Types of electric meters

Types of metering devices

Devices can be common (in the basements of apartment buildings), apartment (in communal apartments) and individual. The first take into account the consumption of the entire house, payment is calculated for everyone who is registered in the house. Apartment bills are installed in communal apartments, payment is calculated for everyone who is registered in the apartment. Individual devices are installed in individual apartments and rooms in communal apartments. For each individual, the best option is to install an individual metering device. This allows you to avoid paying for losses in case of accidents on the highway, neighbors’ expenses due to a damaged tap, or theft.

Water meters

From statistics it follows that of the total volume of water consumed, only 74% is used beneficially. Also, the same statistics claim that after installing a meter, home or apartment owners spend water more rationally and save up to 33%. This allows you to stop throwing away family budget funds and always know what you are paying for. Universal water metering is also good for the environment. The volume of water during water treatment is reduced, and less needs to be purified and disposed of after use. Owners of apartments and houses, soda houses and country houses are responsible for the availability of water meters. They must pay for both the devices themselves and their installation, and ensure proper operating conditions.

Types of electricity meters

Devices are divided into two main groups:

• single-phase;
• three-phase.

Each type of device is divided into two more types:

• single tariff;
• multi-tariff.

Both single-tariff and multi-tariff electric energy meters are divided into metering devices:

• active energy;
• active-reactive energy.

Now all the devices used are electronic or electromechanical. Mechanical devices are practically not used today, since accurate metering of energy consumption is necessary. Electromechanical options are used to reduce the cost of production of the devices themselves while maintaining their characteristics and the accuracy of the readings obtained.

Single phase electricity meter

This type of device is used when current is supplied to the consumer through two wires - “phase” and “zero”. A single-phase electric meter has the following features:

• application when powering the consumer from a network with a voltage of 220 V and 3-7 kW;
• calculation for currents of 13-32 A;
• use primarily for non-industrial premises and areas.

The device has a number of advantages:

• compactness;
• the ability to measure active and reactive electricity;
• safety;
• accuracy of measurements.

The disadvantages of single-phase meters include:

• sensitivity to voltage changes in the network;
• high price;
• Difficulty in repairing if it fails.

Three-phase electricity meter

Such devices are characterized by multifunctionality, and their features are:

• application for objects with high energy consumption;
• maximum measurement accuracy;
• work under voltage conditions of 380 V;
• use for rooms and areas with a missing neutral wire.

A three-phase electric meter has certain advantages:

1. The device can be installed for both three-phase and single-phase circuits, using for objects with low electricity consumption.
2. The three-phase electric meter is resistant to high loads.

Among the disadvantages of the device:

1. Its installation requires more time than mounting a single-phase device. To do this, you must obtain additional permits from the energy supply company. Please note that the seal on this type of electricity meter must be present initially.
2. High price.

Single tariff electricity meter

The main feature of such a device is general accounting of energy consumption, regardless of the time of day. The advantages of the device include:

• affordable price;
• ease of calculating the cost of energy consumption services.

A single-tariff electricity meter has its disadvantages:

1. It is not profitable to install a device of this type if the consumer uses a larger amount of electricity at a certain time of the day.
2. There is a possibility of significant errors in the operation of the device.

Multi-tariff electricity meter

This is a common type of equipment. A two-tariff electricity meter is most often used, having the following features:

1. The device divides the indicators into 2 periods – day (from 7 to 23 hours) and night (from 23 to 7 hours). The cost of electricity at these times of day is different - at night it is cheaper.
2. Two- and three-tariff electricity meters are used, but in our latitudes two-tariff devices have become widespread due to the peculiarities of pricing for the use of electricity.

A multi-tariff meter for electricity is valued for the following advantages:

• saving money on services;
• long inter-verification period;
• the ability to program the device.

A multi-tariff meter also has disadvantages:

1. Not in every region of our country the night tariff is less than the day tariff. Under other conditions, the use of such a device is impractical.
2. There is a need to use electricity at night, which is not always convenient for the consumer.

Heat meters

To record consumed heat, various heat meters are used. Regardless of the model, they all consist of two main parts - heat, pressure, flow sensors and a heat calculator. The quality of heat supply depends on sensors. A heat calculator is a microprocessor device that processes sensor signals and converts them into numbers. The heat meter does not save it; it encourages people to save. On the device you can see at any time how much has been consumed and, if necessary, reduce consumption. But an individual meter in a multi-storey building does not completely solve the problem. A common house instrument is also needed to determine leaks and losses and determine who should pay for them. Otherwise, residents must pay for losses on the property or in the home network. The installation of heat meters is hampered by the operational characteristics of old multi-storey buildings. These buildings have a vertical heating system, in which several risers pass through each apartment, and there are no thermostats on the radiators. To install heat meters in such apartments, it is necessary to dismantle the vertical heating system and install a horizontal one

Electrodynamic or induction

This is a relatively old type of equipment. It contains a mechanical counter, which is driven by an aluminum disk rotating in a magnetic field. The rotation speed of the disk depends on the current consumed, that is, on the power of the connected load. The main disadvantages of this solution:

• Low accuracy class;
• The metering error depends on the current strength;
• Inability to automate accounting.

The advantages that make induction electricity meters popular include:

• Durability;
• Maintainability;
• Low cost;
• Large tolerance for operating voltage and preservation of performance during high-voltage pulses in the network.

Most often, new electricity meters of this type are purchased for installation in rural areas or at dachas, where there is a risk of voltage instability and lightning striking the power line.

Gas meters

A gas meter is a device that measures the volume of gas (in cubic meters or mass units) that has passed through a gas pipeline over a certain time. Meters most often measure cubic meters per hour at a predetermined operating temperature and pressure. Gas meters are divided into industrial (more than 40 m3/h), municipal (from 10 m3/h) and household (up to 10 m3/h). When purchasing a device, you should consider its bandwidth. If only the stove consumes gas, then 1.6 m3/h is sufficient, but if a gas water heater is also installed, then about 4 m3/h will be required. The cost of the device directly depends on the power. Powerful devices, which are cheaper but have large dimensions, require welding during installation. More expensive welding does not require and lasts up to 10 years. The total cost of purchasing and installing a gas meter varies from 3.5 to 14 thousand rubles. But price isn't the only barrier to installation. Residents do not want to spoil the appearance of the kitchen. The third reason is that installation is permitted to legal entities and individual entrepreneurs who have access to this type of work. Reviews indicate that finding a truly qualified specialist is quite difficult. Everyone will still have to install gas meters. Firstly, the cost of gas for a household with a meter is 25% lower. Secondly, the cost of gas does not tend to decrease. People are simply forced to control consumption in order to plan payment calculations.

Types of electric meters

Despite the fact that devices for metering electrical energy are divided into a large number of categories, devices of several types are most often found in residential buildings and private cottages.

1. Electromechanical meters are a simple unit in which a moving element produces revolutions due to the interaction of currents in a fixed coil and currents in the element itself. The number of revolutions of the moving part of the device is proportional to the amount of energy expended.
2. Static meters are more advanced equipment in which the current and voltage passing through the device have a direct effect on electronic parts, after which a pulse is created. The number of pulses is proportional to the amount of energy expended.
3. A multi-tariff meter is a device that includes in its design a number of meters, each of which corresponds to one tariff and operates strictly within the allotted time interval.
4. A reference meter is a device of the maximum accuracy class, used to obtain the most reliable characteristics of electricity consumption.

Technical metering of electricity is an important point in controlling the consumption of electrical energy in the operating conditions of any industrial or residential facility.

Electricity metering devices

Almost everyone has electricity meters, but the funds collected are not enough to cover all consumption. This situation is caused by three reasons:

• natural losses in networks (4-11% of total consumption);
• low quality of installed mechanical meters, leading to defects;
• theft (in some regions reaches 40% of total consumption).

Losses in networks can only be reduced. The remaining two reasons can be completely eliminated if mechanical meters are replaced with electronic ones. Plus, they last twice as long. After the decision to define unified utility payments as the share of each household, the number of conflicts between residents and management companies increased. Payments for light and heat in entrances are set “from the ceiling” and are several times higher than actual consumption. The problem could be partially solved by installing communal meters. The installation of metering devices is also facilitated by the decision to increase the coefficients in their absence to 50% over the next two years. You don't need to be a financier to understand that paying according to meters is much cheaper. The cost of purchasing and installing them will pay off in a few months.

Requirements for electric current metering devices

What are the requirements for electricity metering devices today? There are three main indicators. We will talk about them further.

Accuracy class

Let's start with the fact that the accuracy class is the error of indications. Until the beginning of the new century, everyone was satisfied with class 2.5. That is, an old-style meter was installed in the electricity metering cabinet (outdoor or indoor). And that was the norm. Today everything has changed, and the approach to accuracy of readings comes first. A new standard was introduced, which was based on a device with an accuracy class of 2.0. What does it mean? This device has an incorrect reading rate of 2%.

That is why today, everywhere, old induction meters are being replaced by new electronic ones. Although we must pay tribute to the fact that the latter also win in other respects.

Tariffs

The multi-tariff electricity consumption system is economical. This is the main component of this criterion. After all, just recently our country used a single-tariff system. This mainly concerned household networks. Of course, in terms of accounting, this was simpler, and also profitable for energy supply organizations.

Modern electronic devices allow you to keep records by time of day and even year. That is, during the day during peak consumption the tariff is higher, and at night, when everyone is sleeping, it is lower. It is clear that those who transfer the main life cycle to the night benefit greatly by saving on the low tariff. Many people do this, for example, they load washing machines at night and so on. How do energy supply companies benefit from this? There is no gain in purely financial terms, but there are many technical advantages.

1. During the day, the networks are unloaded.
2. At night, on the contrary, they are loaded.