Beatrice Lang
Smart meters are now being used by SCE&G to monitor electricity usage. The meters are designed to give customers greater control over their energy usage and budget, as well as to enhance system reliability and performance. The meters work like a balance sheet, with the sum of the readouts on each screen depending on how much energy is consumed versus how much is generated. For example, if a customer consumes 20 kilowatt hours in a day and generates 15 kilowatt hours during the same day, the readout will show 5 kilowatt hours consumed and 0 kilowatt hours generated for that day. The meters also allow customers to monitor their energy use online.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type of meter | Smart meter |
| How it works | The meter screen display increases by one every time a kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity is used. |
| How to read | The first screen displays energy consumption and can be identified by the number "001" in the upper left-hand corner. |
| How to read | If the arrow is pointing to the right, the number is positive and you are using power. |
| How to read | If the arrow is pointing to the left, the number is negative, and your on-site power source is back-feeding power to the electrical grid. |
| How to read | The smart meter is connected to the utility's monitoring system if "SYNC NET" is flashing on the screen. |
| Benefits | Customers have better control over their energy usage and budgets. |
| Opting out | Customers can opt-out by calling and switching to the Basic Price Plan. This requires an additional monthly charge of $20 plus tax. |
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What You'll Learn
Reading an electric meter
The standard electric power meter is a clock-like device driven by the electricity moving through it. Some are mechanical, while others have LCD displays. The basic unit of measure of electric power is the watt, and one thousand watts are called a kilowatt. If you use one thousand watts of power in one hour, you have used a kilowatt-hour (kWh). Your electric utility bills you by the kWh.
Smart meters are also available and give you secure access to information, programs, and tools for greater control over your energy use and budget. They are designed to enhance system reliability and performance. With smart meters, you don't need an at-home appointment to turn the service on or off. You can simply inform the utility company when you're moving, and they will transfer your service. Smart meters transmit only two types of information: the amount of electricity you use and when you use it. This information is used to ensure accurate billing and to manage and optimize the electricity grid in the region.
To read an electric meter with a mechanical display, you need to read and write down the numbers shown on the dials from right to left. When the pointer is directly on a number, look at the dial to the right. If the pointer has passed zero, use the next higher number. If it hasn't passed zero, use the lower number. Record the numbers shown by writing down the value of the dial on your extreme right first and then the rest in sequence. If the hand of a dial falls between two numbers, use the smaller number.
For an LCD display, you can read the meter using the LCD display. To read your kW demand, wait for the meter LCD display to cycle to code 10. The code is displayed in area 3. Your maximum kW for the day will be displayed, which is the maximum average load over a 15- or 30-minute interval, depending on your price plan.
If you have solar power, the reading will be slightly different. If your arrow is pointing to the right, the number is positive, and you're using that power. If the arrow is pointing to the left, the number is negative, and your on-site power source is back-feeding that amount of extra power to the electrical grid.
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Understanding the display
Smart meters are designed to give you secure access to information, programs, and tools to help you better control your energy use and budget. They also help to enhance system reliability and performance. The smart meter will eventually be able to communicate with smart appliances and green technologies in your home or business area network.
Smart meters are similar to a car's odometer in that they display a cumulative readout. Each time you use a kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity, the meter screen display will increase by one. The more electricity you use, the faster the number increases.
The Edison SmartConnect NEM meter cycles through four five-second screen displays. The first screen displays your energy consumption and can be identified by the number "001" in the upper left-hand corner. The fourth screen is unique to NEM and displays your energy generation or energy consumption. You can think of these readouts as working similarly to a balance sheet. The sum of the readouts on each screen depends on how much energy is consumed versus how much is generated.
If you have an on-site power generation source, such as a solar electric system, the number represents the cumulative extra kilowatt-hours that are produced by your home's power source that is pushed back onto the grid. If the arrow is pointing to the right, the number is positive and you are using that power. If the arrow is pointing to the left, the number is negative, and your on-site power source is currently back-feeding that amount of extra power to the electrical grid.
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Meter types
There are several types of electricity meters, including standard, dial, digital, and smart meters. They can be further classified into single-rate, dual-rate, multi-rate, and Pay As You Go meters.
Standard Electric Meters
Standard electric meters are the most basic type of meter and are typically mechanical, with a series of dials and pointers. They may also have an LCD or digital display. To read a standard meter, simply write down the numbers displayed on the screen from left to right, ignoring any decimal points or numbers in red.
Dial Meters
Dial meters, also known as analogue meters, have a series of dials with numbers from 0 to 9 and pointers that move as electricity is consumed. The dials alternate in terms of the direction they are read in, with the first, third, and fifth dials read clockwise, and the second and fourth dials read anticlockwise. When reading a dial meter, start with the dial on the left and note the number the pointer has just passed. If the pointer is between two numbers, write down the lower number. Repeat this process for the rest of the dials, moving from left to right.
Digital Meters
Digital meters display electricity usage in kilowatt-hours (kWh) on an LCD or digital screen. To read a digital meter, note down all the numbers displayed on the screen from left to right, including any zeros, and ignore any decimal points.
Smart Meters
Smart meters are the newest type of meter that automatically sends your meter readings to your supplier. They provide customers with better control over their energy usage and budgets. With a smart meter, you'll usually have a portable device called an 'in-home display' (IHD) that shows how much energy you're using and spending.
Single-Rate, Dual-Rate, and Multi-Rate Meters
Single-rate, dual-rate, and multi-rate meters refer to the pricing structure of your electricity plan. A single-rate meter means you pay the same price for electricity regardless of the time of day. A dual-rate or two-rate meter offers cheaper electricity at certain times, usually at night or off-peak hours. A multi-rate meter is for plans like Economy 7 or 10, which provide different electricity prices during the day and night or peak and off-peak hours.
Pay As You Go Meters
Pay As You Go meters, also known as prepayment meters, are available in both traditional and smart versions. With these meters, you pay for your energy before you use it, similar to a pay-as-you-go phone. You buy credit for your meter and top it up using a card, token, or key.
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Reading smart meters
Smart meters are devices that give you secure access to information, programs, and tools to help you better control your energy usage and budget. They are also designed to enhance system reliability and performance. Smart meters are highly accurate and measure energy use, just like old electrical meters.
Smart meters work similarly to a car's odometer. Each time you use a kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity, the meter screen display will increase by one. The more electricity you use, the faster the number increases. The digital display represents a cumulative read.
The Edison SmartConnect NEM meter cycles through four five-second screen displays. The first screen displays your energy consumption and can be identified by the number "001" in the upper left-hand corner. The fourth screen is unique to NEM and displays your energy generation or energy consumption. You can think of these readouts as working similarly to a balance sheet. The sum of the readouts on each screen depends on how much energy is consumed versus how much is generated.
Smart meters also allow you to monitor your energy usage online. In the months after the meter is installed, you will be able to view online usage reports as recent as the previous day. Residential customers will see usage in hourly increments, while business customers will see usage in 15-minute increments.
If you have an onsite power generation source, such as a solar electric system, the meter will display the cumulative extra kilowatt-hours produced by your home's power source that are pushed back onto the grid. If your power source is producing more power than your home is using, the arrow will point to the right, indicating a positive number. If the arrow is pointing to the left, the number is negative, and your on-site power source is back-feeding that amount of extra power to the electrical grid.
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Opting out of smart meters
Smart meters offer benefits such as giving customers better control over their energy usage and budgets. However, you may still wish to opt out of having a smart meter installed.
If you are a landlord, you cannot opt out on behalf of your tenants. Only residential and small business customers are eligible to opt out. If you are eligible, you must fill out a form to opt out. Once opted out, you will have a new, conventional, or non-communicating meter installed instead. As this meter will not transmit data automatically, it will need to be read manually, and you will be charged a fee for this service.
Some electric companies charge a monthly fee for customers who opt out of smart meters. This fee is to cover the additional costs of bill processing and the costs associated with sending someone to manually read the meter. This fee can be as much as $30 per month, but it may be lower, such as $20 per month plus tax.
There are many videos and products that spread misinformation about smart meters being dangerous. However, smart meters emit radiofrequency EMF, which is no more harmful than that emitted by cell phones or Wi-Fi. In fact, smart meters typically use less data than a normal cell phone.
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