Re: energy in UK

On 2025-04-18 23:33, Don Y wrote:

On 4/18/2025 5:38 AM, Carlos E.R. wrote:

And, few customers are aware of the meters' capabilities.  I've told some
how to remove the iron grating covering the valve/meter (watching for
poisonous critters), lift the access panel covering the display and LOOK
for the "leak indicator" icon.
>
In addition to being able to see just what the flow rate is, then (i.e., do
so with no loads turned on and you can gauge the magnitude of your leak
before the next water bill arrives).

>
I wonder how they are going to power those smart meters. Batteries? The water runs a generator that charges a battery?

 No idea.  But, even replacing batteries (every year or so?) would
be cheaper than coming around and reading EVERY meter EVERY month.

Mmm. Dunno. I hope they last 5 years, but it is their problem.

 

With the electricity meter, I can browse to a page at the electricity company that shows a table or a graph of electricity usage per month or maybe a shorter period. We can see down to the usage per hour, I think. I suppose the water meter will do something similar, so that I can look by myself the water flow at 3 AM. If the meter has a leak detector, it should show in that web page.

 I don't know if that is available here -- for water *or* electric
(the gas meter is also electronic, now).  I'm not keen on having
to "go somewhere" to see data that is generated dozens of feet
from where I am seated!

:-D

I've been researching water meters with the goal of installing one on the
indoor loads and another on the outdoor.  But, most are very coarse resolution;
suitable for billing (you wouldn't care if you rounded the usage to the
nearest hundred cubic feet as any fraction would end up on NEXT month's
bill!) but not really for monitoring consumption in real time.

I think mine (mechanical) while it was installed inside my garden, I looked and could measure down to litres. But the times I took the reading in a card provided by the company, they did not care for decimals (I think the unit is cubic meters). As you say, it doesn't matter, goes into the next month.

Most leaks are "after the meter" (i.e., on the consumer's side).  So,
the city isn't responsible for those repairs.  It is up to the consumer
(homeowner) to get the repair fixed -- on their own dime.

>
Yeah, but I hope they tell us. I have not experienced this, but I suspect so.

 What typically happens is the homeowner gets an outrageous bill
(the city's billing computer can't notice this???) and complains.
Then, someone comes out and shows them that they are using water
even when they think  they aren't (i.e., a leak).
 Sometimes, the city comps the outrageous bill -- charging the
homeowner the same as the month prior.
 But, technically, it's YOUR problem if water is leaking on your
side of the meter (maybe you WANTED to use that water?  how would
the city know for sure??)

yeah, technically it is your water. But...

 

For folks who can't do this kind of work, it can be several thousand
dollars to dig up the yard and lay new pipe.

>
Happened to my parents. They didn't bother, and put the new pipe above the floor, attached to the wall. Mostly behind the sitting room furniture, so visitors do not see it :-D

 Most often, it is in the line from meter to house.  Things settle
(subsidence) which puts a strain on the connections.  Even a failure
AT the meter is your problem -- if it is at the OUTLET of the meter!
 [We had a neighbor who would routinely park their SUV on top of
the meters.  I commented that the meter vaults are meant to protect
against soil ingress, not support vehicles!  D'uh...]
 

Heh :-D

When the pipe arrives at the kitchen, it goes again under the floor tiles. I had to renovate the kitchen, I suspected slow leaks, and the pipe was indeed corroded. I replaced iron with some plastic.

 The high mineral content in our ground water supplies leads to
pitting in the copper pipes.  Many people have had to have their
homes replumbed -- at considerable expense as the pipes are not
readily accessible (walls have to be opened, ceilings, etc.)

Indeed.
--
Cheers, Carlos.