From time to time, the landlord faces the issue of acquiring accounting devices. According to their testimony, payment is made for the benefits provided in the form of electricity, gas, heat and water.
The power supply of residential premises is carried out according to a single-phase scheme, and the device of these devices, showing how much energy was consumed by the residents of the apartment or private house, also corresponds to it. It is measured in kilowatt hours, which fully characterizes the nature of the goods for which payment is made. In kW, as everyone knows from the school physics course, power is measured, and in hours - time, which implies that the more power is consumed in a given property, and the longer it takes, the more impressive the amount of the “Total” column in the receipt.
It used to be easier
Previously, single-phase electric meters were all the same, in black round ebonite cases. Only the amperage for which the device is designed could differ. The device had an internal mechanism with wheels on which the numbers stood. Each revolution of the previous decimal place caused the next one to rotate one unit. The supply of these devices was undertaken by an enterprise that provided the population with much-needed energy for a normal life. From the old days, the expression “pay for the light” remained, today in apartments electricity consumption occurs not only by light bulbs, but also by various household appliances.
Apartment single-phase electricity meters record the consumption of only active energy consumed. This is also a consequence of a long-standing situation when only light bulbs and spiral reflectors were included in the sockets, in which there is no reactive component, and the notorious “cosine phi” does not deviate from its unit value.
Eyes run up
Today the situation is different. In the vast expanses of the former USSR, household single-phase electricity meters are almost never produced, they are most often brought from neighboring countries, and one people's republic with a very large population has become the main manufacturer of such equipment (and much more). In some cases, energy supplying companies recommend acquiring one or another type of metering device, while they are guided, as a rule, not by the interests of the consumer, but by some other considerations, among which may be the loyalty of the supplier company to the replacement of defective products, and favorable price for the seller.
How to choose?
Single-phase electricity meters on the market are presented in a wide assortment, and those citizens who decide to purchase them on their own are faced with the need to choose.
There are, for example, multi-tariff instruments. This means that energy consumption is recorded differently day and night. In some cities, in order to even out daily consumption and reduce peak load in networks, they strive to stimulate the population to turn on heating (for example, “warm floors”) only from evening to morning. Such sophisticated devices cost more than conventional single-phase meters.
The price may depend on other parameters - for example, on the value of the maximum current consumption, measured in amperes. For a residential apartment, 60 A is usually enough, but it happens that the presence of an electric stove and a powerful heating system increases this parameter to 100 A.
There is another important point - this is the information capabilities of the device. It can be remotely controlled directly by the energy supply company. So far this innovation is not widespread, but it should be expected that in the near future, information on arrears in paying for gas, water and electricity will go immediately to the servers of the enterprise providing the corresponding service. Connecting a single-phase meter to a single information system will greatly facilitate the payment process.
Otherwise, the choice of a counter, like any other necessary thing, is motivated by the ratio of price and quality, as well as the advice of friends and acquaintances.