How on earth does my smart meter know this?

[CotswoldDoItUpper]

I know that it can report on how much energy im using, but how on earth does it know what I’m using that electricity on?!? Does my car (which I haven’t told them is EV!) take a different type of ‘lecy to my tumble dryer?!? 

[Marvin]

3 minutes ago, CotswoldDoItUpper said:

I know that it can report on how much energy im using, but how on earth does it know what I’m using that electricity on?!? Does my car (which I haven’t told them is EV!) take a different type of ‘lecy to my tumble dryer?!? 

Impressive

[markocosic]

It doesn't.

 

They literally make it up "based on properties with similar consumption profiles"

[CotswoldDoItUpper]

8 minutes ago, markocosic said:

It doesn't.

 

They literally make it up "based on properties with similar consumption profiles"

But how do they know I have an EV (actually 2!)?!?

Edited March 12, 2022 by CotswoldDoItUpper

[PeterW]

51 minutes ago, CotswoldDoItUpper said:

But how do they know I have an EV (actually 2!)?!?

cos there is bugger all that will pull a consistently high current for the period it does to charge..!!

[Iceverge]

I assume your home idea of home entertainment is sitting around watching a 2 bar fire 🤣.

 

[SteamyTea]

3 hours ago, Iceverge said:

I assume your home idea of home entertainment is sitting around watching a 2 bar fire 🤣.

 

Mine is.

And when it gets really cold, I turn it on.

 

[CotswoldDoItUpper]

9 hours ago, PeterW said:

cos there is bugger all that will pull a consistently high current for the period it does to charge..!!

Even off the 3-pin granny charger?!?

[Radian]

It's a classic application of Machine Learning (AI). Supplier can 'train' an AI with the profile of typical appliances as every class of load has a particular usage pattern/wattage. These appear as deltas on the overal consumption so can be 'teased out' individually when enough readings over time are available. There's a branch of forensics that specialises in this kind of analysis so 'big brother' has a very sneaky way of keeping an eye on us through our 'smart meters'. Actually the first example I'm aware of dates back to the cold-war era East Germany where the Staatssicherheitsdienst used peoples electricity meters to infer behaviour.

[SteamyTea]

8 hours ago, Radian said:

Actually the first example

Was also used to find out where the terrorist were staying in Munich 1972.

Edited March 14, 2022 by SteamyTea

[Radian]

On 12/03/2022 at 22:59, CotswoldDoItUpper said:

I know that it can report on how much energy im using, but how on earth does it know what I’m using that electricity on?!?

 

EDF no doubt promote this as a way of helping you understand your energy usage, and that could be beneficial to you. But you are clearly taken aback by the level of detail they appear to have about your household. Did they communicate with you in advance about the level of monitoring that would be performed and the way in which they would inform you about it?

[SteamyTea]

11 minutes ago, Radian said:

which they would inform you about it?

Here is my Mother's Smart Meter. Worse than a dumb one as it cannot be read at all.

[CotswoldDoItUpper]

15 minutes ago, Radian said:

 

EDF no doubt promote this as a way of helping you understand your energy usage, and that could be beneficial to you. But you are clearly taken aback by the level of detail they appear to have about your household. Did they communicate with you in advance about the level of monitoring that would be performed and the way in which they would inform you about it?

I don’t mind at all, but it’s woefully inaccurate and just seems like complete guesswork about our appliances and when/how we use them! I don’t have strong feelings either way about smart meters in general, they’re not going to save me money, but they will educate about how much I use without having to do readings/calculations etc.

[Radian]

Fair enough. I think that what we really need is a more dynamic interaction between production and consumption so we can achieve a distributed network of microgenerators (i.e. resurrect the fits scheme such that it becomes more economically viable to have rooftop solar). Anything that detracts from the widespread adoption of the smart meters necessary for this is a concern to me.

[CotswoldDoItUpper]

This is true, it’s nearly cheeper for us to generate our own leccy from an LPG generator. Will be looking into PV too and none of this will show up on our smart meter! 

[markc]

Friend of mine got in touch yesterday to ask if I could replace her living room light,  her new smart meter showed it costing over £2 per hour to run ….. 5x5w LED’s

told her to keep the light and Chuck the display in the bin!

[SteamyTea]

40 minutes ago, markc said:

5x5w LED’s

I have 1X3W.

 

Just been chatting to my Mother's Carer, she said their monthly bill for electricity only (they have gas) is going up from £400/month to £800/month. There is 4 of them.

She did not think that nearly £5k a year on just electricity was excessive.

 

Pointed out that it was horrendously excessive.

Edited March 14, 2022 by SteamyTea

[markc]

2 hours ago, SteamyTea said:

I have 1X3W.

 

Just been chatting to my Mother's Carer, she said their monthly bill for electricity only (they have gas) is going up from £400/month to £800/month. There is 4 of them.

She did not think that nearly £5k a year on just electricity was excessive.

 

Pointed out that it was horrendously excessive.

How much? 🤪

an average of just over £100 per month covers my house and home workshop and  I have a decent size lathe, milling machine, table saw, etc etc etc.

[Ferdinand]

My theory is that your Smart Meter is telepathic.

 

Or as has been suggested, guessing.

[CotswoldDoItUpper]

3 hours ago, SteamyTea said:

I have 1X3W.

 

Just been chatting to my Mother's Carer, she said their monthly bill for electricity only (they have gas) is going up from £400/month to £800/month. There is 4 of them.

She did not think that nearly £5k a year on just electricity was excessive.

 

Pointed out that it was horrendously excessive.

That’s absolutely crazy! Ours is going up from around £240 to around £320 with 2xEV and electric aga!! Heating by LPG and were on the price cap with no e7/e10 etc. 

Edited March 14, 2022 by CotswoldDoItUpper