Meter Reading

[don_resqcapt19]

I think this is a prelude to residential demand response and time of use billing.

There was an insert with our utility bill (AmerenIP) this month promoting real time (hourly) pricing.
Don

 

[amptech]

My REMC installed a remote read meter at my house about a year ago. It transmits over the lines back to the office. I am building a new 30' x 50' electric shop here as we speak and REMC told me to mount the new meterbase anywhere on the south or west side. They don't care anymore since they don't physically have to read it. I should ask if I can put it inside next to the panel.

 

[Energy-Miser]

There was an insert with our utility bill (AmerenIP) this month promoting real time (hourly) pricing.
Don

That would mean that the POCO will have to have had installed what's called "smart meters". Do they have that were you are in Illinois? e/m.

 

[John Valdes]

I guess I should take a look at my electric bill. I never do, wife does and pays them.
I see nothing special about my meter. 5 clocks and a wheel. I see no way they could read this meter without actually looking at it.
But I will make an effort to find out the how's and why's......Thanks John

 

[don_resqcapt19]

That would mean that the POCO will have to have had installed what's called "smart meters". Do they have that were you are in Illinois? e/m.

If you sign up for hourly pricing they will install one.
Don

 

[Energy-Miser]

If you sign up for hourly pricing they will install one.
Don

Are there private companies out there that offer home automation along with control over electricity use via internet, etc.? That seems to be up and coming after smart meters are introduced. e/m.

 

[Jim W in Tampa]

Alot of them read them with a scope also. I couldn't get them to come in my yard and read mine and my bill was jumping all over the place, so I just put a piece of tape over it and then they had to come in. Got a nice refund check for that one.

That would make me upset.I dont much care for idea of a guy with a scope looking at my house.Face it thats a good one if its reading distance.I think i will take a picture of a meter that is 1/2 mile down my street that is hanging by the wires ,it got hit by a car and pedistal broke in half.Its feeds the phone /cable system.It is underground and been this way for atleast 6 months.If meter reader had to read it from dials i know it been fixed.

 

[Rampage_Rick]

Actually if they wanted to they could do exactly that.I will unscrew that light bulb in frig right now.The hot tub stays at 102 and only allow good looking women to use it.

The good looking ladies won't get it if you don't turn on the pumps... :grin: :grin:

I'm totally for AMR and time-of-day/demand rates. Here they've been installing Centron C1S electronic meters for new resi. construction for the past 3-4 years, except for the 6-month span when they ran out and went back to dials. AFAIK they don't have the remote-read capability installed, though I should look into it further...

Our larger services here have nice A3 Alpha meters, and I think they're RF capable, although I'm fairly certain they're still reading them manually, as someone still cuts off the tag regularly. On this 400-acre site we have 16 meters that I have to keep tabs on.

 

[Energy-Miser]

The good looking ladies won't get it if you don't turn on the pumps... :grin: :grin:

I'm totally for AMR and time-of-day/demand rates. Here they've been installing Centron C1S electronic meters for new resi. construction for the past 3-4 years, except for the 6-month span when they ran out and went back to dials. AFAIK they don't have the remote-read capability installed, though I should look into it further...

Our larger services here have nice A3 Alpha meters, and I think they're RF capable, although I'm fairly certain they're still reading them manually, as someone still cuts off the tag regularly. On this 400-acre site we have 16 meters that I have to keep tabs on.

Large facility, wonder what their electric bill is. By the way are the per kwh rates in Canada similar to those in the states? It has been said that the utilities have a large incentive to install smart meters and go the way of AMR, as it will reduce their labor greatly on reading, disconnecting / reconnecting (for non-payment, or change of service), and it will allow them to know about exact location of outages, and thus respond more quickly with line repairs, etc. However, the price fo the new meters are apparently still pretty high and mass conversion of analog meters will require major capital committment.
e/m.