Author Topic: New digital electric meter  (Read 4864 times)

Offline bonneyman

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New digital electric meter
« on: October 07, 2019, 04:52:25 PM »
Power company came out today and swapped out the existing digital meter with a new one. Anybody here electronics savvy enough to tell me if this new meter is one of the surveillance capable meters I'm hearing about?

I've installed one of those aftermarket screened covers that are supposed to reduce the radiation leakage out of the front. Can't be too safe concerning ionizing radiation.

Offline pep

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Re: New digital electric meter
« Reply #1 on: October 07, 2019, 06:07:58 PM »
Yes shut down the inside gardens  LOL Anything digital tracks the user. also allows remote meter reads.
Pep
1776 ................... what happened!

Offline bmwrd0

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Re: New digital electric meter
« Reply #2 on: October 07, 2019, 07:27:13 PM »
Does it have some method of communication with anything outside? Either wireless (Bluetooth) or a hardline?

My guess, such that it is, would be all the info they would care about they already pick up with a meter reader.

Offline goodfellow

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Re: New digital electric meter
« Reply #3 on: October 07, 2019, 08:29:37 PM »
We've had it for a few years now. Utility tucks drive into the neighborhood and electronically query the meters -- no more getting out of the truck and walking to the meter.

Lord only knows what other information that damn meter is reporting back to the utility companies --  ;)

Offline bonneyman

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Re: New digital electric meter
« Reply #4 on: October 07, 2019, 09:06:49 PM »
The thing I read that bugs me is they - with certain meters - can remotely disconnect your power if you don't pay your bill. No hassle, no argument when the guy comes out to physically lock it out. Just a few keystrokes and they've got ya!

We do have a local option of putting in an analog meter. But they charge a flat fee to buy the meter and then an extra $28 a month to pay for the person to come out and physically read it.  >:(

Offline pep

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Re: New digital electric meter
« Reply #5 on: October 08, 2019, 06:32:00 AM »
I see nothing wrong in cutting a service not being paid for. They can just as easily reconnect 24 x 7 x 365.

I good on them

Pep
1776 ................... what happened!

Offline highland512

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Re: New digital electric meter
« Reply #6 on: October 08, 2019, 07:39:09 AM »
Does it have some method of communication with anything outside? Either wireless (Bluetooth) or a hardline?

My guess, such that it is, would be all the info they would care about they already pick up with a meter reader.

According to a EE friend of mine, some of these meters especially in rural areas, send their readings to the head office over the transmission lines.*

*This information was told to me after several beers


Offline goodfellow

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Re: New digital electric meter
« Reply #7 on: October 08, 2019, 08:10:22 AM »
Does it have some method of communication with anything outside? Either wireless (Bluetooth) or a hardline?

My guess, such that it is, would be all the info they would care about they already pick up with a meter reader.

According to a EE friend of mine, some of these meters especially in rural areas, send their readings to the head office over the transmission lines.*

*This information was told to me after several beers



Makes sense! There was an effort underway some years ago, to provide internet services over existing electrical transmission lines and house wiring. The technology promised to be simple and cheap, but the Telecom companies lobbied heavily to keep the electric utilities out of that market.

Offline DeadNutz

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Re: New digital electric meter
« Reply #8 on: October 08, 2019, 08:17:42 AM »
They installed the so-called smart meters here at least 5 years ago. I have never seen a utility or strange vehicle on our cul-de-sac since then so they must read the meter remotely. They can shut off the power remotely with these meters so you must pay your bill.

Offline slip knot

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Re: New digital electric meter
« Reply #9 on: October 08, 2019, 09:52:32 AM »
I wonder if they can actually shut the power off? Seems like a pretty small space to put switchgear in.

Offline DeadNutz

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Re: New digital electric meter
« Reply #10 on: October 08, 2019, 11:12:42 AM »
I can verify that they can cut your power remotely.

Offline highland512

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Re: New digital electric meter
« Reply #11 on: October 08, 2019, 01:25:00 PM »
I wonder if they can actually shut the power off? Seems like a pretty small space to put switchgear in.

Yes

Power has to pass through the meter. With todays modern digitally integrated hardware a simple open /close circuit would be very easy. Just look at all of the stuff you can do with a VFD the size of a cell phone from 25 years ago.

Offline fatfillup

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Re: New digital electric meter
« Reply #12 on: October 08, 2019, 01:51:44 PM »
George, from the title, I thought you left the analog world and got a digital multimeter :))

The beauty of the new meters is huge labor savings.  The downside is less jobs in the long term

Offline J.A.F.E.

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Re: New digital electric meter
« Reply #13 on: October 08, 2019, 02:50:57 PM »
Around here the meters are not read every billing cycle bills are based on data from historic usage and similar dwellings in the area. Corrections are done from data from the actual readings when they are done. The area I'm in still has the old analog meters but not sure how long.

So bills are more accurate for better or worse.

Highland is correct some meters use the power lines as a data link back to the power company and they have real time usage data. But all the meters can collate data usage by time of day and day of week so rates can be adjusted according to peak or off hours.
People who confuse etymology and entomology bug me in ways I can’t put into words.

Offline coolmercury

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Re: New digital electric meter
« Reply #14 on: October 08, 2019, 03:24:21 PM »
I'm on a co-op called White River Electric and there are a lot of very remote meters.  They installed remote reading on the transmission lines at least seven years ago.