Personal Electricity Meters

Discussion in Gas & Electricity started by remnant • Sep 10, 2016.

  1. remnant

    remnantActive Member

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    Some people who live in rental houses the a common electricity meter where the electricity bills are read from. Landlords calculate the average billing and renters are compelled to pay irrespective of their usage. This makes personal meters indispensible. The one off extra cost of meter installation is worthwhile in the long run if you are not a heavy electricity consumer.
     
  2. davos

    davosActive Member

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    If you're good with electromechanics and building circuit you can do something illegal with your personal electricity meter. You can connect a circuit made with relays and timers capable of temporarily stop the readings of electric consumption, so you can stop it when connecting your heavier loads to the grid and make it run again after turning off the stuff.

    Of course, I suggest against to tinker the meter because eventually they will find out, since the company handles their own readings in case of any irregular behavior spotted on the grid and they are overseen 24/7.
     
  3. rz3300

    rz3300Active Member

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    I am not really sure where you would get one or really what the implication would be, outside of learning about your own usage. That said, though, I think that would be a valuable thing to look into. The more you can learn about your own usage the more you can save a little money here and there, and that is always a positive.
     
  4. explorerx7

    explorerx7Active Member

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    This system of the shared electricity costs has been causing some problem because of disagreements with how the costs have been allocated. Nowadays, many homeowners have been structuring the spaces that they plan to rent in such a way that each apartment will have its own meter and it will be the tenant's responsibility to apply for their own meter and if they should vacate the premises, they can transfer the meter to their new location.
     
  5. Corzhens

    CorzhensWell-Known Member

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    My nephew in the province is staying in a cheap hotel on a monthly basis. His unit has an individual electric meter but he is free of charge if his consumption does not exceed the minimum (I don't know the exact number of kilowatts). And as a gift for him when we visited him earlier this month, we bought him a personal refrigerator. He was, of course, jubilant but now he is wary of his electric bill that he may be paying an excess from the free minimum.
     
  6. Jamille

    JamilleActive Member

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    The problem with having your personal meter while renting is that you're not in the position to make that decision. It's entirely up to the landlord if he/she will allow it. The electricity provider may also have an issue in allowing two or more meters in one rental house. In our country, it's not just a matter of paying for an electric meter. You'll have to go through the process of applying for one and that can mean securing certifications and electrical plans/layout. Unless I have plans to stay for a long time in a rented place, I really wouldn't want to pay for all of these as I can't possibly take them when I leave.

    The renter should be able to estimate his/her electricity consumption based on the wattage of the appliances he/she is using. If the landlord's bill is grossly unfair, then the renter can work out a better way of charging with the landlord and other renters. If that isn't possible, it may be wiser to find another place to rent or save up for a down payment to buy a house.
     
  7. wallet

    walletActive Member

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    I would be interested in this, I would save a lot of money in this way. I pay too much for electricity here, I have 4 rooms, a kitchen and a bath and I pay 200 dollars more or less a bill for one month.