Smart meters problems

S

slacky1230

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Hey guys

Looking for abit advice regarding my electricity meter.

My energy company came today to install my smart meter. Basically they said they can't install it as at the cut out there's one natural going to the meter then from the cut out up to the board.

The chap said he can't change it to the smart meter as it requires 4 cables. Personally I can't see why that would matter as the lives go in and out.

Any one have any idea how the smart meters work?

Thanks
 
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slacky1230 said:
Hey guys

Looking for abit advice regarding my electricity meter.

My energy company came today to install my smart meter. Basically they said they can't install it as at the cut out there's one natural going to the meter then from the cut out up to the board.

The chap said he can't change it to the smart meter as it requires 4 cables. Personally I can't see why that would matter as the lives go in and out.

Any one have any idea how the smart meters work?

Thanks
Click to expand...
Can you post a piccy Slacky?
 
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I'll try rephrase English ain't my strong point lol

At my meter in my house I've got 2 lives and 1 natural. One live goes to my fuse board and the other to the cut out. The natural goes from the cut out to the meter.

Then from the cut out another natural goes to my fuse board.

So the meter has only 3 cables at it from that 4. In and out both live and natural.
 
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I can't picture this, unless there's some sort of bypass going on. Why would there be a separate live straight to your consumer unit? Definitely need to get your camera out. Or sketch it - 'can yer tell what it is yet?' LOL
 
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Tried doing a rough drawing see if you get the idea

14945163159761972883721.jpg
 
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You don't see it often but This is not entirely unheard of.
It makes no difference to a standard meter as the neutral is a solid block and the meter only measures in the live. I can't imagine that a smart meter would be any different, I think it more likely that the meter monkey just doesn't understand the basics of electricity.
 
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DPG said:
I can't picture this, unless there's some sort of bypass going on. Why would there be a separate live straight to your consumer unit? Definitely need to get your camera out. Or sketch it - 'can yer tell what it is yet?' LOL
Click to expand...

There's not a separate live to the CU. the neutral has been taken from the cutout directly to the CU and not from the meter to the CU. it makes difference at all to the metering of the supply.
 
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Im an electrician myself and I couldn't understand the problem. Surely the neutral is just for the lcd to work?

This is the second guy that's come to do it. The first one made a big deal staying it's unsafe if he touches it it could be a disaster etc.

The stupidest thing is he said he can't do the gas as it needs electric to work lol.
 
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davesparks said:
There's not a separate live to the CU. the neutral has been taken from the cutout directly to the CU and not from the meter to the CU. it makes difference at all to the metering of the supply.
Click to expand...

Yeah misunderstood the op. Made more sense when I saw the sketch.
 
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From my understanding the smart metre needs the neutral supply for self power operation. Not that they would take a lot of power but it means the users are not paying for the cost of metre operations, if that makes sense.
From this particular installation I,m guessing the metre installers don't carry tails or re prohibited from changing the characteristics of a current installation.
 
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slacky1230 said:
Sorry misunderstood though you ment t3 at the cut out. The tails come through the wall from the cut out to the meter. The meter isn't in with the cut out

View attachment 36475
Click to expand...
Yes seen this set up as stated in previous post. I don't fit smart meters. (not smart enough), however changed plenty of this type meters, I just bung up the third terminal, as far as the Electrical theory it does not matter the N is returned at source . I can't really comment anymore.
 
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valleybilly said:
Been reading up on smart meters & if you change suppliers you need to change the smart meter again as the software is supplier specific . How smart is That !
Click to expand...

Not convinced on that one. Surely a firmware upgrade at most. Can't believe a standard Siemens meter would need ripping out.
 
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valleybilly said:
They are set up to work with ther own tarrif supplier rates and like NHS systems are not interractive so i've read . I wait to be corrected .
Click to expand...

I call BS, but I am also willing to be corrected :-) I reckon they could upgrade firmware over the mobile network quite easily.
 
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