New Meter Features

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BryanMD

BryanMD

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Maryland "the land of pleasant living"
As part of its energy plan announced Monday, BGE wants to install "smart meters" into residences that they claim would allow consumers to save money if they lower their energy consumption during the peak periods. Oh yeah, and BGE wants a monthly charge to the customer for this honor.

My question: what OTHER features do these new meters have that might be motivating BGE (and other POCO's) to want to replace the tens of thousands of installed and presumably functioning meters?

Any thoughts? Thanks.

Link to the story <http://www.baltimoresun.com/business/bal-bz.bge14jul14,0,1356638.story> and here is a pic of the critters:
 
one big function is that they can turn off the meter from the Home office.
A lot of these new meters have 200 amp solid state relays. You don't pay they cut you off instantly.
Also they can charge you by time of day rates.
The other motivating factor is real time power usage. The poco or the User can implement Load shedding devices within the home. The meters will incorperate a RF home automation technology called Zigbee ( some may use Zwave). Zigbee works on 2.4 GHZ 80211 protocol similar to WiFI. Load shedding devices like Thermostats and Light switches/Dimmers ..
 
Sierrasparky said:
one big function is that they can turn off the meter from the Home office.
A lot of these new meters have 200 amp solid state relays. You don't pay they cut you off instantly.
Also they can charge you by time of day rates.
The other motivating factor is real time power usage. The poco or the User can implement Load shedding devices within the home. The meters will incorperate a RF home automation technology called Zigbee ( some may use Zwave). Zigbee works on 2.4 GHZ 80211 protocol similar to WiFI. Load shedding devices like Thermostats and Light switches/Dimmers ..
Click to expand...

It will also adjust the revenue metering according to the household income, effectively doubling the rate for those in the >$250K income level considered rich according to Governmental directives, and directly bill HHS for those on public assistance.
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Gotcha...........:grin:
 
Are you serious about rate charging based on income level?
WoW.
We are doomed.
Socialist republic of the United States Here we come. . .... . . . .
 
My new digital meter was installed recently. You can view the peak demand as well as the total KWH from the display.

Locally here they want them to be able to read the meter remotely using an over the power wires communications protocol.
In the future they can also do other things as well.

I had not heard about the 200Amp solid state relays to turn off your power remotely. Is that for real?
 
Smart grid

Smart grid

The idea is to get people to use power more effectively. It costs the utility more to generate or purchase power during the day when demand is high. By charging time of day rates, the consumer will see the actual cost of power and make intelligent decisions about when to do laundry or run the dishwasher or recharge their electric car. That's the theory.

If everyone does it, the high cost power plants won't need to run as much.

The meters probably also can do automatic meter reading and outage reporting via some communications.

Puget Sound Energy installed a fancy meter on my house about 5 years ago as a demonstration project inour area. My wife washed all clothes after 10:00 pm, only ran dishes at night, etc. She became very grouchy and tired. Our yearly bill went down by about $1.50.
 
ELA said:
My new digital meter was installed recently. You can view the peak demand as well as the total KWH from the display.

Locally here they want them to be able to read the meter remotely using an over the power wires communications protocol.
In the future they can also do other things as well.

I had not heard about the 200Amp solid state relays to turn off your power remotely. Is that for real?
Click to expand...

Not all digital meters are of the smart type with real time telemetry. We've , Ive had in my area digital meters for years now that are capable of remote metering.

As far as 200 amp meters with disconnect yes. Iltron contracted with a solid state relay company to supply the necessary components. I belive they are in use today!
 
Everything so far said is either true or can be true. It basically allows the POCO a means to monitor your usage, remotely read your meter, allows then a mechanism to do TOD rate structures to change your habits by making electricity so expensive you cannot afford it. To boot they charge you a monthly hidden fee for the privilege. It also fits in nicely with Cap-N-Trade initiatives.
 
dereckbc said:
Everything so far said is either true or can be true. It basically allows the POCO a means to monitor your usage, remotely read your meter, allows then a mechanism to do TOD rate structures to change your habits by making electricity so expensive you cannot afford it. To boot they charge you a monthly hidden fee for the privilege. It also fits in nicely with Cap-N-Trade initiatives.
Click to expand...

This type of Meter is very true and in use in many areas of California today. There are already load shedding devices on the market that can comminicate with the meter or POCO. At the minimum Home automation devices can currently connect to the POCO minute by minute power rate structure and shed power accordingly. There is a claim to be state wide by the year 2012. There are a lot of opposition from some cities such is Los Angeles I hear.
 
PG&E is in the process of replacing gas & electric meter to the so-called "smart meters" & the customers of Pacific Graft & Extortion get to pay for the privilege of it considering the size of PG&E's territory (From the Oregon border to Bakersfield) it is a huge task.

Cap & Trade is more correctly referred to as Cap & Tax..:(
 
I got my smart meter installed about a couple o weeks ago. My parents, whoes house is only about 3 miles away got 1 installed a month or so ago, and the 2 meters are different. Theirs shows much more info than mine does - mine just shows KWh and voltage.

~Matt
 
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