# Do Smart Meters work with no power?



## carryyourbooks (Jan 13, 2010)

i would say no. i think they can only sense if power is out if they don't have a signal.


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## BrianA (Dec 28, 2010)

I would say yes.
They have a battery back up.
I have had a power company show up on a job when I had pulled the meter.
The meter sent a signal to report the outage.
The power company was NOT happy with me.


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## etb (Sep 8, 2010)

Cletis said:


> If you pop out the smart meter to hook up your generator during an outage, does the meter still send a signal to poco ??


Well you're one of the few who have figured it out. The old electronic meters had battery backup to keep the last kWh. So do the smart meters. But they also have a feature nobody talks about. The minute you pull it, it starts a timer. After you pop it back in, the meter simply takes the daily kWh for the previous day, divides by 24, and multiplies by the number of hours you had the meter out. Then it bumps the kWh display accordingly. At night sometime (when AC not running) just pull a smart meter for one hour and pop it in, you'll see it first hand.

To get around it: If your meter has a mode button, hold it down for 30sec; the kWh display will start flashing and that means it's in diagnostic mode. Now press/release the button quickly 3 times. That will put it into bypass mode; the display will stay off and then you can pull it.

If yours doesn't have a mode button, it will have a magnetic reed switch at the front face (behind the paint/label) at the top. There is no diagnostic mode on these (they're programed via a hand-held using a wireless link), only bypass. Hold a magnet against the reed switch for a few seconds. The display will turn off to indicate bypass mode, remove the magnet, then pull it.


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## dronai (Apr 11, 2011)

etb said:


> Well you're one of the few who have figured it out. The old electronic meters had battery backup to keep the last kWh. So do the smart meters. But they also have a feature nobody talks about. The minute you pull it, it starts a timer. After you pop it back in, the meter simply takes the daily kWh for the previous day, divides by 24, and multiplies by the number of hours you had the meter out. Then it bumps the kWh display accordingly. At night sometime (when AC not running) just pull a smart meter for one hour and pop it in, you'll see it first hand.
> 
> To get around it: If your meter has a mode button, hold it down for 30sec; the kWh display will start flashing and that means it's in diagnostic mode. Now press/release the button quickly 3 times. That will put it into bypass mode; the display will stay off and then you can pull it.
> 
> If yours doesn't have a mode button, it will have a magnetic reed switch at the front face (behind the paint/label) at the top. There is no diagnostic mode on these (they're programed via a hand-held using a wireless link), only bypass. Hold a magnet against the reed switch for a few seconds. The display will turn off to indicate bypass mode, remove the magnet, then pull it.


Good to know ! But how do you know all that ?


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## leland (Dec 28, 2007)

BrianA said:


> I would say yes.
> They have a battery back up.
> I have had a power company show up on a job when I had pulled the meter.
> The meter sent a signal to report the outage.
> The power company was NOT happy with me.



Do they charge extra for the power not used?

Or just fine you for messing with their stuff?


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## joe cool (Jun 4, 2009)

BrianA said:


> I would say yes.
> They have a battery back up.
> I have had a power company show up on a job when I had pulled the meter.
> The meter sent a signal to report the outage.
> The power company was NOT happy with me.


I would like to hear more about this. I pull smart meters on occasion, I'm always a little nervous but have never had a problem. I know the signal is interrupted when you pull meter, but I am not convinced anyone live is actually monitoring that incident.


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

joe cool said:


> I would like to hear more about this. I pull smart meters on occasion, I'm always a little nervous but have never had a problem. I know the signal is interrupted when you pull meter, but I am not convinced anyone live is actually monitoring that incident.


You have nothing to be nervous about. Despite the rumors, there is absolutely nothing illegal about removing a meter. There is nothing illegal about cutting a seal tag. The illegal part is tampering with the meter such that it reads improperly, or otherwise trying to 'steal' power. I've had certain linemen get red-faced mad, to which I normally respond, "Great, call the police". :laughing: Meter removal is not meter tampering.


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## triden (Jun 13, 2012)

During an outage the whole neighbourhood is down, so I doubt they would be able to tell you pulled your meter. If the neighbourhood was on line, they may notice that only your meter is not responding though. I always assumed the radio on them is powered via the line voltage.


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## joe cool (Jun 4, 2009)

MDShunk said:


> You have nothing to be nervous about. Despite the rumors, there is absolutely nothing illegal about removing a meter. There is nothing illegal about cutting a seal tag. The illegal part is tampering with the meter such that it reads improperly, or otherwise trying to 'steal' power. I've had certain linemen get red-faced mad, to which I normally respond, "Great, call the police". :laughing: Meter removal is not meter tampering.


I cut seals and even locks but I bring a generator and never steal power or tamper with meter. Thank you.


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

I got a job to do. If they feel compelled to respond when the meter tattles, that's on them. Has nothing to do with me. I'm probably just pulling it to replace a main, fix a gutter tap, or something like that. I don't intend to involve the power company, else I'd have called them. :thumbsup:


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## etb (Sep 8, 2010)

dronai said:


> Good to know ! But how do you know all that ?


I was fishin, but the hook was for cletis. I should have waited till he was online tomorrow. :laughing:

So sorry to disappoint........if smart meters actually did that, poco's would be in hot water. There's a ton of conspiracy stuff out there on these smart meters. Just wish I could find a way to make money off all that.....


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## bobelectric (Feb 24, 2007)

I'LL ask Gene.


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## ibuzzard (Dec 28, 2008)

bobelectric said:


> I'LL ask Gene.


Ask Siri.


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## Hotlegs (Oct 9, 2011)

I pulled a smart meter and within minutes a black unmarked helicopter was flying overhead. I threw the meter on the ground and ran in the house. I was hiding in a closet when I heard all the windows break. A navy seal team had busted in the house and made me put the meter back in. True story.


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## kevink1955 (Apr 25, 2012)

I hope you are jokeing



etb said:


> Well you're one of the few who have figured it out. The old electronic meters had battery backup to keep the last kWh. So do the smart meters. But they also have a feature nobody talks about. The minute you pull it, it starts a timer. After you pop it back in, the meter simply takes the daily kWh for the previous day, divides by 24, and multiplies by the number of hours you had the meter out. Then it bumps the kWh display accordingly. At night sometime (when AC not running) just pull a smart meter for one hour and pop it in, you'll see it first hand.


Rant Start

If this is true what happens when an entire area is out due to a major huricane. Do you go for weeks with out power then get a smart meter calculated KWH usage for the time you were out. 

Does not sound right to me but I have always had a problem with how POCO's meters are calibrated. Go to your local Deli, Gas Station, Propane refill station or have home heating oil delivered. All the pumps or scales have a sticker from the Dept of Weights and Measures and are inspected for proper calibration every year. 

How does POCO not have to comply with this and even have a policy that if you want your meter checked they will do it but if they find no error you will be charged a fee for the check. So they get to check their own meter and tell you it's ok but every other business that sells a product by weight, volume Etc. answers to the Dept of Weights and Measures when there is a complaint.

Rant Over


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## macmikeman (Jan 23, 2007)

kevink1955 said:


> I hope you are jokeing
> 
> 
> 
> ...


How many different electricity suppliers have you got in your one town competing with each other? Could you just dump one company and call for power from another if the price is better? Nope? I thought so. That kind of power concentrated into one company or utility is the answer to your question, they exempt themselves from normal standards of conduct.


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## KGN742003 (Apr 23, 2012)

MDShunk said:


> You have nothing to be nervous about. Despite the rumors, there is absolutely nothing illegal about removing a meter. There is nothing illegal about cutting a seal tag. The illegal part is tampering with the meter such that it reads improperly, or otherwise trying to 'steal' power. I've had certain linemen get red-faced mad, to which I normally respond, "Great, call the police". :laughing: Meter removal is not meter tampering.


While this is true, personally I have had the problem of the customer being charged a fee for a cut tag. This ends up coming back to me. $250 for the tamper lock on a primary service.


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## Keyrick (Nov 10, 2010)

Is it possible that when the meter is pulled, it no longer responds to a ping, and that runs up a red flag to the utility?


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## triden (Jun 13, 2012)

Keyrick said:


> Is it possible that when the meter is pulled, it no longer responds to a ping, and that runs up a red flag to the utility?


That's how I figured it


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