wattmeters

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stew

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Have had several inquriies regarding separate monitoring of power usage . Anyone have an inexpensive meter that they might use for this.? I have found small digital types for between 130 and 150 contractor cost.Anything less expensive that anyone might know of?
 
Just a note to "tread lghtly".. seperate "monitoring" normally causes no problems, but if the intent is to re-bill or pro-rate some utilities have specific rules/laws agaisnt that.
 
Have had several inquriies regarding separate monitoring of power usage . Anyone have an inexpensive meter that they might use for this.? I have found small digital types for between 130 and 150 contractor cost.Anything less expensive that anyone might know of?

anything less expensive and I'd begin to wonder re: the quality of the thing. I'm thinking of the ratings of a standard multimeter and the price you pay for one that has a III or IV rating.
 
090506-0729 EST

stew:

Is your goal to measure power, energy, or both? What voltage and current levels? What is the purpose of the monitoring? Is recording needed?

The costs you already mentioned are at the low end.

Do you have any idea of the amount or kind of work that must go into making such a device? Do you know how these devices work?

.
 
090506-0815 EST

The following I believe are more direct links to the Watt-Minder:

http://www.watt-minder.com/prod-wattminder.html
http://www.watt-minder.com/prod-wm-specs.html
http://www.watt-minder.com/prod-wm-inst.html

Looking at this material I really do not know how it works, its limitations, what it really measures, or how to do some of the things implied.

I could only find a couple places where it said that power was measured. It might measure current only, or current and voltage and multiply these, or maybe it actually measures "real" power. I should not have to modify power with real, but today there is a lot of loose usage of words. It does not say that it measures KWH, but indirectly maybe it is.

When I see sales material written like this it raises a red flag.

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090506-1026 EST

stew:

Your thread title should have been watt-hour or kilowatt-hour meters.

The TED unit manufactured by Energy, Inc @ www.theenergydetective.com could be used but for your application I would not recommend it. You need the plain old type spinning disk watt-hour meter. This requires no external power, and is very reliable. I do not know where you get these.

But take note of post #2 by augie47. And post #9 by ultramegabob.

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From
http://www.georgiapower.com/pricing/gpc_rates.asp#rules

A. GENERAL RULES:...
6. Electric service will not be supplied in competition with the Company's own service, either wholesale or retail, or for distribution or supply or resale in any territory occupied by the distribution system of the Company, or proposed to be occupied by the distribution system of the Company.

7. It is mutually understood and agreed that such service as is supplied under the contract is for the customer's use within or upon his premises and for the purposes designated in the application. The customer shall not extend service from one location to another by crossing rights-of-way or public streets, roads, alleys or property owned by others. The customer shall not supply electrical energy to anyone else or allow anyone to take same, nor shall he use or permit same to be used at any other premises or for any other purposes (either directly or indirectly by transformation or regeneration) than those designated in the application. Where the customer's service requirements indicate that modification of the above rule is reasonable, then such modification may be made by the proper official of the Company upon application.

...

E. METERING AND BILLING REGULATIONS...
11. The owner/landlord of a residential rental apartment complex may take electric service for the entire complex through a single Georgia Power meter. In the event the owner meters the electric usage of tenants for calculation of a pro-rata share of electric usage, charges for the pro-rata share must be specifically itemized on the tenant?s bill, based upon each tenant?s actual usage. No administrative or other charge may be combined with the charge for electric usage. A reasonable administrative fee, common area electric usage, and any other service or utility provided pursuant to the lease, may be separately itemized on any bill rendered to the tenant.
 
You'd think that, once you pay for the power, it's none of their business what you do with it.

I wonder if water, gas, and other utilities have similar restrictions, and whether they're legal.
Must have something to do with the provider having the franchise rights to exclusively sell their wares.
 
You'd think that, once you pay for the power, it's none of their business what you do with it.

I wonder if water, gas, and other utilities have similar restrictions, and whether they're legal.

I may be wrong, its just a guess, but I would think the Dept. of weights and measures has somthing to do with it...
 
So, when a service station charges money for recharging a car battery, they're reselling power. :cool:
That service does not compete with the utility.

Now if the customer were making an outlet available, and selling the electricity to people who were plugging in and running their house, that becomes a problem. They would need to re-sell to the utility and let the utility provide the power to the house.
 
always keep in mind POCO has a lot of attorneys needing something to do. ......
you probably don't
 
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