Smart Meter = smart move?

[melmerby]

I'm sure LEDs will be the way to go, though trying to find the equivalent bulb can be tricky. Looking here it says a normal 100w bulb gives 1853 lumens, so the nearest equivalent LED bulb is 25W (so 25% of the power used by a standard bulb, not 10%). Looking here, there's only one that even reaches 960 lumens, so I need two bulbs at least £4.99 each (the 9W, claiming 760+ lumen, though the other site says 9W gives 671 lumen), plus a double light fitting, to replace one old-fashioned 100w bulb (or its CFL equivalent).

Perhaps energy saving light bulbs need a topic of their own. There's a lot of variance in the figures!

Don't know where those lumens figures come from. I thought 1853lumens was the figure with 110v not 240v!

1520 is usually quoted as a typical tungsten 100w bulb and there are plenty of LEDs the same size which give out 1520 lumens.

 

Keith

[BernardTPM]

Don't know where those lumens figures come from. I thought 1853lumens was the figure with 110v not 240v!

1520 is usually quoted as a typical tungsten 100w bulb and there are plenty of LEDs the same size which give out 1520 lumens.

 

Keith

Me neither (it would be nice to have some definitive, independent study) but even 1520 is twice the 760 claimed from the 9W bulb.

If they've got any suitabale LED bulbs at Poundland, I'm going to try one out in my small table lamp.

[JJGraphics]

So far, I read:

 

SMART METER = DUMB MOVE . . .

[mezzoman253]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lORekVVGr1s

 

Watch it if you want and form your own opinions. Richard D hall was originally an Graduate Electronics Engineer, and Barrie Tower is an expert on microwave technology. I certainly switch off my wireless router and mobile phones at night.

I watched the video in the link, and whilst I've no doubt Trower did work for and in Military?Gov' departments, there were several inconsistencies in his replies. Basic errors and generalisations referring to radio, which seemed strange considering his background.

 

Microwaves by definition range from 300Mhz to 3GHz, the terrestrial TV band is within that (470-800Mhz), but no mention of switching off TV transmitters was alluded to.

 

Moving on to LED lighting.

 

There is a lot of rubbish out there. Yes the lights work and illuminate, but many, mainly cheap inports, are generators of huge amounts of RF interference, as are power line adapters BTW. You may be getting a bargain, but your neighbour(s) may be getting their radio receiption compromised. The interference gets onto the mains system and is propagated throught the ether too.

 

Unfortunately consumerism drives our, and many, economies now. So although there are EMC regulations many manufacturers don't fit filtering components, to save money, and self-certificate their products. This leads to flooding of the market with poor quality product and the subsequent electronic smog.

 

Did you know that if you change your halogen downlighters for LEDs you need to change the driver transformers too, if a separate component.

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/advice/11312589/Problems-with-LED-bulbs-and-DAB-radio.html and https://conversation.which.co.uk/technology/led-bulb-radio-interference-dab-test/

 

Yes the LEDs will work, but as above will pollute the ether.

 

Rob

Edited April 17, 2017 by mezzoman253

[57xx]

I don't see that there is any befit in my having a smart meter, if I want to know how much power an appliance uses I will read the wattage label on the back, and if I want to reduce its consumption I will turn it off. 

 

Exactly, it just takes common sense, not a smart meter, to know how much an appliance consumes. 

[JJGraphics]

Exactly, it just takes common sense, not a smart meter, to know how much an appliance consumes.

 

But the current younger generation have to have everything "smart" . . .

[Tony_S]

But the current younger generation have to have everything "smart" . . .

I quite like the information provided by my smart meter display. I get my state pension later this year. Glad to know I am still "younger".

I mainly have the display show the gas meter information. This week we have changed the ancient E rated boiler for a modern A rated device. Nice to see the significant reduction in costs!

Tony

[knottyAl]

As a retired meter reader(gas and electricity), I'd like to suggest that the supplier companies motivation for encouraging Smart meter takeup is this: Saving money!Not yours, their's. Less meter readers = less wages, and less travel and transport costs for them.Installation costs will be paid from higher tariffs and billing. So for them, it's a win-win!

[Guest]

As a retired meter reader(gas and electricity), I'd like to suggest that the supplier companies motivation for encouraging Smart meter takeup is this: Saving money!Not yours, their's. Less meter readers = less wages, and less travel and transport costs for them.Installation costs will be paid from higher tariffs and billing. So for them, it's a win-win!

 

There's certainly an element of that. However I found EDF preferred the simpler cost saving measure of simply not bothering to read the meter.

 

The other reason for them is to change behaviour and move demand away from peak hours.

[ess1uk]

There's certainly an element of that. However I found EDF preferred the simpler cost saving measure of simply not bothering to read the meter.

 

The other reason for them is to change behaviour and move demand away from peak hours.

But surely it's peak demand for a reason i.e. It's cold and dark?

Who wants to sit in a cold dark house because they can't manage demand?

[Guest]

But surely it's peak demand for a reason i.e. It's cold and dark?

Who wants to sit in a cold dark house because they can't manage demand?

 

Things like water heating, dishwashers, washing machines etc could all be powered at off peak times & prices.

Now look at the push towards towards electric vehicles. If lots of people buy them and charge them off-peak there is sufficient capacity already in place. If everyone drives home after work and plugs in at tea-time then there is not.

[ess1uk]

Things like water heating, dishwashers, washing machines etc could all be powered at off peak times & prices.

Now look at the push towards towards electric vehicles. If lots of people buy them and charge them off-peak there is sufficient capacity already in place. If everyone drives home after work and plugs in at tea-time then there is not.

I get all that.

Just if they do bump up the prices when people need it then some will sit in the cold and dark as they won't / can't pay.

[Jonboy]

Interesting as a flat dweller it could well be considered antisocial to run said appliances at cheap times, if not forbidden within the lease as apparently many more recent leases are written.

 

We also have a car park with the spaces not adjacent to the building and any such cables would need to cross a path and the turning area. It could be an interesting experience to get the management company to install charging points without a legal obligation to do so. It could be further complicated by the fact our lease grants use of a space, but not a specific space...

[57xx]

I quite like the information provided by my smart meter display. I get my state pension later this year. Glad to know I am still "younger".

I mainly have the display show the gas meter information. This week we have changed the ancient E rated boiler for a modern A rated device. Nice to see the significant reduction in costs!

 

The flip side to that is it can make some people worry too much about their consumption. When they fitted a smart gas meter for my Grandad, all he did was then mither about the cost he could see racking up on the display unit inside ("Oh no I've spent 50p on gas today!") and then sitting in a cold house as he was worried about it all. He had no problem affording the bills and was not using excessive amounts, all the meter did was cause him unnecessary anxiety.

 

The other reason for them is to change behaviour and move demand away from peak hours.

 

I'll let you know when I've figured out a way to move winter to summer for only certain areas of the UK. Maybe that's what global warming is all about...

[Guest]

Interesting as a flat dweller it could well be considered antisocial to run said appliances at cheap times, if not forbidden within the lease as apparently many more recent leases are written.

 

We also have a car park with the spaces not adjacent to the building and any such cables would need to cross a path and the turning area. It could be an interesting experience to get the management company to install charging points without a legal obligation to do so. It could be further complicated by the fact our lease grants use of a space, but not a specific space...

 

Daytime is a cheaper rate so you could save a little bit without being antisocial but you do miss out on the much cheaper night time rates. You could get a battery and time shift your rates but you'd never get your money back unless your flat was full of grow-lights or something...

 

EV charging in communal parking shouldn't technically be difficult but paying for the power would be. Public charging is a mess of different companies with a wild array of RFID cards & phone apps to pay for power. Plus you'd really want to be able to pick & choose your supplier for the parking by your flat.

[Tony Davis]

"Mither" - That's a word my Brother in law used to use, I wondered how it was spelt.

[Guest]

I'll let you know when I've figured out a way to move winter to summer for only certain areas of the UK. Maybe that's what global warming is all about...

 

Rain or shine people use the most power around tea-time. Not so much at 3AM

[Mad McCann]

I got my smart meter from OVO.

 

I do find it useful to monitor my use. I cook with gas and my rather ancient boiler is the same. Interestingly, my electricity costs are about 80% more than my gas use so I tend to restrict my use of electricity to no more than two lights on at any one time though there is a notable drop since I converted all to LED (much nicer light too). I have no TV, dishwasher or tumble dryer, but I use the washing machine frequently and the fridge freezer is probably a bit old now. I also ditched my electric kettle for an old-school hob variant! I do notice quite a spike when I operate the power shower. The radio is on near constantly but I can't see that using much.

 

Gas use will probably drop significantly later this year when I install a woodburner. :-) 

Edited April 19, 2017 by Mad McCann

[Free At Last]

Slightly OT but...

 A few years ago on a site I was on there was a diesel tank for the site plant. It was opposite the gatehouse where the key was held and all fuel was logged and signed for. Anyone found misappropriating site fuel would be dismissed. I said to my workmates what about that van by the portakabins, no one is bothered about him stealing fuel every day. They looked at me puzzled. I said it is an electric van and there is a lead from it going through the cabin window.

[Tony Davis]

Just to let you know, we said no, we don't want one thanks.

[Guest]

I said to my workmates what about that van by the portakabins, no one is bothered about him stealing fuel every day. They looked at me puzzled. I said it is an electric van and there is a lead from it going through the cabin window.

 

The cost of the electricity is negligible, but the thing with charging an EV from a 13A socket is that although it takes about ten hours to 'trickle' charge the battery that trickle comes at 10A. You don't often pull 10A for hours at a time so if there's an iffy socket or connection that heats up under load things might start to get smokey. That would bother me more than two quid's worth of 'leccy.

[Trog]

_{While this thread has not convinced me that a smart meter will save me money, indirectly this thread has.}

 

_{While thinking about my electricity use my mind gravitated to the grill on my cooker for obvious reasons. Suddenly light dawned ( 100W LED equivalent) as I am eating less than I used to why not push my food over to one side of the grill pan and only turn on one side of the grill. Instant 50% saving in my grilling electricity use, and all by using a smart me rather than a smart meter.}

Edited April 23, 2017 by Trog

[vitalspark]

I got my smart meter from OVO.

 

I do find it useful to monitor my use. I cook with gas and my rather ancient boiler is the same. Interestingly, my electricity costs are about 80% more than my gas use so I tend to restrict my use of electricity to no more than two lights on at any one time though there is a notable drop since I converted all to LED (much nicer light too). I have no TV, dishwasher or tumble dryer, but I use the washing machine frequently and the fridge freezer is probably a bit old now. I also ditched my electric kettle for an old-school hob variant! I do notice quite a spike when I operate the power shower. The radio is on near constantly but I can't see that using much.

 

Gas use will probably drop significantly later this year when I install a woodburner. :-) 

 

 

I though you would be burning Kingmoor coal!

 

D.

[Jonboy]

_{While this thread has not convinced me that a smart meter will save me money, indirectly this thread has.}

 

_{While thinking about my electricity use my mind gravitated to the grill on my cooker for obvious reasons. Suddenly light dawned ( 100W LED equivalent) as I am eating less than I used to why not push my food over to one side of the grill pan and only turn on one side of the grill. Instant 50% saving in my grilling electricity use, and all by using a smart me rather than a smart meter.}

I often use a small George Foreman grill for sausages, burgers, steaks, chops, bacon etc as they are cooked before the oven (or it built in grill) would be warm enough to use.

[Mike Buckner]

If anyone is bored enough to hack into my energy meter, feel free. I think the Chinese governments have bigger fish to fry.

 

Data is collected half-hourly. From this it is simple to discover when households are regularly empty. Criminals will pay for this information. They probably won't even need to hack your meter. Human nature being what it is, a bung to someone in the data centre gives them all they need.