Gas meter failed - replacement too big ?

[SimonH2]

There is enough of a signal on all networks. But there might not be enough inside the meter box once it's 'papered' with aluminium foil

 

[gazfen]

That won't stop them m8 ya need lead

 

[gas112]

Why would a quaint honest person feel the need to foil up a meter box

 

[harry0harry]

National Grid Statement. These meters use a battery to support the electronic measurement of the quantity of gas used. The predicted battery life is approximately 10 years and after the battery has failed the screen on the Meter goes blank, resulting in the inability to cor- rectly record the quantity of gas used, though gas continues to flow. National Grid Metering are plan- ning to replace E6 meters with diaphragm Credit me- ters as a priority within our ongoing Policy Replace- ment Programme. If an engineer goes out to replace a Siemens E6 and the meter is located in an outside box, then they can carry out a battery exchange.

Best get your carpentry tools out !

1.6 million E6 meters already fitted and internally fitted meters to be on a meter exchange programme WHY ?

 

[gazfen]

Because they are only certified for 10 year, and they have to change the battery . And maybe something else

 

[SimonH2]

Why would a quaint honest person feel the need to foil up a meter box

Because some honest people feel that an intimate knowledge of your consumption patterns is no bugger else's business ?
Because any rational person takes the government's statements that the data will be transmitted and kept securely with a huge pinch of salt.
Because any rational person takes the government's assurances that the data will never ever be used for marketing as a load of bull that will last only until someone bungs them the right incentive to change the rules.
And because any sensible person sees the smart meter rollout for what it is (absolutely naff all to do with energy saving), can see that the same results could be achieved without the massive privacy intrusion, that's it's a sop to try and avoid having to face the fact that energy policy is a shambles, and that it's our civic duty to fight such ill thought out measures.

<goes off to make brew and calm down after rant>

 

[footprints]

You say the room would need some rebuilding, so assuming it is inside why not ask if they will (at their cost) move it to an outside meter box?

Edit Opps! Missed a post I see that has been suggested before

 

[gazfen]

You say the room would need some rebuilding, so assuming it is inside why not ask if they will (at their cost) move it to an outside meter box?

Another flying pig

 

[SimonH2]

An update.
Dad says they turned up yesterday - with a "big" meter. Agreed without any argument that it wasn't suitable, phoned the office, and ordered a different one. Apparently they only carry the "grey cube" types in the van and have to order anything else.

But they didn't argue which was a slight surprise. Another appointment made for a couple of weeks time.

They did tell my dad to be aware when they (BG) start trying to push a smart meter on us. He's to tell them that someone's already been to look, and say that a standard meter won't fit. Apparently the smart meters are quite deep.

 

[MeterMonkey]

They've got more front if anything, it would be the same type of meter the meter fitter ordered, but with a bigger module on the front of it.

Found out recently,

All smart meters will come as standard, to be read once a day.

But you can opt different timings of the meter to be read, either once a month, daily or half-hourly.

Half-hourly read smart meters will enable the customer to have free electricity within a certain time period on a Saturdays(when the promo is available)

 

[SimonH2]

All smart meters will come as standard, to be read once a day.

But you can opt different timings of the meter to be read, either once a month, daily or half-hourly.

It's in the standard for them that they all do half hourly readings, and transmit that data up to the central database. While it's not really important for gas (which can be stored), it's the key feature for the lecky ones where the whole (actual) justification is per-half-hour pricing - both to a schedule, and ad-hoc. The latter is to allow for imbalanced in supply/demand to be satisfied by controlling demand rather than the traditional method of meeting it. Thus your display will turn red to alert you to the fact that the price will be going up 5 or 10 fold for the next couple of hours and its' then up to your whether you want to delay putting the dinner on.

Well off people will ignore it, skint people will cut back. Rationing by any other name. So in a few years when we have another spell like Dec 2010 (bitterly cold, and windmills completely impotent) - lots of poor people will be huddled in the cold as they can't afford to have anything turned on.

Half-hourly read smart meters will enable the customer to have free electricity within a certain time period on a Saturdays(when the promo is available)

Why is there no "Pigs might fly" emoticon ?

 

[MeterMonkey]

Dont see why the need for all the pessimism about it.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-23526389

The electric meters send back the read once a day currently. Due to the data the supplies have to uphold the customers wishes regarding when the readings are sent back.

 

[gas112]

Because in some tests its showing that electric smart meters are showing far higher consumption in regards when an appliance turns on ie when a washing machine kicks in or an electric oven kicks in.
Readings are the same when something is continuously on but not on initial start ups

 

[SimonH2]

Regardless of how often they send the data back, smart meters record by 1/2 hour periods - that's the whole point of them. Without the ability to have multiple prices during the day (and the ability to override this for short term price hikes), the primary function of them (price rationing) disappears.
The secondary function is to allow finer grained power cuts - ie they can turn loads off by house rather than area. Anyone else remember the 70s ?

Any energy saving is completely incidental to this - so next time you see them being "sold" as saving energy, feel free to know better. That's just what they are using in order to get the gullible to accept them.

But we're getting well of topic now

 

[harry0harry]

Smart meters or not so smart meters.
The gas smart meter of the future will be a U6 metric with a synthetic diaphragm and adapted with an add on unit to convert the existing pulse in to some thing magical so we can see how much cash we are spending on gas consumption.
U6 credit meters do not need batteries so are very cheap and last,if you have a U6 meter with metric reading and a synthetic pouch it will have an add on device fitted by by an operative with electrical experience.

I have found out why E6 gas meters are now on a meter exchange programme


Smart,yes.