# Is this a smart meter?



## drsparky (Nov 13, 2008)

Looks like a standard Landis and Gyr E130 Focus. I think you can lump it into the dumb meter category. You can take the tin foil out of your hat now.:shifty:


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## MikeFL (Apr 16, 2016)

FCC is a US agency. You're in Canada.
Google the model number of the meter.


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## emtnut (Mar 1, 2015)

Yank it out ... if hydro comes by, it's a smart meter :jester:


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## matt1124 (Aug 23, 2011)

Around here we has digital meters before smart meters. They did not have any communication capabilities. What did you find on the Landis+Gyr website?


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## emtnut (Mar 1, 2015)

power said:


> This is the meter on the exterior west wall of my home.
> 
> Is this a Smart Meter?
> 
> I was understanding Smart Meters need to have an "FCC" mark on them, and also a wattage rating of the rf output.






MikeFL said:


> FCC is a US agency. You're in Canada.
> Google the model number of the meter.


Industry Canada up here ( IC ) ... but I have a smart meter, and no FCC or IC visible marks on it.


From the Landis and Gyr website ... http://www.landisgyr.com/webfoo/wp-content/uploads/product-files/Residential_Meter_Brochure.pdf

quote ... 
All FOCUS meters feature a single circuit board design
mounted at the front of the meter to allow room for
modular AMI communications or a KYZ option output
board.

You may or may not have the AMI (advanced metering interface) installed, and it may or may not have RF Mesh communication 



emtnut said:


> Yank it out ... if hydro comes by, it's a smart meter :jester:


What this guy said  ... will let you know :laughing:


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

Looks like a plain old dumb one to me.


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## telsa (May 22, 2015)

If the power bill goes unpaid -- and the Poco shuts you off without coming over -- it's a Smart Meter.


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## John Valdes (May 17, 2007)

I haven't seen a meter reader in my driveway for as long as I can remember.
When I called the POCO, they said they were reading it remotely.
Funny part is, its a standard spinning wheel analog meter.
I could not talk to a CSR about this rationally so I just let it go.
But how in the hell are they reading my meter remotely when its not a smart meter.

My neighbors meter is on the back of his house and there is no alley. So they are either averaging or lying.
They do show KW used vs last read on my bill. 

I maybe its time to read my own meter to see if my numbers match theirs?


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## FaultCurrent (May 13, 2014)

The Residential Smart meter has the ability to display and send info on KW and KWh at any instant. It can send peak and total usage remotely and most importantly, Time of Use. This is the point of Smart Meters, to be able to allow utilities to charge you at different hours different rates. Time of Use is coming to residential. This idea that it allows you to save $$ by reading your own consumption at any time is just a smokescreen to hide whats planned in the future.

Remote meter reading is not the same as a smart meter. Remote reading can be done using different methods. Here a SCE van drives through the neighborhood picking up the signal sent from each meter. It doesn't have to be a Smart Meter to be read remotely.

http://www.facilitiesnet.com/powercommunication/article/Smart-Meters-Bring-Time-of-use-Electric-Rates-Facilities-Management-Power-Communication-Feature--12019


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## John Valdes (May 17, 2007)

FaultCurrent said:


> The Residential Smart meter has the ability to display and send info on KW and KWh at any instant. It can send peak and total usage remotely and most importantly, Time of Use. This is the point of Smart Meters, to be able to allow utilities to charge you at different hours different rates. Time of Use is coming to residential. This idea that it allows you to save $$ by reading your own consumption at any time is just a smokescreen to hide whats planned in the future.
> 
> Remote meter reading is not the same as a smart meter. Remote reading can be done using different methods. Here a SCE van drives through the neighborhood picking up the signal sent from each meter. It doesn't have to be a Smart Meter to be read remotely.
> 
> http://www.facilitiesnet.com/powerc...Management-Power-Communication-Feature--12019


Thanks. I had no idea.
Coincidence? Yesterday I get a postcard from the POCO informing me they are upgrading the meters in my area to smart meters.


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## LGLS (Nov 10, 2007)

John Valdes said:


> I haven't seen a meter reader in my driveway for as long as I can remember.
> When I called the POCO, they said they were reading it remotely.
> Funny part is, its a standard spinning wheel analog meter.
> I could not talk to a CSR about this rationally so I just let it go.
> ...


Your bill should show the date they read your meter. Or if it was an estimated reading. Here, they go around reading the actual meter every other month. For those of us (which is most of us) with balanced billing, the month it isn't read it's an estimated bill. 

If your bills show an actual reading every month, it's probably being read remotely. 

I don't think you need a smart reader for remote readings - within the last 3 years they replaced the dials on both my water meter (located inside the house, towards the rear in a utility room) and also the gas meter (also located behind the house dead center) with some kind of transceiver or rfid display which appears totally analog, but the water and gas utility meter reader need only walk or drive by the house to obtain the reading.

Maybe your old style dial meter has this technology built in?


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## chicken steve (Mar 22, 2011)

telsa said:


> If the power bill goes unpaid -- and the Poco shuts you off without coming over -- it's a Smart Meter.


As an aside, one can call for a shutdown w/o yankin' a meter .....just not exactly lotto compliant ......:no:~CS~


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

chicken steve said:


> As an aside, one can call for a shutdown w/o yankin' a meter .....just not exactly lotto compliant ......:no:~CS~


"Lotto" you mean 'LOTO' or 'lotto' as in you take a gamble relying on the power really being off?


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