ECN Electrical Forum - Discussion Forums for Electricians, Inspectors and Related Professionals
ECN Shout Chat
ShoutChat
Recent Posts
UL 508A SPACING
by ale348 - 03/29/24 01:09 AM
Increasing demand factors in residential
by tortuga - 03/28/24 05:57 PM
Portable generator question
by Steve Miller - 03/19/24 08:50 PM
Do we need grounding?
by NORCAL - 03/19/24 05:11 PM
240V only in a home and NEC?
by dsk - 03/19/24 06:33 AM
New in the Gallery:
This is a new one
This is a new one
by timmp, September 24
Few pics I found
Few pics I found
by timmp, August 15
Who's Online Now
1 members (Scott35), 376 guests, and 15 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Rate Thread
Page 1 of 2 1 2
#61647 01/30/06 12:05 PM
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 251
T
Member
I'm curious how POCO reads meters nowadays.

I'm asking because before I did a service change my meter was 35000 off in thier favor. When I called to get a new meter installed I also told them the meter was way off.

So I get this new meter and its been about 10 months they are already about 8k off .

I called them 2 months ago and let them know and they said they would look into it.

Oh ya another thing they did was when I removed my interuptable water heater meter, they continued to charge me for 4 more months.. so how they hell are they getting these readings?

I havent seen a meter reader in years. I know they do estimate but how often do they actually come take some kind of a reading? I figured it was digital in someway, like they just had to drive down your street.

Do they even have to come out anymore or do they just get this magic reading at the station?

Just wondering cause I call to complain and they don't really care.

[This message has been edited by Trick440 (edited 01-30-2006).]


Shake n Bake
#61648 01/30/06 12:30 PM
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 1,064
D
Member
I am curious to know how you know, that the meter is off?

Are you comparing your electric bills to the actually meter readings?

In response to how they read them, in my area, they switched to the new wireless meters. They don't have to send anyone out to physically read them, it is done via wireless networks...

Dnk...

#61649 01/30/06 02:22 PM
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 869
Likes: 4
R
Member
If done properly there should be once a year a reading of the meter dial to confirm that the electronics and the dial are in step.

If an opto pick up fails to pick up some pulses from a disc a gradual error will occur in the readings.

Also if the TX RX signal has a error between the wireless meters and the error code is not picked up by the office a billing error will be made.

Who want's to get a big "corrective" billing adjustment . please pay within 14 days $ 800.== as example.

Best remedie is when the bill arrives. Check the reading yourself, if it looks too low or high [Linked Image] [Linked Image]


The product of rotation, excitation and flux produces electricty.
#61650 01/30/06 03:47 PM
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 456
C
Member
Here, they still come and read the meter every 3 months.

#61651 01/30/06 04:40 PM
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 44
M
Member
They read mine every month so they don't miss out on a single penny.

#61652 01/30/06 05:53 PM
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 368
M
Member
In the urban areas sombody comes around to read every second month. Non read months the customer has the option to call in a reading before a cutoff date to prevent an estimated billing. Estimates are usually a little higher than actual use.

In the rural areas the customers have to call in their readings each month to avoid an estimated bill.

#61653 01/30/06 09:59 PM
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 273
C
Member
out this way,they just converted our cyclometer meters to a remote read type.there completly digtial with a LCD readout. our's is a landis & gyr FOCUS,we also have CENTRON's of the same nature.it uses what they call a TWACS system. there's a big pad mount sitting in the substation that shorts out every so often through some big resistors that puts a pulse on the line that reads the meter.as they say so far so good. but some have radio transmitters in them. they have a little antena inside.these usual read at a remote point.

[This message has been edited by circuit man (edited 01-30-2006).]

#61654 01/31/06 05:42 AM
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 1,498
Likes: 1
C
C-H Offline
Member
Once a year they send me a form to fill out and drop in the mail. No meter man...

#61655 01/31/06 01:06 PM
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 9,923
Likes: 32
G
Member
FPL sends a bouncy young girl around every month here. It is the highlight of my day
;-)


Greg Fretwell
#61656 01/31/06 09:54 PM
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 202
W
WFO Offline
Member
Several use PLC (power line carrier) technology. The TWACs system already mentioned is one. Others are Cannon (CTI) and Hunt (Turtles). The comunications are sent directly over the power line.
Others use radio (both fixed and "drive-by"), cellular, and even satellite.

Are they actually charging you for a load control device? It does them more good than you.

I too would like to know just how you found the readings to be off.

Page 1 of 2 1 2

Link Copied to Clipboard
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5