answer to the original question in all of this thread!
And your answer to the OP's question was..?
I assume so, as EDF tell me that the new meters all have their readouts via a wireless remote touch screen device. I don't have gas, but one would assume that the small drain would cost us,just as the batteries in the wirelss control would I imagine. I di give them a bit of a roasting about the fact that the proposed equipment would still need them to read my meter as there was no system in place to allow me to read it myself.
Asked when I might expect them to change mine, they could not tell me, so at least you are in the forefront of the move over. Brian
Battery, Gas Meter used Zigbee (v low power) to transmit half hourly readings to the electricity meter (which is of course mains powered). Electricity meter relays wireless readings to the in-house display and sends meter readings back to base via GPRS, O2 in out case (EoN).
Chris K
Is it zigbee? When I had a look at the specs of the one they fitted here, it seemed to be wireless M-bus.
That was from memory so might not be true - the gory truth is here
They are all supposed to be built to the same spec and interoperable between companies.
Chris K
Ha, Ha!
I think mine are proprietary early-adopter meters ...
Brian - the Smart Meters upload on a frequent (daily) basis to the power supplier. What you have in the house is a remote display showing the real time useage in pounds of units. To some a novelty - but part of the Government initiative to make people more aware of their useage. You will not need to read anything.
They save battery by only updating the gas usage reading on the display twice an hour. The electricity is done every few seconds.
The only reason that they want to install one is to keep you as a customer when they become the most expensive supplier. Before they arrive make sure that the meter will be fitted will be accepted by other gas suppliers, or else you may find that you have no swapping options.
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