The meter of consumed electricity (meter) is a familiar and mandatory item in any home, private or multi-unit. Increasingly, outdated electric meters with a rotating disk are replacing a new generation electronic meter, a two-tariff electricity meter, in homes and enterprises. Reviews of citizens who have already switched to separate metering of consumed electricity are rather contradictory.
An impressive portion of electricity consumers indicates a rather quick payback on the installation of a two-tariff meter: a period of 6 to 18 months is called. However, negative reviews also occur. The main complaint - the two-tariff accounting system did not justify itself and turned out to be less profitable than the energy supply companies claimed. Why is this happening, and to what extent can the installation of such a device as a two-tariff electricity meter be justified?
Two-tariff counter - what is it?
Electronic two-tariff electricity meter refers to a new generation of energy metering devices. The functions of this type of meter allow you to keep a separate record of consumed electricity based on the time of day when the consumption occurred. What is a similar function for?
Energy companies have long noticed the "zoning" of electricity consumption. The main “peak” of energy expenditures is traditionally in the morning and evening - at this time people, going to work or returning home in the evening, use the maximum number of lighting devices and household appliances. Minimum electricity consumption occurs at night. Such "fluctuations" create inconvenience to energy companies, forcing them to work with extra load during peak hours. And it was precisely with the aim of somewhat “relieving” energy companies that multi-tariff and two-tariff metering schemes were invented.
Two-tariff accounting consists in the fact that the day is conditionally divided into "day" and "night" time. At the same time, electricity consumed “at night” is paid at a price lower than “day”. Thus, it becomes beneficial for citizens to slightly adjust the operating time of their home energy-consuming appliances.
For what periods of time a two-rate counter is kept
With a two-tariff electricity metering scheme, the days are distributed as follows:
- Day zone - the period from 7:00 in the morning until 23:00.
- The night zone, respectively - from 23:00 to 7:00 h.
Who benefits from installing a dual rate meter
So, the two-tariff metering system that energy companies offer is, at first glance, quite simple and profitable. Electricity suppliers, selling electricity at night at a price lower than during the day, partially compensate for this difference by slightly increasing the cost of electricity at the daily rate. Then why are all owners of residential and industrial premises in no hurry to switch to dual tariff metering devices? There are several reasons. One of them is the usual Russian “running around with documents”, which not everyone has the time and desire to deal with. Another reason that most often the owners of premises are afraid to install a two-tariff electricity meter is the reviews of people who say that the day / night tariff has not paid off or pays off very slowly.
What is the reason for the appearance of such reviews? The main thing that you should know about for those who are just planning to install a two-tariff electricity meter: people's feedback on the benefits and payback times of switching to such an accounting scheme in different regions differs significantly due to the fact that the “day” and “night” tariffs set energy companies in every region. So, for example, in the Russian capital and the region, the price of a kilowatt for the urban population in the afternoon is 5.57, at night - 1.43 rubles. Such a significant difference makes the installation of a two-tariff metering device incredibly profitable.
Another example: if a citizen lives in rural areas of the Volgograd region, for him the day / night ratio for 2016 will be 2.81 / 2.01 rubles. In this case, the difference is not so felt. And if we take into account that during the day a citizen “overpays” for electricity relative to a single tariff scheme, the benefit of installing a two-tariff meter is rather doubtful.
Therefore, before installing a two-tariff electricity meter, it is worthwhile to clarify the difference between the daily and night tariffs and decide for yourself whether it is worth switching to a similar accounting scheme.
How to set a two-rate counter
The process of switching to a two-tariff system for accounting for the consumed electricity is actually much simpler than is commonly believed.
First of all, you need to buy an electronic meter with the function of setting two tariffs. It is best to purchase the device directly from a specialist, called to replace the old meter with a new one. If for some reason the owner of the premises wants to purchase a metering device on his own, then this must be done exclusively in a store that specializes in trading metering devices.
The next step is to obtain an order from the energy supplying company to replace (install) an electricity meter. Only after receiving this document can you call a specialist who will install the meter.
The obligatory final stage of installing a two-tariff meter is to call a specialist of the energy supply company. He must set up, adjust and seal the installed meter, make appropriate notes in the technical passport. In addition, the specialist can give the necessary instructions regarding the operation of the meter, the timing of verification and taking readings of the meter.
What documents are required to install a dual rate meter
To switch to a two-tariff accounting system, it is necessary to provide the following package of documents to the energy supplying company:
- Passport.
- A previously concluded contract with the energy company; after switching to two-tariff electricity metering, the contract is renewed.
- Documents confirming the ownership of the premises where the meter will be installed.
- Application (the form and sample application are usually provided by a specialist of the energy company).
Which meter is better to choose for a living room
What to look for when purchasing an electronic two-rate meter?
Before buying, you need to make sure that the purchased meter is approved for use in the Russian Federation (that is, this model is included in the state register) and, which is also important, complies with GOST.
Be sure to check the technical passport for completeness, the presence in the passport of the affixed serial number, release date, calibration interval and warranty periods, the presence and integrity of all mandatory factory seals.
Another important indicator is the accuracy class. For private houses or a separate apartment, the accuracy of the device of the 2nd class is completely acceptable, for a multi-storey building, the law establishes class 1.
Another question that is often asked by people who purchase two-tariff electricity meters is: "Which is better - imported or Russian-made?" Until recently, preference was often given to metering devices manufactured in European countries. But today there are many Russian manufacturers that produce a two-tariff electricity meter, reviews of which perfectly characterize their products. These include, for example, the Moscow Plant of Electrical Measuring Instruments, which supplies meters of the SOE-55 line, the Stavropol company Energomer, which manufactures metering devices of the same name, or NPK Incoteks, the manufacturer of the popular brand of metering devices Mercury. And this is not a complete list of Russian manufacturers that have proven themselves in this area.
Deciding on the choice of model is best done with the help of a specialist from the energy supplying company - he can tell you which models of metering devices are recommended for installation.
Single phase or three phase - what is the difference?
Another question that may arise during the installation of a two-rate meter: to purchase a single-phase or three-phase meter. The difference is that single-phase metering devices are designed to be installed in a room where the power supply voltage is 220 V. These include an ordinary city apartment, a private residential or summer home, a personal garage or a small retail outlet.
For power networks with a voltage of 380 V, a three-phase electricity meter is required. A two-tariff electronic meter that meets this requirement is suitable for private large houses and cottages, enterprises, large private or industrial garages, in a word, for any room with increased electricity consumption.
The main advantage of a three-phase meter is that, unlike a single-phase meter, it can fully work both at a voltage of 380 V and in networks with a voltage of 220 V. Thus, a three-phase two-tariff meter is somewhat universal option for most premises.
When to take meter readings
After the installation procedure of the meter has been completed completely, it is necessary to figure out how to take readings from the two-tariff electricity meter correctly and in a timely manner to avoid overpayment, penalties or incorrect charging.
Energy companies most often recommend taking monthly meter readings in the same period - the last days of the current month. This regularity allows you to control energy consumption and timely provide data to the electricity supplier.
How to correctly take electricity readings for a month
The readings of the two-tariff electricity meter are taken as follows:
- For the readings of the meter of consumed electricity, it is best to have a separate notebook (notepad).
- On the display of the meter, the readings are indicated by the letter "T" and the numbers 1-3. The time period “day” corresponds to the indicator “T1”, the night period is indicated on the display as “T2”. Both indicators are written out in a notebook.
- Important! Not all digits on the display are recorded, but only the meter reading indicating kW. The numbers separated by a dot (in a frame highlighted in a contrasting color, etc.) indicate the shares of kW - this indicator is not fixed or the rounded first digit is written after the dot.
How to calculate power consumption using a two-tariff meter
Calculation of electricity on a two-tariff meter is as follows:
- From the T1 readings for the current month, the previous T1 readings are deducted. The result is multiplied by the price of kW at the rate of "day".
- From the T2 readings for the current month, the previous T2 readings are deducted. The result is multiplied by the price of kW at the rate of "night".
- If the energy supply company sends a separate receipt for each tariff, then the results are entered in the “day” and “night” receipt, respectively. In the event that payment is made on a single receipt, the amount for the daily and night tariffs is entered into the general receipt and is summed up when paying.
Fill out a receipt
If, for the convenience of the client, the energy supplying company sends a monthly receipt with the filled in details and a ready calculation, then the only thing that needs to be supplemented with such a form is the readings of the electricity meter for the current month.
If the receipt is filled out by the owner of the premises on his own, then it’s not enough just to know how to calculate electricity by the two-tariff meter yourself, you need to correctly and in detail fill out the receipt for payment:
- The receipt fills in all the necessary columns.
- The column “Branch (name) of the bank, beneficiary's account, personal account” shall indicate the details of the bank in which the energy supplying company opened an account, personal and settlement accounts of the electricity supplier, code and MFI. All this information is contained in the contract with the energy company.
- In the column "Last name, initials, address" the payer shall enter his data.
- The month “Electricity” is entered into the table for which payment is made. Then it is filled in line by line: the current “final” readings “T1”, previous readings “T1”, “daily” tariff (kW / h), the amount payable in rubles and kopecks. Similarly, the next line contains data on the T2 night tariff: current “final” T2 readings, previous T2 readings, “night” tariff (kW / h), the amount payable in rubles and kopecks.
Please note that the article provides a standard form of receipt. For different electricity providers, the form of payment receipt may vary slightly. If you have questions when filling out, you need to contact the specialists of the energy supplying company for explanations.