Smart meter confusion

With the disclaimer that my information is a few years old, my understanding is that they have not designed them to make it difficult for anybody to connect to them via wi-fi.

Er, they don't have any wifi installed in them. What they do have, is an encrypted data transmission, sufficient for the indoor display. So far as I am aware, no one has managed to hack into its transmission to decode the data, despite a few attempting to.

If you know different, then feel free to correct me. I would be very interested.
 
Sponsored Links
And that latter mechanism is used, see ...
When Simom wrote of the existingf mechanism to generate "million quid bills", I presumed (particularly in context) that he was referring to electricity bills, not banknotes! Are you perhaps American?

Kind Regards, John
 
Sponsored Links
Why would you want to hack into your neighbours energy monitor?

Who are you replying to?

If you meant me, I didn't suggest hacking into anyone meter data, but my own. I would be very interested in getting access >to my own data<, on my PC. OVO in the early days facilitated this, but soon put a stop to it.
 
Absolutely right, think medical equipment at home or clinics/hospitals without automatic backup systems.
That's what is most frequency cited - but, of course, if one has crucial medical equipment, then one really should/must have some provision for coping with power loss - in terms of 'the big picture' very few people have ever had their electricity supply disconnected by a supplier, but we have all suffered dozens, if not hundreds, of 'power cuts'.

As often also mentioned, there are definite potential hazards of remote 're-connection' of an electricity supply, perhaps more likely to arise (in the average household, without crucial medical equipment) than the hazrads which could result from remote disconnection.

Kind Regards, John
 
They use whatever communication system works in the area.........

They can even be set up as a local network of several meters talking two way to a hub unit which is able to communicate with the company that reads meters and passes the data to the companies selling electricity. It can also send the data to the DNO who bring the electricity to the house so they can "adapt" the network as necessary.


https://www.smartme.co.uk/technical.html gives an overview of the various methods used.
 
Why would you want to hack into your neighbours energy monitor?
Because they try to stop you, when on the Falklands we all had 2 meter radios, if you said on call channel go to 145.400 no one bothered to follow you, if you said go to usual everyone would hunt to see where you were, and listen to what you were saying. It's human nature.
Absolutely right, think medical equipment at home or clinics/hospitals without automatic backup systems.
To be fair if there is medical equipment you are suppose to tell energy supplier so you are on a priority system. However in my house the stairs are centre of the house, so I have a battery backed light above the stairs, however it does not last that long, so there is a danger if you loose power for two long, also there is a cost, we were told if you don't open a freezer door they will last around 6 hours specially if full before food is defrosted, I heard my freezer fail, so did not open door, and switched on spare in garage, waited an hour to allow it to cool then opened the door of failed freezer, already items at top had started to defrost. It all depends on what cycle the freezer was on when power failed, if it has just completed a defrost cycle then you only have around half an hour to restore power.

I still say if the energy companies say they will not use the auto disconnect system, then why include it in the meters? I remember the winter of discontent and having power turned off, and three day week. The problem was then they could not single out houses which were to be left connected, so if there was an area with a hospital that whole area avoided having a power cut.
 
https://www.smartme.co.uk/technical.html gives an overview of the various methods used.

And it says there is a WAN but does not explain the technology, and it is not 3G or other telephony because it would then say it (as per SMETS1). Of course the meter has access to unlimited power, but what is the transmitting technology? Does it use the electricity cables directly? Or is it wireless?
 
Of course. All Americans have a Union Flag to indicate their Country and a Location of London / Kent.
The flag and your current location tell us nothing about your origins.

As I'm sure you understand, my point was simply that I don't think I've ever heard anyone in the UK referring to what is in their wallet as, say, "£10 bills" unless their use of English has been strongly influenced by some non-UK English (most commonly 'American English').

Kind Regards, John
 
On a pole near here there is a radio controlled isolator in an 11 kV line. This, if operated, will isolate a small housing estate and a small industrial estate.
Indeed.

In any event, as I just wrote, loss power due to network faults/problems is (and I'm sure will remain) far far more common than loss supply due to the deliberate disconnection of an individual property's supply.

Kind Regards, John
 
And it says there is a WAN but does not explain the technology, and it is not 3G or other telephony because it would then say it (as per SMETS1). Of course the meter has access to unlimited power, but what is the transmitting technology? Does it use the electricity cables directly? Or is it wireless?

The WAN (Wide Area Network) is the mobile network. The supply cables (so far as I am aware) are not used for signalling. The data link from meter to you indoor display is wireless, it only works within wireless range of the meter, but plugs into a socket, using batteries for data backup.
 

DIYnot Local

Staff member

If you need to find a tradesperson to get your job done, please try our local search below, or if you are doing it yourself you can find suppliers local to you.

Select the supplier or trade you require, enter your location to begin your search.


Are you a trade or supplier? You can create your listing free at DIYnot Local

 
Sponsored Links
Back
Top