Something to check out - I spoke with the engineer who fitted mine about EV charging....he cautioned that many home charging setups and smart meters prioritise the charger unit when it's operational... meaning if you are not 3phase and most folks are not, there a strong probability in the average busy family home that various appliances will simply not work at the same time when using the EV charger as it can cause overload on standard circuitry.
Some cold comfort for you...Scotland can produce and does produce huge quantities of wind powered electric, the main issue in getting to you guys down south via the grid is the lack of simple infrastructure and the lack of will to put it in place.
Smart meters CAN be used to switch off your supply. They contain a relay/contactor which enabled that function. Big Clive has a video of the innards of one.
If a solar inverter is present in a single phase home AND an EV charger it's usually necessary to split the tails coming out of the meter with a "Henley Block" followed by separate CTs (current transformers) so the EV charger current and the Solar currents don't interfere with the function of each other. Your meter fitter isn't up to speed with developments.
I'd rather it grilled
easy solution to that - top tip I was given a few years ago - bypass your energy supplier and contact the network supplier (British gas or SW electricity or whatever, tell them there is a 'problem' with the meter, one of their engineers will come out, check it and even if no fault is found they will 'just in case' replace it with a conventional meter which they always carry in the van, this means you will have a brand new meter and they will inform your energy supplier there is a new meter - so they can't play the 'your meter has reached the end of its life' excuse.
Nice one
I bet they replace with a meter that has been removed to fit a smart meter rather than a new one, so the "end of life" thing could still happen.
I bet they replace with a meter that has been removed to fit a smart meter rather than a new one, so the "end of life" thing could still happen.
no matter, they probably go by the installation date
I have never heard of that happening and I am on loads of forums
Seems unlikely/impossible. The meter does exactly that - it meters the current flow (and probably voltage) to determine the electricity going to the consumer unit. The consumer unit then feeds multiple circuits in the house.
People seem to have no idea what is coming or it's implications, at what point do they awaken. My estimation is when they feel the push in the center of their back whilst at the end of the gang plank.
Amperage trips not voltage
Some appliances are voltage sensitive. Current depends on voltage & resistance/impedance. Excessive resistance in the supply lines will reduce voltage at the consumer, more with increasing current draw due to higher losses (heating) in the supply lines.
And chargers are a dilly at that, most people have no idea of what is required to charge at speed. Coolers on chargers is the first clue. Am I right in thinking that your view is based on the wider potential increase in draw as more chargers come into being rather than just within the supply of a single home ? Complex it is.
Horses for courses, at least you made an informed choice, most have not got a clue,I'd prefer it if Moribund was being boiled. I resisted having a smart meter until last year when I decided Octopus Tracker following a long period of consideration and study of price variations over a few years. Finally I bit the bullet and with a years experience I'm happy with the outcome as it's saved me a lot of money. When I'm asked about swapping by friends I do tell them it's not for people who fret about daily changes. You need to play the long game. Mine works fine. End of
