Advanced power meters?

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stuffed

132 posts

Master Geek

Topic # 105172 28-Jun-2012 15:05
Advanced Meter is coming to our town via Genesis. OK we are probably about the last in the country but can someone bring me up to date with how this technology is working for the consumer please?See the following from a 2009 article "They should at least have home area network (HAN) communication capability and real-time in-home displays, which will allow for load shedding and shifting."Do the current meters have this?Is there an App or PC software available?Yes know you can get standalone units but why clutter the house with another gadget!Thanks

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Reply # 647691 28-Jun-2012 15:50
stuffed: Advanced Meter is coming to our town via Genesis. OK we are probably about the last in the country but can someone bring me up to date with how this technology is working for the consumer please?See the following from a 2009 article "They should at least have home area network (HAN) communication capability and real-time in-home displays, which will allow for load shedding and shifting."Do the current meters have this?Is there an App or PC software available?Yes know you can get standalone units but why clutter the house with another gadget!Thanks I think the short answer is that none of the power co are currently offering direct integration with home networks, I think a number of them are looking at/do have information via the web of what the meter is doing/has done. Whether the units have the ability to do direct networking like you describe and it is just dormant is a question I would like to know?

Jaxson

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Reply # 647696 28-Jun-2012 16:01
Yeah I'd expect web viewing of your usage details would be the preferred method companies would opt for to provide you access. This would then lend itself to a smartphone/iPad app for sure. Doubt they'd offer home networking as standard.

dolsen

622 posts

Ultimate Geek

Subscriber

Reply # 647700 28-Jun-2012 16:07
Jaxson: Yeah I'd expect web viewing of your usage details would be the preferred method companies would opt for to provide you access. This would then lend itself to a smartphone/iPad app for sure. We have that currently with genesis. Can drill down to hourly usage, graph throughout the day / month etc. It is fairly slow to navigate though. Doubt they'd offer home networking as standard. I am not aware of any that have this functionality.

mxpress

294 posts

Ultimate Geek

Reply # 647705 28-Jun-2012 16:16
stuffed: Advanced Meter is coming to our town via Genesis. OK we are probably about the last in the country but can someone bring me up to date with how this technology is working for the consumer please?See the following from a 2009 article "They should at least have home area network (HAN) communication capability and real-time in-home displays, which will allow for load shedding and shifting."Do the current meters have this?Is there an App or PC software available?Yes know you can get standalone units but why clutter the house with another gadget!Thanks This may not be exactly relevent but something to check up on when your advanced meter is installed and you get your first account. This is a recent problem in New Plymouth that my son was working on. http://wp.me/p2fMg6-8l mxpress

scuwp

1068 posts

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Reply # 647711 28-Jun-2012 16:21
We are honestly a bit dormant re our power usage, provided it works when we turn the switch on then job done as far as I am concerned. We got one of the smart-meters installed about a year ago. Haven't noticed any difference whatsoever, and don't drill down that much to worry about a few cents either way here or there. So to answer your first question ...the new meter has done nothing for us at all. Funny thing is we also have gas, and that is still a meter that needs to be read once a month, so despite all the new technology at present the poor meter reader still has to tramp out to our place regularly. I guess it keeps someone employed so that's a good thing. I often wonder why they bothered. Artificial intelligence is no match, for natural stupidity!

Niel

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Reply # 647722 28-Jun-2012 17:16
The following is from memory and could have some errors. The smart meter communicates with the network company, not the home network. Information is available on-line. Mercury has a system called Glow Bug which I think communicates with your own meter wireless and changes colour based on your power usage. It also shows if you are using power at on-peak or off-peak rates. I don't think on/off peak rates are available yet, but it is coming. Once you have a smart meter, your meter will be read every month and no further estimates as it is done remotely. With Mercury usually your meter gets read every month anyway, but with many of the other retailers your meter gets read only every 3 months or so with estimates in between. Something to be aware of is the old turning dial electromagnetic meter starts off fast but over time slows down and under reads. If you then change to a new electronic meter you will likely get metered slightly higher than what you are used to, but this will be accurate. Difference is not too much, but can be noticeable for a large family. You can never have enough Volvos!

oxnsox

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Reply # 647733 28-Jun-2012 17:38
Father in Christchurch gets/got daily summary via the internet of power usage. Made for scintillation reading (oh look, thats when I made a cuppa). Red-Zone technology now.

gregmcc

585 posts

Ultimate Geek

Reply # 647745 28-Jun-2012 18:05
stuffed: Advanced Meter is coming to our town via Genesis. OK we are probably about the last in the country but can someone bring me up to date with how this technology is working for the consumer please?See the following from a 2009 article "They should at least have home area network (HAN) communication capability and real-time in-home displays, which will allow for load shedding and shifting."Do the current meters have this?Is there an App or PC software available?Yes know you can get standalone units but why clutter the house with another gadget!Thanks You can actually tell Genesis that you don't want the smart meter, remember that they are making a saving not having to send a meter around, are they willing to pass on the saving? NO I had this conversation with Genesis last year, basically told them to go take a jump.

gzt

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Reply # 647809 28-Jun-2012 20:31
As an aside to this discussion - Genesis are running an 18 month trial using components of the Greenwave home automation system (newslink, official site) using a selected group of Auckland North Shore households. Energy saving and monitoring devices available in NZ: www.energymonitor.org.nz

mattwnz

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Reply # 647821 28-Jun-2012 20:54
The thing is that the genesis smart meter aren't broadcasting usage back to genesis in real time, or at least they aren't being updated in realtime on their website. When I look at my readings, they are two days out of date, so they are missing details for the past two days. It is quite interesting though to look at power usage. There website is also very clunky.

Niel

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Reply # 647833 28-Jun-2012 21:07
I was under the impression the lines company owns the meter, not the power retailer. And it is the lines companies that are rolling out the smart meter. So in my case it is Vector rolling out the meters and Mercury presents me with the usage information (whichever way they feel like and when they sync the data). Instead of the saving getting passed on to you, you are getting accurate information and billed for actual usage. No chance of the meter reader guy getting it wrong. You can never have enough Volvos!

nickb800

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Reply # 647872 28-Jun-2012 21:54
Niel: I was under the impression the lines company owns the meter, not the power retailer. And it is the lines companies that are rolling out the smart meter. So in my case it is Vector rolling out the meters and Mercury presents me with the usage information (whichever way they feel like and when they sync the data). Instead of the saving getting passed on to you, you are getting accurate information and billed for actual usage. No chance of the meter reader guy getting it wrong. I think (at least in the case of Christchurch & Kapiti-Horewhenua AFAIK) that its being done by the retailers, the idea being that it is they who pay for the meter reading costs, so they have the incentive to use smart meters to reduce the cost of a meter reader. No incentive for the lines company to reduce these costs. It is a totally stupid arrangement, however, as the meter often needs to be changed if the customer changes retailers.

mattwnz

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Reply # 647883 28-Jun-2012 22:02
Niel: I was under the impression the lines company owns the meter, not the power retailer. And it is the lines companies that are rolling out the smart meter. So in my case it is Vector rolling out the meters and Mercury presents me with the usage information (whichever way they feel like and when they sync the data). Instead of the saving getting passed on to you, you are getting accurate information and billed for actual usage. No chance of the meter reader guy getting it wrong. In my area I am pretty sure it is the retailer installing them. My neighbour who isn't using the same company as me didn't have their meter upgraded, and the meter I think is also branded with the retailers name. When I change retailer, I presume it will stay, and it wasn't the quickest job switching it over.

Niel

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Reply # 647897 28-Jun-2012 22:21
Thanks for setting me straight, I now remember the ripple controller has a sticker property of Mercury Energy and think the power meter too. After 12 years I'm still getting used to having a power retailer, in South Africa it is one company doing both lines and retail. There pre-pay is huge as many people do not have the credit to open accounts. We are now talking of about 20 years ago having a pre-pay meter that works similar to a pre-pay mobile phone, you enter a code to load credit on the meter. You can never have enough Volvos!

stuffed

132 posts

Master Geek

Reply # 647965 29-Jun-2012 08:01
Hmm - ok looks as though there are some grey areas here! Want to ensure that any new meter is future proofed so that when technology eventually catches up data can be easily monitored at home.Am happy to pay something towards an advanced "advanced meter".Any suggestions on what and where from?Have 3 phase power. Thanks

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