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In praise of smart meters

In praise of smart meters

Postby A.N.Other » Mon Nov 25, 2019 10:37 am

I don't have a smart meter and get my electricity from a 3rd party to whom I pay a flat rate per kWh.

More out of curiousity and an experiment than any imperitive to save money I bought one of these which simply clips onto the incoming live wire.

https://www.geotogether.com/consumer/pr ... y-monitor/

I've only had it since the beginning of the month but already I've identified simple changes in behaviour which are on track to reduce my typical consumption by no less than an astonishing 35-40%!

Those include:
Switching TVs and various associated boxes OFF and not to standby any time when not actually watching them.
Shutting my PC down and OFF instead of putting it to sleep.
Ditto the printer.
Not switching the garage/workshop lights on if I don't really need them and switching them off any time I leave even if it's temporarily.
Ditto lights in the house which are all LED anyway.
Turning the outside fridge off, essentially only for drinks so not needed in Winter.
Turning A/C's and fans completely OFF and not just by their remotes.
Choosing more meals which avoid using the oven.

Lots of little things then none of which impose any real inconvenience or interfere with normal daily life and at this rate the device I bought will have paid for itself by Christmas!
Last edited by A.N.Other on Tue Nov 26, 2019 10:30 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: I praise of smart meters

Postby Ron Hill » Tue Nov 26, 2019 9:28 am

A.N.Other wrote:I don't have a smart meter and get my electricity from a 3rd party to whom I pay a flat rate per kWh.

More out of curiousity and an experiment than any imperitive to save money I bought one of these which simply clips onto the incoming live wire.

https://www.geotogether.com/consumer/pr ... y-monitor/

I've only had it since the beginning of the month but already I've identified simple changes in behaviour which are on track to reduce my typical consumption by no less than an astonishing 35-40%!

Those include:
Switching TVs and various associated boxes OFF and not to standby any time when not actually watching them.
Shutting my PC down and OFF instead of putting it to sleep.
Ditto the printer.
Not switching the garage/workshop lights on if I don't really need them and switching them off any time I leave even if it's temporarily.
Ditto lights in the house which are all LED anyway.
Turning the outside fridge off, essentially only for drinks so not needed in Winter.
Turning A/C's and fans completely OFF and not just by their remotes.
Choosing more meals which avoid using the oven.

Lots of little things then none of which impose any real inconvenience or interfere with normal daily life and at this rate the device I bought will have paid for itself by Christmas!


Well done you! We should all be doing our bit for the environment
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Re: In praise of smart meters

Postby CraigJ » Tue Nov 26, 2019 2:08 pm

Yes i had one a few years back and it was very useful.
I am still shocked though about how you pay for your electric, a flat rate per Kwh???? I would love to know how much you are paying for that and your potencia if they are charging you!

I believe we should all do our bit for the environment and the company providing is the best place to start....bet you were unaware that there are a few companies in spain that tell you they are green energy but in reality not....typically the newer ones that market themselves as providing all in English. Disgraceful!
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Re: In praise of smart meters

Postby pete25 » Tue Nov 26, 2019 3:43 pm

best thing i did was to buy a whistling kettle for the gas hob
cut my bills by 30% at least
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Re: In praise of smart meters

Postby A.N.Other » Wed Nov 27, 2019 9:57 am

CraigJ wrote:I would love to know how much you are paying for that and your potencia if they are charging you!

I pay 0.35/kWh but I have no potencia as such my only limitation being the 25A breaker on my incoming supply (= ~5.75kW).

I have yet to trip that but if I did need more than I could simply replace it with a bigger one.

Not the cheapest I would agree and I reckon I'm probably paying between 25 and 50% more than Iberdrola or the cheapest open market deal would cost me but against that there are advantages of where I live which I personally consider comfortably outweigh that.
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Re: In praise of smart meters

Postby CraigJ » Wed Nov 27, 2019 2:53 pm

A.N.Other wrote:
CraigJ wrote:I would love to know how much you are paying for that and your potencia if they are charging you!

I pay 0.35/kWh but I have no potencia as such my only limitation being the 25A breaker on my incoming supply (= ~5.75kW).

I have yet to trip that but if I did need more than I could simply replace it with a bigger one.

Not the cheapest I would agree and I reckon I'm probably paying between 25 and 50% more than Iberdrola or the cheapest open market deal would cost me but against that there are advantages of where I live which I personally consider comfortably outweigh that.



0.35euro/kwh????...that has to be the most crazy amount i have heard...i cannot believe where you live can have anything to do with how much you pay or to who.

A bill is a bill no matter who issues it but to be charged double is just daylight robbery.

You do have potencia at 5.75kw..if you are paying .35 for the Kwh I would love to see how much you are being charged for the KW too.

Send a copy of an invoice to [email protected] and they will give you a free evaluation and price comparison.

From your prices it would seem like you are paying more than double....you cant be happy with that, surely?
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Re: In praise of smart meters

Postby A.N.Other » Wed Nov 27, 2019 4:00 pm

It is what it is and I have no choice in the matter although in case you misunderstand I pay 35c/kWh and that's it, no potencia or any other charges.

I don't propose elaborating other than to reiterate that for me the other advantages of living where I do by far outweigh the price of the electricity, life is not always about getting the cheapest of everything!
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Re: In praise of smart meters

Postby CraigJ » Thu Nov 28, 2019 11:40 am

A.N.Other wrote:It is what it is and I have no choice in the matter although in case you misunderstand I pay 35c/kWh and that's it, no potencia or any other charges.

I don't propose elaborating other than to reiterate that for me the other advantages of living where I do by far outweigh the price of the electricity, life is not always about getting the cheapest of everything!



Thats fair enough. After years in the business I have seen first hand how expats are ripped off, especially for the electric. I am sure that you have your reasons of not being able to have a choice because of the circumstance of your rented property and the owners passing on of bills etc.
You are right, its not always about getting the cheapest for everything. I was only wanting to help.

We wouldn't go and fill up in the most expensive petrol station that was beside the cheapest, they both provide the same product, just at a better price...same as electric.

The irony is that your meter, provided by the distributor (not the one you bought) has the same functions as the one you purchased.
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Re: In praise of smart meters

Postby PeteKnight » Thu Nov 28, 2019 1:23 pm

It’s not necessary renters who have no individual electric meter. Some developments have what would be called a “builders supply” in the UK, and individual properties have a meter that is owned by the developer and which is used to calculate how much they pay to the developer.

Pete.
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Re: In praise of smart meters

Postby A.N.Other » Thu Nov 28, 2019 3:58 pm

CraigJ wrote:The irony is that your meter, provided by the distributor (not the one you bought) has the same functions as the one you purchased.
You make too many assumptions, my provided meter is in fact a simple and basic DIN rail mounted counter which, in terms of 'smartness', I would put on a par with the average Brexit leave voter!

I didn't say that I lived in a rented property either.
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