All electrical appliances designed to provide comfortable living conditions for a person in an apartment or house require competent and economical consumption of electricity. To do this, experts install individual metering devices (meters) , which contribute to a reasonable waste of electricity by consumers.
Many city dwellers who were equipped with modern electrical appliances to account for consumed electricity encountered many difficulties while taking readings and transferring them to Energosbyt. After reading this article, you will learn about the principle of operation of various types of electricity meters and learn how to use them.
Why do I need a counter
A meter is a device designed to account for the energy consumed in a building. Since the price of energy carriers is constantly growing, such a device is very popular in Russia. According to the law, an electricity meter should be installed in every house in the Russian Federation.
Advantages of modern meters
Modern multi-tariff electricity meters are far superior to the old models that were installed several years ago. Two- and three-tariff metering devices can significantly save the family budget. The installation of such mechanisms, although it is not cheap, however, according to the reviews of homeowners, such expenses quickly pay off.
Having replaced an obsolete meter with a modern device, many people begin to complain about the inconvenience and numerous problems associated with using the meter. However, the consumer should carefully study the instructions for the new meter to appreciate all the features of this device.
Modern multi-tariff electricity meters installed in apartments and houses have the following advantages over outdated models:
- Devices store in the internal memory the readings of a month ago.
- Meters of a modern type record on their memory card the consumed energy at night and daytime, which helps to save money to consumers. As a rule, electricity is cheaper at night.
- Some models of multi-tariff electricity meters have the ability to access the Internet for automatic transmission of readings.
- Devices display time and date on the display.
Multi tariff metering devices
Multitariff meters are able to keep records of energy consumption by consumers for a number of indicators. Depending on the time of day, the price per kilowatt of electricity varies greatly. So, it is not profitable to use electrical appliances in the morning (from 7:00 to 10:00) and in the evening (from 17:00 to 21:00), because during this period of time electricity is considered at the most expensive tariff T1.
The smallest charge for electricity consumption is charged at the tariff T2 in the period from 23:00 to 7:00. In the time periods from 10:00 to 17:00 and from 21:00 to 23:00, the electricity bill is calculated at the tariff T3.
Indications for all three of the above tariffs can be recorded only by a three-tariff energy meter.
Two-rate counter
Many property owners often ask the question: what meter readings should be transmitted if a two-tariff meter is connected to the apartment or house? This device can work in two modes:
- calculate electricity at the tariff T1 in the period from 7:00 to 23:00.
- separately record the electricity consumption in the period from 23:00 to 7:00 at the night tariff T2.
The use of multi-tariff meters is beneficial for both consumers and the company providing access to electricity, since this reduces the load on the substation during peak hours. Since the electricity demand of residents is reduced at night, the energy supplier provides a discount. If you do housework at night or early in the morning, you can save a lot of money on utility bills.
How to take readings
Many people ask the question: how to take electricity meter readings? It is extremely important to be able to take readings from multi-tariff meters to account for electricity consumption. Otherwise, you will overpay for the services provided by Energosbyt.
To find out how much electricity in the house was spent per month, you first need to take a sheet of paper and a pen. At the next stage, the readings T1, T2 and T3 should be recorded on the first day of the month. The button should be pressed once, and then the device will display the necessary data on the monitor with a frequency of 30 seconds. Write them down on a piece of paper, but all numbers are not required. It is enough to fix only the data that goes before the decimal point, and one digit after it. For example, if the number 371.24 was displayed on the screen, then the following should be transmitted to the energy meter to Energosbyt: 371.2 kV.
If you need to find out how much electricity has been spent over the past period of time, then you need to press and hold the Enter button on the meter for two seconds. After that, on the display of the device will be displayed indicators for tariff T1, T2, and then T3.
Calculation of electricity consumption
If you previously had a single-rate device, then it will not be difficult to calculate the energy meter readings taken from two- and multi-tariff devices, since the algorithm of operation is absolutely identical. For those who find it difficult to make calculations, the following is the procedure for conducting this operation:
- From the data obtained for the current period at the T1 tariff, it is necessary to subtract the readings of the same tariff for the last month. The result obtained in this way will be equal to the electricity consumption for 30 days in the daytime.
- Next, you need to multiply the resulting number by the price per kilowatt according to the daily tariff T1.
- In the same way, the amount to be paid at the remaining two tariffs T2 and T3 should be calculated.
- Multiply the readings obtained at the night tariff by the price of a kilowatt according to the tariff. In the same way, the price for electricity consumption should be calculated according to the tariff T3.
- All received data should be entered on the receipt. In it you will find windows next to which the tariff names are indicated. Check the completed document for errors. In the event of an error, the supplier has the right to calculate the energy consumption based on average readings taken over the previous several months.
- Next, you should transfer the indicators of the electricity meter to Energosbyt.
Methods of transmitting readings
There are several ways to transmit electricity meter readings:
- Fill out the receipt and take it to the nearest representative office of Energosbyt OJSC on your own.
- You can transfer data from the electricity meter through your personal account. To do this, go to the official website of the company Energosbyt OJSC and register in your personal account. After the registration procedure, you must enter the indicators from the counter.
- Many owners are interested in the question of how to send electricity meter readings via the Internet. If electronic meters are connected via a global network, they will automatically transmit readings to the service company. In this case, the owner of the apartment or house does not need to calculate the payment amount, because the calculations are carried out online at the time of sending.
Possible trouble
It is necessary to carry out verification of electricity meters in a timely manner . The term for such an operation is indicated in the passport for the device. Depending on the model of the device, the frequency of verification can vary from 6 to 15 years. In addition, such devices must be checked regularly for physical damage. If you find defects, for example, a broken seal, erased numbers of the serial number, damage to the case, you must urgently contact the utility service for help. Until the wizard arrives, readings of faulty equipment will be considered incorrect.
You should be aware that at the time of purchase of the meter, the seller must provide you with a passport of the device with the date of verification of electricity meters. The electrician installing the device must explain how to use and maintain the device, how to take accurate readings from it.
Do not try to open the case of equipment to reduce readings. Modern metering devices are well protected from the intervention of fraudsters, in addition, if you are caught cheating, you will have to pay a large fine.
Types of metering devices
To accurately calculate the cost of electricity and transmit the readings of the electricity meter to the SBK-center, special metering devices are used. Tariffs and the amount of payments for the services provided directly depend on the readings of metering devices, therefore their correct operation is extremely important for the consumer. There are two types of devices that our citizens use: mechanical and electronic.
A mechanical or induction meter calculates the energy consumed by rotating the disk, the speed of which depends on the voltage supplied to it during operation of the current coil. The faster the mechanism rotates, the more money you need to pay for electricity. In new homes, such devices have not been installed for a long time, since it is obsolete. And that's why:
- Frequent deviations of the meter from the actual flow.
- The device can be twisted to pay less.
- A mechanical device is not designed to account for energy at once at several rates.
In electronic devices, the above disadvantages are absent. To measure current and voltage, the device no longer needs a disk spinning along its axis. The calculation of the energy consumed is due to the conversion of the signals entering it into a pulse.
Such a device has a liquid crystal display that displays the current strength, current tariff, date, time and other important information. All indicators about the consumed electricity are stored in the device’s memory. However, such devices have several disadvantages:
- Frequent breakdowns that cause the system to malfunction. Indications become more than actual consumption.
- The service life is much shorter than that of a mechanical device.
Causes of breakdowns
Most complaints come from the owners of the meters after replacing the old mechanical device with a more modern device. This can be explained by the fact that the induction meter responds even to minor voltage drops in the power supply system. It is capable of reading power readings up to one ampere. A mechanical device will not be able to catch such an insignificant reading, unlike a very sensitive electronic meter. If you have a modern digital device for metering electricity consumption installed in your apartment, you should turn off all devices that consume electricity after use. Thus, you can save money from the family budget.
How to choose a counter
The quality of the device also depends on the accuracy of the calculation of electricity. Most often, cheap devices from China fail, because most often such products are made of low-quality materials and have unreliable software. Experts recommend giving preference to well-known manufacturers from Russia and Western Europe.
Poor quality appliances often cause software crashes, and product reprogramming rarely leads to recovery. We have to dismantle the counter and buy a new one.
Another reason for malfunctions in the device is an incorrect connection. In our country, the most popular meters are “Mercury 203.1” and “Energomer CE 6807”. Both devices are two-element, the calculation of energy consumption in them is carried out at a greater potential. Not all electricians are aware of the individual features of such devices, which leads to their incorrect connection to the network. The neutral wire is often disconnected from the device, as a result of which the meter does not correctly calculate the consumed electricity.
Counter operation monitoring
Even if the meter is fully operational, it can count the extra kilowatts for which you have to pay. This situation can occur as a result of a decrease in voltage in the common network. A similar problem, as a rule, arises during the period of mass disconnection of electrical appliances, for example, heaters or air conditioners. Household appliances that require a large amount of power for correct operation reduce efficiency.
Malfunction Solution
To find out how to lower the mains voltage , call an electrician who works for your service company. The electronic device stores detailed information regarding the readings for the past few months, so for an experienced wizard to identify and fix the problem is not difficult.
If it turns out that the voltage was lowered, and the transmitted electricity meter was erroneous, you have the right to file a complaint with Rospotrebnadzor, as well as with the Consumer Rights Protection Society.