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A smart meter is a modernized version of standard meters designed to measure electricity and gas. This tool allows you to monitor your meter readings, which will then be submitted to your electric or gas supplier to ensure accurate readings.
Smart meters are typically equipped with DCC – a private national communication network. This is designed to help you submit your electricity and gas tracking to your suppliers without going to their physical agencies.
This more advanced electricity and gas tracker also features an in-home display. The display will allow you to read and track your consumption data and how much it will cost you.
This post will help you better understand smart meters and how they work.
What Is A Smart Meter
As mentioned, a smart meter is designed to help you determine how much electricity or gas you have used for a set timeframe. What makes smart meters different from their conventional version is that they wirelessly and directly send your gas and electricity readings to your supplier.
After installing a smart meter, you don’t need to hire someone to track and read your electricity and gas meters.
How Does A Smart Meter Work
How a smart meter works vary depending on whether it measures gas or electricity. For instance, to use a smart electricity meter, you need to connect it to the center. Once connected, it will automatically monitor and create a report of your power usage.
On the other hand, a smart gas meter checks gas usage every 30 minutes. The readings will then be submitted to your gas supplier through the electricity meter.
Like your mobile network, you need to connect your smart electricity meter to a secure smart network called DCC since it is operated by the Data and Communications Company. This network will be the one to submit all the electricity and gas readings to your supplier.
In addition, you can also view your current gas and electricity usage through the smart meter’s In-Home Display. This allows you to determine how much power you have consumed recently.
What Are The Benefits Of A Smart Meter
The following are proofs that a smart meter works better than a traditional meter:
Hassle-Free
A smart electric meter comes with a display you can install in your home. This will help you to monitor how your power usage is going visually. In line with that, you can also determine if you are using too much energy on unnecessary things. Changing your behavior according to what the readings entail will help you save some bucks on your power bills.
Low-Carbon Lifestyle
Did you know that installing smart meters on your property allows you to prevent utility problems connected with solar power? Most electric grids cannot accommodate hundreds of solar devices since doing so can destabilize the grid.
Power companies can create necessary adjustments according to solar power consumption with smart meters. In addition, 60 percent of solar power can be sustained by smart grids and work better than traditional grids.
Complete Control
One reason smart meters are made is to encourage power users to analyze and change their energy consumption habits whenever necessary. Smart meter users can process their energy readings using computer software to overview their power consumption rate.
Because of this, utility providers and consumers can share consumption information to make better decisions.
How To Read A Gas Or Electricity Meter
Here is how you will read a smart power meter:
1. Electricity Meter
A smart electronic meter can be a single-rate digital meter or a two-rate digital meter.
- Single Rate Digital Meter
A single-rate digital meter features either a digital or electronic display. To read your single rate digital meter, you need to determine the five numbers in white or black. Make sure that you will start writing the numbers from left to right. And ignore numbers in red.
- Two-Rate Digital Meter
If you have cheaper electricity readings at some point, you have probably used a two-rate digital meter. This means that it will show two sets of numbers in the display. To read a two-rate digital meter, you need to write down the two sets of numbers from left to write. Again, ignore the red numbers.
2. Gas Meters
Gas meters are also available in digital metric meters and digital imperial meters. Here is how you will read your gas smart meter.
- Digital Metric Meter
A digital metric meter features either a digital or electronic display that shows numbers with decimal points. To read this meter, you need to write down the first five numbers from left to right. Do not include the red numbers, which sometimes go after the decimal point.
- Digital Imperial Meter
A digital imperial meter also comes with a digital or electronic display that features four numbers, usually white or red. After the four numbers, you will see two additional numbers in red. To read this meter, you need to include the four numbers you see and ignore the ones in red.
CHINT Smart Meter
Are you looking for a safe smart meter that accurately reads your electricity and gas usage? Then CHINT smart electric meter is probably for you.
CHINT is the leading company that provides smart energy solutions using high-end materials and technology. Their products are certified by STS, DLMS, KEMA, and MID. Thus, you can rest assured that their products are of high quality.
In addition, CHINT smart energy meter is designed based on ANSI or IEC standards. Thus, it is guaranteed to be safe and reliable to use.
Final Thoughts
To sum up, smart meters gained popularity because of their ability to send electricity and gas readings to your supplier wirelessly and automatically. Thus, you don’t need to visit your local utility provider to submit your electricity readings.
With the number of smart meters available, most may have difficulty selecting the best one. If you are one of them, it would be best to invest in CHINT smart meter. This smart meter is made by professionals so that you can ensure its quality, efficiency, and effectiveness.