How is a smart metre connected?

[ericmark]

I was not considering exactly how much I had spend, a pint or two soon bumps up the price, but is was that I penny pinch with electric use, but not when going out for a meal. The thing is with electric and oil we pay as a lump a few times a year. If still putting a shilling in the slot it would not seem as much, well I have never put a shilling in the slot.

I have had solar for nearly a year, and it gives totals, so 3,063.5 kWh imported and I have used 4,921.1 kWh it does not show how much at peak and how much off peak, which is the real interest here as talking about smart meters.

When one looks at cost per year, £70 per year per freezer sounds a lot, but it's likely cheaper than travelling 16 miles every other day to buy food. I had an argument with my wife over using the milkman, yes milk costs more than at supermarket, but it means one shopping trip per week instead of two, so works out cheaper, for us living 8 miles from supermarket.

The problem is with so many so called smart devices is they do not integrate with each other. My wife's phone tells me where she is, and I can put the kettle on before she gets home and have coffee waiting for her, and if dark turn on the outside lights, but it needs me to do that, and some human machine interface, theroy it could be automated, in practice it does not work.

So in theroy the fire brigade when attending a fire could turn the smart meter off, it practice that does not happen. My idea when looking after my father-in-law was to watch his power use, if we saw the peaks where he used the kettle, we would know he was OK, this never happened, and now having got a smart meter I can see it would not have worked.

I look at my meter cupboard and there are a host of CT coils each doing basic the same thing, but there is no integration between my immersion heater and my solar, the immersion heater looks for export, and once it exceeds a set limit, then it starts heating the water, and so many things today, will not work as they are plugged in, they require that HMI (human machine interface) even the car battery charger will not start charging unless I press a button, so I have smart socket adaptors, but their use is limited, as so many items have some HMI.

 

[ebee]

Got you on the milk delivery Eric lad.
Case in point, just recently our milk went off one morning.
So S W M B O decided we would buy half size when shopping.
Well I tried debunking that idea based on economy and what an uphill struggle I had (and still not won, she is not convinced).
She works part time in a supermarket so we pick up some shopping when she finishes shift (plus gets a small staff discount).
I took an example of a supermarket price for 4 pint plastic bottle of semi skimmed at £1.45 against £1.20 for 2 pints as an example, trying to show it`s cheaper to buy a 4 pint and throw some away rather than buy 2 pints more often.
I have not succeeded, despite it only being the very rare occasion up to 6 times per year max and up to about 1/5 of the bottle volume absolute max in any event.
I have still not won my point.

It took me years for an 8.4KW Electric shower - not brushing teeth whilst stood in running shower - gets electric bill up over the year, I kept getting told that electric showers do not cost much to run, but could I explain that an ideal shower time of 6 mins was Ok, even 10mins. 15 to 20 mins still not overdoing it if required but pumping the cost up by taking exceeding long showers and brushing teeth in shower usage time is OTT.
Good grief, many times I came home from work covered in muck, soot etc etc and needed a long shower afterwards before feeling human again but not extra long showers - good dollop of Swarfega or such on hands, good rub then rinse (in Basin not Sink!) then ave a shower after dumping clothes in washing basket , brushing of teeth was hand basin not shower.
Anyway, after a few years I won that one and also the kids (4 of them) and when SWMBO say the tangible difference in bills she was eventually convinced.

You`d think cos of her Father she would be more thrifty - he had 8 kids and the all had chores to do, 8 kids and coming from an earlier generation he was far worse than me. When his kids peeled the spuds, if the peelings were too thick then he made them peel the peelings , not much waste.
I have a few other examples that make me giggle the same, I do miss the old chap if only for some of those.

 

[JohnW2]

So in theroy the fire brigade when attending a fire could turn the smart meter off, it practice that does not happen. ...

They probably wouldn't need to - the fire brigade appear to have their own means of de-energising electrical installations - in the form of insulated bolt cutters

 

[ericmark]

Yes @ebee getting even my son to do the maths is hard, he is also level 5 in electrics, but the main problem is if some one with some authority tells wife, mother, son, daughter something, to get them to use their own brain to work out it was wrong is hard.

Worst for me was mother (and to be fair by then had alzheimer's disease) not to turn the cooker off at the main isolator. She had a new kitchen installed by social services, as in a wheel chair, and everything too high, when completed they sent some one around to show her how to use the cooker, who told her to turn it off at the wall isolator. This resulted in clock stopping, and then oven would not work when power turned back on.

Asked why she told her to turn off isolator, and the trainer said she had gas, asked if she turned gas isolator off, and answer was no, so why turn off the electric one? I had to get the main woman from social services to come and tell my mother not to turn it off, and explain her subordinate had made a mistake.

This is my complaint about the smart meter advert, any sensible person should know you can clap your hands to your hearts content and the lights will not switch on or off, and if that is all they can say about a smart meter, then why should anyone fit one? We know the advantages, and how split tariffs can reduce costs, so why not explain that? We have the same with electric cars "Who says" well come on who does say it? Showing a car driving up/down a street, does not show why we should go electric.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Our most expensive locally were perhaps best best in the area and particularly massive portions too but the price was very high compared to other local outlets, some very good and some not as good. It was renowned locally as expensive.
The price - £10 if you bought Fish and Chips separate but only £9.99 if you bought them together. LOL. I am not kidding,

I'm not a great lover of any seafood at all, but will sometimes have haddock. We had F&C for dinner from our local today. 2x haddock, much bigger than I either of us can manage and better than one of the expensive local places too, plus 1x chips - enough for both of us, and more. The dog ends up with most of the surplus.

However when travelling a bit, two that stand out when visiting Yorkshire north coast are Magpies at Whitby (usually very good but sometimes changeable though). Thompsons on the A64 just outside York and boy are they yummy and massive portions too.

We were in Whitby yesterday, we've tried The Magpie, and agree it's variable, and expensive too. Tried Abbey Wharf (which allows dogs in), overlooking the harbour, likewise, but horrid they serve horrid tea and coffee. Ended up paying a little less, for similar quality, at a little café just over the bridge, and as the road curves round to the right, opposite the Post Office - they also allow dogs in. IMHO F&C are vastly over-priced at the touristy spots, and many of these places.

Best value, and the meal I most enjoy out, is a carvery, for which we pay <£8 each, with 25% discount, for being Octopus customers.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

This is my complaint about the smart meter advert, any sensible person should know you can clap your hands to your hearts content and the lights will not switch on or off, and if that is all they can say about a smart meter, then why should anyone fit one?

It's only a joky add, to keep SM's in the eye of the energy customers, to help overcome the stupid reluctance - like so many of the modern adds, just like the woman, jumping out of bed, wearing her red Shell overalls, it's not meant to be serious.

We know the advantages, and how split tariffs can reduce costs, so why not explain that?

Fact is, there are many different suppliers, all offering differing tariffs, only available if you have a SM. The ad is to promote SM's, not the endless list of available tariffs.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

I have had solar for nearly a year, and it gives totals, so 3,063.5 kWh imported and I have used 4,921.1 kWh it does not show how much at peak and how much off peak, which is the real interest here as talking about smart meters.

Octopus, provide all the data you might need, and more, via a simple download API, with a resolution of 30 minutes. Octopus gp well out of their way, to make knowledge of the API available, and have a very active forum, where free software is provided by users, to help analyse the data. They also include on your account page, a instantaneous consumption meter, updated every 10sec, if you request and install a free 'Mini'. What more data could anyone want, or need?

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

I took an example of a supermarket price for 4 pint plastic bottle of semi skimmed at £1.45 against £1.20 for 2 pints as an example, trying to show it`s cheaper to buy a 4 pint and throw some away rather than buy 2 pints more often.

We only buy the 4x pinters/2L, they are usually well dated, upto 2 weeks ahead, from Lidl. I've just enquired, and she says she buys the 2L, two at a time, and she buys them every 3 or 4 days. I had no idea we used so much

 

[ericmark]

Yesterday solar software says imported 6.1 kWh and today 6 kWh but the smart meter says 5.82 kWh yesterday and 0.10 kWh today, the latter is clearly an error.

 

[ebee]

We only buy the 4x pinters/2L, they are usually well dated, upto 2 weeks ahead, from Lidl. I've just enquired, and she says she buys the 2L, two at a time, and she buys them every 3 or 4 days. I had no idea we used so much

Our 2L/4pts lasts about nearly a week even though sometimes SWMBO has a mug of hot milk before bedtime. This time there was a bit more than usual left but the weather was humid and thundery . Although we make sure it has longest date on it, once opened it has limited life anyway. The night before the milk was ok for a brew but in the morning ooh no.

PS - a back of sugar 1kg usually lasts about 12 months, we not big addicts LOL

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Our 2L/4pts lasts about nearly a week even though sometimes SWMBO has a mug of hot milk before bedtime. This time there was a bit more than usual left but the weather was humid and thundery

She says that I'm the one who uses most of the milk, I have my three coffees per day, made with 50/50 milk/water. I'll double-check our milk use, it seems exaggerated.

Although we make sure it has longest date on it, once opened it has limited life anyway.

I try to avoid buying milk from small local shops, they tend to not take as much care of it, as the big stores. One I know has it delivered, and it sits for hours in their backyard, in the sun, before they open and take it in.

PS - a back of sugar 1kg usually lasts about 12 months, we not big addicts LOL

I was declared to be bordering diabetic, a few years ago, so I cut my sugar from two spoons to one in my hot drinks. I find two spoons now far too sweet.

 

[ebee]

well most of my adult life has been no sugar in tea and about half a teaspoon in coffee, I did drink mostly coffee during daytime as many folk make bad tea.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

well most of my adult life has been no sugar in tea and about half a teaspoon in coffee, I did drink mostly coffee during daytime as many folk make bad tea.

Growing up, tea was tea leaves, and I hated tea leaves floating about in my cup, and so never drank tea. When older, and given a choice, I had coffee. When tea bags came along, I relented, and began drinking some tea, and it became my go to with the F&C's.

 

[ebee]

Big Ditto on that Harry

 

[ericmark]

For another thread I found a picture smart meter and the old meter, this I think does show how connected. The smart meter is taller, the cardboard box on the top of the house CU was left after an aborted attempt to fit the smart meter to show how much room was required. It comes as two bits, which join together, I would assume the top bit is what sends the info as to what you have used or supplied.

My only real complaint was lack of instructions, I thought it would be intuitive, and to some extent it is, but attempts to find a manual got this and since not being used as a credit meter, it is rather useless.

I found some non BG sites, which said how to read total, then said how to find out more go here for full guide, but page did not exist. Anyway no more estimated bills it says really? Should it not be more up to date? All readings seem to be before the smart meter was fitted, nothing since. Would you say an account balance of £821.66 is reasonable? is it actually including what has been used since 8th January? I am lucky, I can afford to have that money tied up, if however I was living on a shoe string, that is not what I would want to see.