Rules and Guidelines
Want to participate in the discussions? Please read our Community Rules and Guidelines. Need some help? Visit Support and Answers.

  • State Not Answered
  • Locked Locked
  • Replies 55 replies
  • Subscribers 32 subscribers
  • Views 4686 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Options
You may also be interested in
This discussion has been locked.
You can no longer post new replies to this discussion. If you have a question you can start a new discussion

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.
  • 0
    A switched neutral makes the contactor able to be run off its own live supply, which is the desirable simplification.

    Some countries do give volt free contacts, and then it is up to the end user to arrange their own contactor.


    That style of meter does support that mode of wiring  providing both sides of the relay contact on some smaller terminals under the cover - hence the extra neutral tail to the head.

    pic of inside one
  • 0
    You can use the live output from the suppliers E7 contactor to fire your own contactor to bring equipment into use, that is one of the ways to wire an electric storage cooker such as an Aga to the 24/7 supply, but have it charge with heat overnight, whilst allowing the facility for a daytime heating boost, which is more reliable than using a separate timer which may go out of sync resulting in over paying for electricity consumption.


    Andy Betteridge
  • 0
    changeover contactors are rare, but do exist.
  • 0
    It doesn’t need a change over contactor, but JP needs to have a method of controlling the E7 heaters from elsewhere when he is not in the cottage to manually switch it.


    Andy B.
  • 0
    Spark Energy are now offering customers £50 credit if they have a smart meter installed.

    They must be getting desperate.

    (Customers who have already had one fitted will be miffed.)


    I've yet to see a smart meter advert' on Facebook with anything other than dozens of negative comments, sometimes 100s of them.

    A large proportion of the complaints are from people who made the mistake of having one fitted.



Community Rules & Guidelines