Power Factor and New Power Company Digi Meters

Thanks for answering the question, what it means is that you have a watt hour meter, nothing to do with VA, VAr, power factor or anything, just watt hours like everyone else. If it's working properly it will measure the ENERGY you consume to within 1% as required by law, just like every other domestic meter in the land, mechanical or electronic.

So if your reading the meter accurately you're back to a very simple fact, they changed your meter and the recorded consumption jumped up, there are three obvious possibilities that spring to mind with the most likely first:

The old meter warn out meter was reading low, that's one reason they're replacing them. The new meter is faulty and reading high. The old meter was reading low AND the new one is reading high thus magnifying the problem.

Try going back to them and simply saying that the new meter has doubled your consumption so you want it tested, don't mention ANYTHING else, no clever stuff about power factor, machinery etc. You're talking to a muppet no matter what he thinks he knows, (ok at best a head muppet 8-)) so behave like any unhappy customer who has seen their bill double when a new meter is installed and you should get it tested. They should either come out with an expensive bit of kit to test it or just send a sparky around to change it for a new one, most likely the latter as it's cheaper!. Good luck.

Greg

Did I mention that our meter reader swapped the day and night units on 4 successive visits without realising!, and no I didn't twig either 8-(.

Greg

It's a bit comlicated and I'm falling asleap so I'll get back to you...

Power factor correction will only help your bill if you are NOT just being metered on kWh, though it will help save the planet a bit 8-).

Greg

Greg thank you

I did answer your question, even before you said I didn't .

or was busy elsewhere answering something else ...i didn't delay on purpose.

google groups are slow sometimes . :(

I'm still confused why the techy at ampy said that my meter was a kva meter ..and not the one I perhaps, should have .

Which started this all off

I will get on to them tomorrow (BRITISH GAS) and ask for it to be tested.

ANOTHER THING... is it true that the old meters were not as sensitive .=2E.meaning all stuff left on standby ...say during your holidays would not be picked up as using anything .

I remember when I had that mapplins gadget some years back ...I plugged it into a pile of stuff I have on standby in the corner of the room for

12 hours . hifi separates ,TV , sky, video ....and was astounded ...when it calculated that they were using =A315 worth of electric a year.

NOW...There is more that twice the amount of stuff left on standby as previously when I had the mapplins gadget about 4 years ago .

Now with this new meter or its replacement ...I'm going to be thinking different .

Another question ..

For a family member ,....if their electric provider says that they will be replacing their meter shortly ...can they argue with them and say .=2E.NO.

All the best..mark

Is there any chance you're making some kind of decimal point error when reading one of the meters? It's easily done. I've done it myself.

Best wishes,

Chris

From the Energywatch website:-

"Meters do not have to be exactly right. They are deemed accurate if they read no more than 2.5% higher or 3.5% lower than the exact amount of electricity used."

I had thought that they had to be class 2, but never mind. I have the advantage that I could calibrate an older Norma power analyser at work and borrow it to test my meter If I felt the need (older by damn. I bought the damn things wen they were the bleeding edge!) It's got to the point now that we use Yokogawa's on site!

Mark Rand RTFM

For the sake of precision, mark, this is a Usenet group, and it may be helpful to know distinction. See:

I did some tests today.

shows meter is ok .. :)

RESULTS

Tests started whist all things were running ...waited at the meter, and

waited for it to indicate another unit before I performed test.

set divers watch ...and waited to see how long it would take to use two

units on the meter.

was like watching paint dry

test 1

for the workshop ... house turned off...

1000 watts of lights turned on. phase converter going. and lathe running off the converter in 2 hp mode (has three speed motor

1=2E5 hp 2 hp and 2.5 hp) idling at 600 rpm or so.

2=2E4 units used over 1 hour period.

Test 2

Everything turned off and just the 3hp comp turned on

used 2.45 units over 1 hour period.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------= =AD------------------------------

These, I think are good results ...and are correct and show meter is working very well

I'm at a loss to know what's been happening over the last few weeks. .=2E. and why this meter has clocked up so many units, avaraging 170 units a week

next tests will be done on the house. (SUNDAY)

all the best..mark

No idea - but all Ampy 51xx/52xx series meters measure initially in kWh (actual energy delivered), not kVAh.

Models ending -A are "single rate active energy only" (ie they do not record "reactive energy" usage, suffix -F, or "maximum demand", suffix -J, just plain kWh).

If you want to check your meter, I have a vague memory of someone saying that Aldi/Lidl once did a watt-hour meter special, but I was too late and missed it - maybe it will come around again?

Are you sure that Her Indoors hasn't turned the immersion heater on?

Mark Rand RTFM

Its on a little timer ...set to come on for twenty mins in the morning and twenty mins at about ..4:30 pm

this could acount maybe for "up to 1 kw" {water already warm from morning} during the time I said it had used 11

the comp was on also ...that is something like 500 watts

and thats it.

OH...

There is a cavity wall between my semi with my ring main down it ???

I cant think of anything else :)

All the best.....mark

I'm curious, why would one turn it off?

Tom

To save wasting electricity??

Tim Dutton Dry-Dock Traditional & Modern canal craft repairs Vintage diesel engine service

So are thermostats not available in the UK? Or does one make do with varying hot water temperatures?

Tom

Thermostats work, but electricity is four times as expensive per Joule as gas and less than ideal insulation can cost several hundred watts if one is not careful.

Mark Rand RTFM

from Tom

< snip >

I'm often amazed that people think that leaving thermostatically controlled equipment on wastes electricity.

It seems that half the population cannot understand the concept at all.

My central heating system is set at 20° and has no timer - if the temperature is below 20° then even if it is 2pm in July I still want the radiators to come on!

JG

Mmm, We don't turn our electric hot water system off unless leaving the house vacant for several weeks... I suppose we're extravagant, but I did notice our last months electric bill was under 40 quid..

Tom

For most people in the UK, an immersion heater is a secondary method of heating the water, used (if you're sensible) for short periods only. Even with a well-insulated tank, the heat (electricity) losses are substantial if it's left on unneccesarily.

Cheers Tim

Dutton Dry-Dock Traditional & Modern canal craft repairs Vintage diesel engine service

Perhaps you're in need of some good Kiwi hot water systems? :-) I would say that conservatively 90% of NZ hot water systems are electric and on, all of the time.

Tom