Electric Metre Multiplyer

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Hifarion

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#112672 17-Dec-2012 11:49

This is a question for the electric boffins...

We have an electric meter, and when they calculate the bill they mulitply our reading by 60x

We thinks its a bit much so wanted to check the mulitplyer, our metre has 6000 imp./KwH

Can anyone confirm that this results in a factory of 60x...

Thanks

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#733465 17-Dec-2012 12:02

hifarion: We have an electric meter, and when they calculate the bill they mulitply our reading by 60x

How do you know this?

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Hifarion

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#733468 17-Dec-2012 12:06

Its written in pen on the meter, and its on our account as part of the equation

However, the power bills we've been getting a insanely high, and the multiplyer is the only factory that could be wrong - for example, the metre says we've used 45 units over the weekend (when the building was closed)...

45units x 60mulitplyer = 2700

2700 x 23.77 cents = $641!!!!!!!

We've been getting $9k - $11k a month power bills and none of the power co's are interested in helping.

We run machinery, but nothing that absorbs this kind of power

wellygary

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#733488 17-Dec-2012 12:26

Well with 10K bills a month, you have a fairly healthy incentive to track this down, ( and can presumably spend some of the savings in thie project)

I would get a sparky over to see if they can install a second meter for you, that is between the existing meter and you mainboard- so you can keep an eye on what is actually happening,

The other cause could be a faulty item of equipment- again have a sparky have a look round your place

gregmcc

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#733492 17-Dec-2012 12:30

Sounds like CT metering, where the CT's are a ratio of 60 to 1, installing a check meter may be impraticle, but you can rent a peice of equipnment from Tech Rentals that will require an electrician to connect up, run this for a week or 2 and compare it's reading with the meter readings, that way you will get an idea if things are not reading right.

gzt

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#733509 17-Dec-2012 12:52

What is the brand and model number of this meter?

Hifarion

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#733549 17-Dec-2012 13:15

The metre is Enermet, made in Finland

I've googled the ration for PT and CT calculations, but this metre doesn't have anything that resembles these, it just has 6000 imp / Kwh

Thanks

gzt

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#733551 17-Dec-2012 13:16

Which model exactly?

gregmcc

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#733563 17-Dec-2012 13:30

gzt: Which model exactly?

If your talking about which one from Tech Rentals

Dranetz-BMI Power Xplorer PX5

Hioki 3169-20 Clamp On Power Analyser

You really need to get your electrician involved as this would be the best person to determine which one to rent and to hook it up

Hifarion

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#733568 17-Dec-2012 13:37

This is a shot of the metre, I've tried to work out how they got a mulitplyer of 60x.....

Sorry for the poor quality, it was dark in the metre room...

MikeSkyrme

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#733571 17-Dec-2012 13:41

I believe the 6000 imp / kW is a reference to a pulsed output for the meter. If you provide a model numwer for the meter, it would be easier to look at CT and VT ratings, and whether the A/D conversion may have something to do with the calculation.
This is a three phase meter?

Michael Skyrme - Instrumentation & Controls

Hifarion

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#733573 17-Dec-2012 13:46

Yep, I'm 99% sure its a 3 phase metre.

The issue is, there is no possible way we consumed $641 over the weekend, the factory was shut - and our sister company in Auckland struggle to pull in a power bill over $1,000 per month and they are bigger than us.

SO the only factor I want to challenge is the multiplyer, but the Power Co's don't really want to help....

Unfortunately this is all the info that is on the metre, I think the next step is to get a secondry metre at our expense to test...

Thanks

gzt

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#733581 17-Dec-2012 13:50

Are you still with Trustpower like it says on the property sticker?

MikeSkyrme

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#733587 17-Dec-2012 13:53

Hifarion: Yep, I'm 99% sure its a 3 phase metre.

The issue is, there is no possible way we consumed $641 over the weekend, the factory was shut - and our sister company in Auckland struggle to pull in a power bill over $1,000 per month and they are bigger than us.

SO the only factory I want to challenge is the multiplyer, but the Power Co's don't really want to help....

Unfortunately this is all the info that is on the metre, I think the next step is to get a secondry metre at our expense to test...

Thanks

As per GreggMCC's comments, you can hire a portable PQM (three phase) which will measure / monitor everything that is happening on your supply.
A sparky should be able to hook this up for you without much trouble.

Michael Skyrme - Instrumentation & Controls

Hifarion

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#733588 17-Dec-2012 13:53

Nope, genesis.

They won't help, their stance is that they only care for anything up to the metre - from there onwards is our responsibility.

So was hopping the glyphs on the metre would mean something to someone, and confirm that our mulitypler of 60x was correct/incorrect.

MikeSkyrme

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#733589 17-Dec-2012 14:00

Hifarion: Nope, genesis.

They won't help, their stance is that they only care for anything up to the metre - from there onwards is our responsibility.

So was hopping the glyphs on the metre would mean something to someone, and confirm that our mulitypler of 60x was correct/incorrect.

There is nothing on your meter which indicates a requirement to multiply / divide by 60. The kW hours displayed is as it is measured by the meter.

Michael Skyrme - Instrumentation & Controls

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