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Forums › Home Workshop DIY › Electric Metre Multiplyer


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Topic # 112672 17-Dec-2012 11:49
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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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gzt

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  Reply # 733465 17-Dec-2012 12:02
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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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  Reply # 733468 17-Dec-2012 12:06
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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

 
 
 
 


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  Reply # 733488 17-Dec-2012 12:26
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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 

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  Reply # 733492 17-Dec-2012 12:30
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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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  Reply # 733509 17-Dec-2012 12:52
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What is the brand and model number of this meter?



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  Reply # 733549 17-Dec-2012 13:15
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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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  Reply # 733551 17-Dec-2012 13:16
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Which model exactly?

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  Reply # 733563 17-Dec-2012 13:30
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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



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  Reply # 733568 17-Dec-2012 13:37
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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...


 

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  Reply # 733571 17-Dec-2012 13:41
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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



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  Reply # 733573 17-Dec-2012 13:46
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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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  Reply # 733581 17-Dec-2012 13:50
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Are you still with Trustpower like it says on the property sticker?

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  Reply # 733587 17-Dec-2012 13:53
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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



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  Reply # 733588 17-Dec-2012 13:53
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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.


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  Reply # 733589 17-Dec-2012 14:00
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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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