Just went SCE TOU-D-T! How to read the new meter?

[DesertDave]

Howdy all,

I was out on vacation for two weeks and my utility (SCE) finally got around to installing the Time-Of-Use digital meter I signed up for about a month ago while I was away. I haven't got much of a clue how to read it though I can sort of figure it out but I'm not sure whether it's counting up (as in they will want me to pay them) or count down (they pay me) because the number that's clicking up doesn't have a negative sign next to it. By the way, while I was gone we were only consuming about 3 kWh per day and producing an average of 35+ so it darn well better be negative! It has a code of "7 1" and is right at 340 kWh right now. The other three displays (they cycle every few seconds) read 20 kWh, .64 kWh and 0 kWh. There's also a small "pie" divided up into numbered quarters and I'm guessing that has to do which what time of day profile the meter is running on (on-peak, off-peak, etc.) Any clues?

-Dave

[Mike90250]

Your company MUST provide you a way to decode and read your meter.
You will have to figure out your hours (peak may run 11am - 8pm - bad for solar PV if you are home at night) you get charged for.

[DesertDave]

I know my peak hours (10am-6pm M-F, except holidays and wouldn't have signed up not knowing the details in this department), I was just looking to see if anyone knew how to interpret what the meter was displaying. Haven't been home long enough for SCE to be open to answer my questions (which you can probably guess by now). SCE tells you how to read the mechanical meter right on their website, but nothing on their digital ones.

[Irishthug]

Hey Dave,

Did you ever get any further info on your question? I just got off the phone with an SCE customer service rep and she couldn't help me. I have the same question as you, how do I read the meter?

Don

[russ]

You may well have different times such as T, T1, T2, T3 & T4 (this is what mine has).

T - total kWh to date
T1 - total kWh to date for time period 1 - here it is 0800 to 1700 hours
T2 - total kWh to date for time period 2 - evening
T3 - total kWh to date for time period 3 - night

T1, T2 & T3 add up to T (on my meters)

There are several more readings I don't remember as they have no importance to me.

There is also a T4 but that is unused on mine.

If you cycle through the various readings it may start to make sense.

Good luck,
Russ

[DesertDave]

Here's what I know going from memory (not standing in front of my meter right now): There are four readings that the meter cycles through. One is the number of kWh that the meter went forward (net usage), the next one is the number of kWh that the meter counted backwards (net generation) and the third is your peak kWh usage (not used for my residential TOU) and the fourth isn't used at all. Unfortunately the time breakdown of your net usage and net generation isn't displayed on the LCD and can only be read by the meter reader system so I haven't bothered even trying to get anything useful out of the meter display. I installed a monitoring system from Locus Energy that tracks my inverter's production and also tracks net usage. It doesn't give me direct TOU but it does allow me to bounce my numbers off of those on my utility bill to validate.

Just to clarify, the meter has no way of knowing what portion of your generation that you consumed. For example, if your PV system generated 4 kWh from 1200-1300h and your consumed 3 of those kWh during the same period your meter would have logged 1 kWh of net generation.

[russ]

Totally a different thing from mine so I am zero help -

If you have the name and model of the meter maybe you can find a users manual on line.

Russ

[DesertDave]

Totally a different thing from mine so I am zero help -

If you have the name and model of the meter maybe you can find a users manual on line.

Russ

I wish mine worked the way you describe, in fact I assumed it did until it had run for a few weeks and I couldn't make heads or tails out of the numbers. A friend of mine made the call to SCE and was able to track someone down who could explain how it worked.

[Mike90250]

Somewhere on the SCE website, is an article on how to read your meter. They are legally required to tell you how.

[DesertDave]

Somewhere on the SCE website, is an article on how to read your meter. They are legally required to tell you how.

Here's your opportunity to prove me a liar. Also your opportunity to start a class action lawsuit

[russ]

They have it - just doesn't say much of anything - Nothing at all about net metering - http://www.sce.com/es/CustomerServic...your-meter.htm

Reading Your Meter - Smart Meter

The new [URL="http://www.sce.com/es/CustomerService/smartconnect/default.htm"][B]Edison SmartConnect

[russ]

At another location on the SCE site I came across a pdf about the net metering program - please see the link.

http://asset.sce.com/Documents/Shared/090824_Net_Metering_NEM_Fact_Sheet.pdf

Looks like the meter only displays the net kWh imported from the grid?

Russ

[DesertDave]

At another location on the SCE site I came across a pdf about the net metering program - please see the link.

http://asset.sce.com/Documents/Shared/090824_Net_Metering_NEM_Fact_Sheet.pdf

Looks like the meter only displays the net kWh imported from the grid?

Russ

There is a picture that looks like the one I have about halfway down the first page where it states, "a Bi-directional Meter
is measuring power delivered by SCE and power generated by the solar system displaying the net difference"


This one is NOT the one I have.http://www.sce.com/CustomerService/s...artconnect.htm

Still can't find anything printed for my meter.

[SOLAR SOURCE]

The Meter is NOT intended for you to read..

Hi All,

As a customer of SCE the meter is not installed for your personal use or intended for you to be able to read as the customer. Dave, you should not have any expectations of your meter being "negative" do to your change to a TOU plan. Your usage and solar production will not change unless your consumption changes. The only thing that will change is the price you pay per kWh used during your Peak and Off Peak periods. If you want detailed information about your personal use you should spend your energy thoroughly reading your monthly statement.

The TOU plan is a fantastic program for solar system owners, but you must understand what you are signing up for and how to get the information you need. Keep in mind that if for some reason this plan does not work well for your personal consumption trends you can always switch back to a standard plan with no penalty.

Your Solar Energy Expert,

SOLAR SOURCE

[Mike90250]

[QUOTE=SOLAR SOURCE