All you need to know: New automatic meter

Transcription

1 All you need to know: New automatic meter July 2018

2 Why new electricity meters? The Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE) has decided that all current electricity meters are to be replaced with automatic meters by 1 January This is the largest modernization of the electricity network in 100 years. The provision is conferred by statutory order. For you as a customer, this means that: You are no longer required to read and report electricity usage. This information is automatically conveyed to us by the meter. Meter replacement process You get accurate information about your energy usage each day, and this results in a much more accurate electricity bill. Power outage notifications can be automatically relayed to the network company and thereby rectified faster. It s possible to manage energy needs more efficiently when information about electricity usage and hourly rates are combined with energy management systems. Better network load equilibrium reduces the risk of overload and therefore the need for increased investment. The network rental charges customers pay can be kept at a lower level. OneCo is responsible for replacing electricity meters for Lyse Elnett. They will send you a text message suggesting a time for replacing your meter. Therefore, it would be great if you could check that we have your correct mobile number. Go to MIN SIDE at no to do this. If you do not have a user account, you can create a new one. You need your customer number, which you will find on your last Lyse electricity bill. If we don t get a response from you, OneCo will call you to make an appointment. Their installer needs access to your fuse box in order to replace the meter. We ask that you set aside two hours one day, so we have a little flexibility in regards to traffic, etc. Your electricity will be shut off for about half an hour while the meter is replaced. The installer will take a picture of your old meter to document the meter number and meter reading. The meter reading will also be written on the brochure you get from the installer when he is done. New electricity meters allow customers who produce their own electricity to sell their surplus back to the electricity network, because they measure electricity both ways. There is no extra charge for replacing the electricity meter. The costs for new meters are covered by network rental charges over a long period of time.

3 Active tariff indicator Status LED for energy pulse Button for circuit breaker (not in use) Meter data display Status LED for communications Display change button Status LED, circuit breaker How does the new meter work? The new electricity meter detects your electricity usage (kilowatt hours) every hour of the day and automatically sends this information to your network company. This information is then sent to a national data centre (Elhub), which is responsible for this flow of information to power companies. The meters have a so-called HAN interface, which is a contact with which you can retrieve your own data directly from the meter. This may be useful for automatic energy usage management in homes and will be ready for use on 1 January Lyse uses 4G (cellular network) or radio signals to send electricity usage information from meters to Lyse s computer system. Therefore, the meter contains and uses a SIM card. If we cannot get in touch with your new meter after installation, we need to set up an additional aerial. This is mounted either on or in the vicinity of the fuse box or on an exterior wall. If the warning triangle is visible on the meter display, this means there is an error. Contact the electricity distribution company s customer services. Display for meter data During installation and normal operation, the display shows total energy consumption. Press the button the right hand side of the meter to change the display. Display view 1. Total energy consumption A kwh 2. (A-) kwh, Reactive energy R+ 3. (R) kvarh, Reactive energy R+ 4. (R-) kvarh, Reactive energy R- 5. Date 6. Time Further details user instructions are available online: lysenett.no/ams-english

4 Does the new automatic meter emit more radiation? Frequently asked questions What if I do not want a new meter? Answer: According to the standard terms for connecting up to the electricity network, the network company (Lyse Elnett) owns the electricity meter and determines what equipment is to be used. The same terms also give the network company the right to access these electricity meters. However, government authorities have allowed for the possibility that private customers can apply for an automatic electricity meter exemption if the installation results in a significant and documentable inconvenience. In this case, you must send an exemption application to Lyse Elnett. Only the legal owner can apply for an exemption. The application must have documentation attached. However, it is sufficient that a doctor or psychologist confirms that an applicant has experienced fear or discomfort that may be associated with the new electricity meter. According to the regulations, anyone granted an exemption cannot demand that homes of neighbours, family members or others be exempted from the installation of new electricity meters as well. Those granted an exemption must cover the additional cost borne by the network company needed for operating a manual system and obtaining a meter reading every year. Customers granted an exemption will receive a new meter, but without the communications module. Can the information from the new meters be misused? Answer: The new electricity meter and communication solution used by Lyse Elnett complies with all rules and regulations. It is well within the limits set by the governmental authorities. The Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority (which is the government s agency in this area) writes that the radiation is brief, weak and not hazardous to health. They refer to new measurements made by the National Communications Authority (Nkom), which indicate that the radiation is below one thousandth of the current threshold limit value. Lyse Elnett uses SIM cards in the meters to send meter data via the cellular network, or we can use radio signals. Can I trust that the new meter will take accurate readings? Answer: The new meters are granted type approval, and each meter is checked before installation. The Norwegian Metrology Service follows up and makes sure the installation process is performed according to regulations. During a final check, meters are tested for accuracy, operational performance, disruptions, etc. Your first electricity bill after the new meter is installed will contain a final settlement for your old meter. An adjustment will be made if there is any discrepancy between your actual usage (read when the meter is removed) and your previously billed usage. If you rarely reported your meter readings, there may be a considerable discrepancy. Please note that new meters will provide accurate usage information each day, every week. Earlier, usage was read once a month, or even less. In those cases, usage was calculated by us based on historical data. This makes comparing usage for individual weeks or months inaccurate. We recommend comparing usage in kwh (not in NOK), and then compare your usage over several months. Answer: All information sent from the electricity meter to the network company is encrypted. The network company is subject to the same strict privacy and data security rules as banks. No outside party can access data from your electricity meter, unless you authorize it. The network company only uses information from the electricity meter for accurate billing and to operate and maintain the electricity network. Government authorities have required that new meters are to have an open interface, a so-called HAN output that enables actors to provide services using data from electricity meters, for example for energy management. This HAN output is only made accessible if you as a customer contact the network company and have it opened. Will network rental charges increase because of the new meters? Answer: The cost of switching to a new automatic electricity meter is included in network rental charges and is distributed over many years. The new meters will be beneficial to electricity network operation, as they will act as sensors in the network. For example, they can contribute to faults being located quickly. The goal is that the utility value is so high that the investment costs for installing new meters are more or less offset.

5 HEY-HO LET S GO Foto: Espen Mills Do you have any questions? Lyse aims to provide you with the best service. Feel free to contact us, whether it concerns questions about new smart meters or other services from Lyse. lysenett.no/ams-english every day facebook.com/lyseas every day You can also find more information at: nve.no/energy-market-and-regulation/retail-market/