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smart meters: questions to ask?

DavidMartin
My electronics does not quite extend to domestic power systems so would appreciate advice: 


We have a 4kW PV installation (which works well), but I understand some smart meters are incompatible with PV installations.  Partly for that reason I have prevented installation, so far.

I also understand that smart meter standards are still settling and not all meters being installed are guaranteed to work for the forseeable future, through changes in suppliers, etc.

There also seem to be issues around safely and future maintenance of some smart meter systems.


So ... can the team suggest questions I should ask to reduce the risk of a 'bad' smart meter installation ?


Thanks.
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    David Martin:

    . . . We have a 4kW PV installation (which works well), but I understand some smart meters are incompatible with PV installations. . . 




    That is incorrect. The meters do however need to be configured to allow export. You may need to keep your PV meter, as the UK government at the time decided to set the rules for the PV tariff, such that it cannot be measured by a single device. It is no different to what you have now. 

     



    . . . Partly for that reason I have prevented installation, so far. . . 

     



    It seems bizarre that the Labour government that introduced smart metering law should allow the consumer to veto the supplier’s preferred choice of meter for a property. This will become sillier as the availability of conventional meters decreases. 

     



    . . . I also understand that smart meter standards are still settling and not all meters being installed are guaranteed to work for the forseeable future, through changes in suppliers, etc. . . 

     



    That is not quite correct, and is your chosen supplier’s issue to be honest. I believe that the UK is the only country that allows anyone to choose any supplier for their electricity and change their minds as often as they want. This has led to challenges in the software, together with data protection issues about who can see what. The now obsolete first generation smart meters work perfectly well where there is not a choice of supplier. I suspect if we were starting again, things would be done differently, but we are where we are. 

     



    . . . There also seem to be issues around safely and future maintenance of some smart meter systems. . . 

     



    Not true. There is an issue regarding the supply of existing “conventional” meters as their manufacture is being ramped down dramatically in favour of smart meters, as there is no demand for them. Stories on this in the press are just stories, designed to sell papers. A smart meter is no more dangerous than the conventional meter you currently have, whether it be electronic or the older Ferraris disc design. Its calibrated life will still be set, and it will still need to be replaced at the end of this time. 


    Regards,


    Alan. 

     

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  • 0

    David Martin:

    . . . We have a 4kW PV installation (which works well), but I understand some smart meters are incompatible with PV installations. . . 




    That is incorrect. The meters do however need to be configured to allow export. You may need to keep your PV meter, as the UK government at the time decided to set the rules for the PV tariff, such that it cannot be measured by a single device. It is no different to what you have now. 

     



    . . . Partly for that reason I have prevented installation, so far. . . 

     



    It seems bizarre that the Labour government that introduced smart metering law should allow the consumer to veto the supplier’s preferred choice of meter for a property. This will become sillier as the availability of conventional meters decreases. 

     



    . . . I also understand that smart meter standards are still settling and not all meters being installed are guaranteed to work for the forseeable future, through changes in suppliers, etc. . . 

     



    That is not quite correct, and is your chosen supplier’s issue to be honest. I believe that the UK is the only country that allows anyone to choose any supplier for their electricity and change their minds as often as they want. This has led to challenges in the software, together with data protection issues about who can see what. The now obsolete first generation smart meters work perfectly well where there is not a choice of supplier. I suspect if we were starting again, things would be done differently, but we are where we are. 

     



    . . . There also seem to be issues around safely and future maintenance of some smart meter systems. . . 

     



    Not true. There is an issue regarding the supply of existing “conventional” meters as their manufacture is being ramped down dramatically in favour of smart meters, as there is no demand for them. Stories on this in the press are just stories, designed to sell papers. A smart meter is no more dangerous than the conventional meter you currently have, whether it be electronic or the older Ferraris disc design. Its calibrated life will still be set, and it will still need to be replaced at the end of this time. 


    Regards,


    Alan. 

     

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