The development of modern industry and household power grids goes hand in hand with the development of a modern electricity meter system, as a result of which it was decided to introduce accuracy classes for electric meters.
What is the situation like today?
At present, in Russia there are many different companies that manufacture and sell electricity meters, while the technical innovations that various manufacturers offer are unique, and basically they can not be compared. However, many users do not know how to choose the right devices that have really useful functions for each person, and how to correctly determine the accuracy classes of electric meters.
In the modern world, maintaining correct metering and managing energy consumption has long been one of the most important tasks of the energy sector, while one of the last steps of domestic electrical engineering in this direction can be called an initiative aimed at the formation of smart grids.
Features of domestic and foreign practice
Back in 2009, the United States decided to allocate the first $ 4 billion for the development of the project using smart networks, and ultimately this launched the AMI campaign. The accuracy classes of electric meters used and developed for the implementation of this project were the most modern digital metering devices that provide a single dispatch directly with a separate operator computer. This is far from a standard electric meter of accuracy class 2, but a much more accurate and efficient device.
Thus, already in 2015, it was planned to install more than 40 million such meters, which will give a significant impetus to the development of the energy industry of this country.
Initiatives are also gradually starting to be introduced in Russia that envisage the introduction of not only the main dispatching systems for meter readings, including the active introduction of special metering devices that can be integrated into a complete information network. Back in the last century, the beginning of the introduction of such systems of automatic control and metering of electricity was laid, however, to create truly large-scale systems at that time it was necessary to have more modern technologies. Given the trend towards the active use of microprocessor technologies, this area has allowed us to create new accuracy classes for electric meters.
What are modern devices?
At the moment, high-tech microprocessor meters provide the ability to establish two-way communication with a special dispatch console. It is worth noting that there are a wide variety of methods for transmitting information, including broadcasting through power wires, an optical port, an RF modem, a Wi-Fi channel, and many other options. Each of the above combination schemes has its advantages and disadvantages.
Also, modern manufacturers have recently given a fairly large number of characteristics that are unnecessary and incomprehensible to the average consumer, and in particular, this concerns the service life, weight, degree of moisture and dust protection, the information encoding system used, and a whole host of other data. Such information is more relevant for specialized energy sales organizations that commission such equipment, as well as purchase and install it at various facilities.
How is the choice basically made?
In the predominant majority of cases, the main criterion for modern consumers is the price, and even if a person needs, for example, an electric meter of accuracy class 2, in the end he will get a device that has the most optimal cost. At the same time, technical competent buyers can pay attention to the rated current, the type of indicator used and the completeness of the information that this device will provide through its monitor.
However, there is also one more parameter that needs to be taken into account in the process of choosing the necessary device for metering energy consumption - this is what accuracy class is needed for apartment electricity meters.
What it is?
In fact, the accuracy class represents the degree of error of a device. This parameter must be displayed on the front panel of this device and has the form of a figure placed in a circle. Thus, if you purchase an electric meter of the second accuracy class, then in this case the number “2” must be present in the circle.
How do they differ?
Today, there is a certain system of standard values for the accuracy classes of such devices, which is adopted not only in Russia, but also in many other civilized countries. This classification distributes all the meters for electricity metering into the following groups:
In accordance with such a classification, the relevant authorities in various countries already decide which accuracy class is required for residential electricity meters. In this case, it is worth noting immediately that in a certain number of cases numbers can be written without a decimal part, and if the Latin letter S is also added to the designation, this indicates that the transformer system of this particular model of the meter uses structured metal, which ensures a higher degree of reliability and durability of this equipment.
The best option in this case can be called an electric meter of accuracy class 1.
Why is this parameter so important?
At first glance, a sufficiently large error indicator may ultimately prove to be beneficial for the consumer, and many try to be guided by this when choosing which accuracy class an electric meter should have. Moreover, in the event that the error tends to the greater side, then if necessary, you can write a complaint directly to the power supply, and as a result, they will be required to carry out an early replacement of the device. However, if the error is directed specifically in favor of the consumer, then in this case it begins to bring direct benefits to the owner of the apartment.
In this regard, when determining what accuracy class an electric meter in an apartment should have, it can be said that it is better to choose a device that has an accuracy class of 5.0 and 2.0, and even install an electronic, but an induction device equipped with a rotating disk, since this the counter can be easily braked. Many at one time heard about the inhibitory effect of a powerful magnet located on the cover of this counter.
How safe is it?
In fact, the application of such measures is quite simply monitored, in connection with which many previously try to figure out how to determine the accuracy class of an electric meter and install a really appropriate device in their home. Moreover, do not forget that such methods of tricking metering devices are well known among employees of energy supply companies, and any violations recorded by the controller can ultimately result in a serious fine for dishonest consumers.
How to reduce the amount of payment for electricity?
First of all, if you want to reduce the level of energy consumed, you must figure out how to find out the accuracy class of the electric meter, and decide on the most optimal device for your apartment or private house. You should also use only specialized, economical electrical equipment. Depending on how the appliance consumes power and emits a luminous flux, all devices are divided into seven main classes having the corresponding letters from A to G. Thus, A-class devices are the most efficient and economical among all the others.
Contactless devices
For owners of contactless devices, it is not even necessary to know the required accuracy class of the electric meter. Recently, such equipment has become quite common on the market and is acquired by many owners of apartments and private houses.
A non-contact electricity meter is a device that differs from the others in a fundamentally different way of collecting information. In an ordinary device, the use of a current and voltage winding is provided, which ensures the flow of all the current necessary for the operation of various devices. It is worth noting that in this scheme, absolutely the entire electric network of the meter will remain constantly under a voltage of ~ 220V, and at the same time it will undergo exactly the same voltage surges as in the case of a home network. This option is rather unreliable, regardless of whether you use electricity meters of accuracy class 2.5 or use any other devices.
What are their advantages?
In the case of a contactless device, the current winding has no constructive conjugation with the logical part. The values of the flowing current are taken without the need for direct contact with the wire using an isolated current transformer. It should be noted that the accuracy of such equipment significantly exceeds the accuracy of standard devices due to the fact that any additional interference in the logic circuit is completely absent. In other words, it is impossible to meet non-contact electric meters of accuracy class 2.0 or some similar devices.
In order to remove the voltage values, two wires passing through this device should not develop. The use of specialized clamping screws allows direct contact with the wire at one point, which allows to achieve an increased degree of dust and moisture protection of the equipment. Moreover, the voltage ~ 220V cannot be allowed to the logic circuit of the meter using specialized circuit solutions, as well as the use of additional galvanic isolation.
Such devices can be installed by everyone, without even thinking about what accuracy class of an electric meter he may need. This design is characterized by increased reliability, has enhanced protection from external influences, and also in the process of their production provide increased design measures for fire safety. Among other things, when determining the accuracy class of an electric meter for the population, it is worth paying attention to these devices for the reason that they exclude the possibility of theft of electricity.