but as I understand things, there is nothing else at all as "fast" as a radio transmission. LW and FM are effectively instantaneous, whereas your hearing of a time signal over the internet will be delayed by whatever your decoding device does to it. Apparently you can't even listen to music on digital radios in 2 adjacent rooms as it will not be in synch.
My DAB radios vary between about two and five seconds behind analogue broadcasts. Digital TV seems to be about five to ten seconds delay, though there aren't too many broadcasts that you can check it on, as I don't think any TV stations now have time signals. Internet delay is variable, but typically seems to be around 25 - 30 seconds for me - others may be quite different though.
That's good thanks, Wikipedia says of Anthorn
which is both reassuring and hints at its previous incarnations. Rugby! Who'd have thought it?
There are reliable protocols used over the internet for distributing the time, which take into account the delay in sending the data. None of these work by embedding it in an audio feed and then compressing/streaming/decompressing that audio - which means the delays are in the milliseconds range rather than seconds. Compare the time on your mobile phone - it will normally also be exactly in time with the pips on FM - even though it's source of time data is sent over data networks.
Thankfully I don't use DAB any more and stream radio through Sonos. Perfectly in sync in all rooms in the house.
If you are in a similar predicament, hold out for the cash!Can you explain that please?
I'm happy enough to leave the display plugged in. I've found it to be quite useful for discovering which appliances use the most energy and it bleeps at me if I go beyond a certain amount each week.
I think you're referring to the Octupus Home Mini. It doesn't change the frequency at which readings are submitted to Octopus (mine is still every 30 minutes), but the app allows you to view consumption in 5 minute intervals.
Fair enough. It may vary depending on the tariff that you're on, though. I don't get the same "live" updates on the web that the app gives me and the app only allows me to switch between 5 and 30 minute intervals.
My PCs (two Windows, one Linux) are synchronised from NIST time servers, the taskbar clock on each shows HH MM SS. They all agree to the second. When we used an FM radio in the kitchen, I could hear the last (longer) pip exactly as the PC clock seconds turned over from 59 to 00. Something local was making the FM radio signal very noisy and hissy at times (we think it was a laptop charger) so we got a DAB radio. Perfect reception but the long pip is now about three seconds behind the computers and also my mobile phone clock.
Or, of course, they could simply provide a time switch to operate the meter timing… That all used to work very well, if without the network and load flexibility that the radio-switching can (sometimes) offer.
Although your meter has been suitably engineered to cope, perhaps there are some out there that won't?
AFAICT, there were only 2 manufacturers of UK RTS devices - the original from the 90’s and a slightly slimmer one from the 00’s - you’ll see the BBC’s Engineering Document (Linked above) came from the days where cost was not the primary concern - indeed I’d suggest the cost of an RTS Teleswitch cost more to make than (say) two current Smart Meters… if you look at the YT teardown videos for them, they are really just consumer electronics with the addition of anti-tamper options to protect them. Standard meters were certificated for 20-30 years of usage before recalibration was required. I haven’t heard how long these ‘new’ smart meters are certificated for, but I guarantee they will be UNDER 10 years (to match that of modern (non smart) digital meters). We appear to be going backwards, not forwards!
Why not mention the ‘financial incentive’ EDF are using in desperation? If it jumps to £300, I might be tempted to
I wasn't offered an incentive!Why not mention the ‘financial incentive’ EDF are using in desperation? If it jumps to £300, I might be tempted to
If EDF are doing it - others will be too. It’s a good negotiating ploy, as think of those who agree without knowing!
Suppliers have been offering incentives for a while. I was offered a 3-year fixed tariff with the condition that I switched to a smart meter. Energy prices were on the up at the time and I decided that the exit fee was negligible. I also gained some money back through Top cashback. As it turned out, energy prices rocketed not long after.
It wasn't so long ago that you were bleating about a supplier's potential ability to arbitrarily cut you off. Surely you'd stick to those principles regardless of the financial incentives offered?Why not mention the ‘financial incentive’ EDF are using in desperation? If it jumps to £300, I might be tempted to
How many supply cables do you have?
I doubt it as domestic consumer units are usually rated for 100A max and have tails, busbars and switches rated for that presumption.
It was a thing when storage heaters were popular. I suspect my house used to be that way as there are also two supplies coming in, but only one was wired into the meter. Which was handy when the first cable failed so the distribution company could switch to the other.
No bleating I assure you - it is a shame you are unable to accept a contrary point of view, but to add to the list of downsides I now gather that in addition to losing the protection of removal of supply, a number of customers found that the company has remotely converted their smart meter from ‘normal’ credit operation to pre-pay with just 7 days notice and no appeal.
I’m on a lateral feed from the semi through the wall, however we are on different phases. They.ve been off and we’ve been fine. Our single feed simply lets the different meter registers increment at the relevant time.
You also appear to be unable to accept a contrary point of view. I do have industry experience, though - do you?
"I now gather that" is not the same as providing properly sourced examples to back up your claims. Please provide some real world examples to back up your claims that this is actually happening.
If this is even remotely relevant to the matter under discussion. You appear to believe that the industry sidestepping legal safeguards for access because new technology allows them to is acceptable, and consumers losing what few rights they hold private firms to account an acceptable trade-off.
This may well have been the case, but another process loses the protection of a warrant for access. Many consumers view that a pre-pay meter equates to ‘not being trusted’ with a credit one. Strange that one of the publicised benefits of a smart meter isn’t that it can remotely be switched to pre-pay with no access required! Since even you confirm this is possible I fail to see what relevance a ‘properly sourced‘ example of a fact - it’s a function of the technology.
This is where we differ. All you see is a process, I see a layer of protection. Warrants can be challenged - I have used an Order of Inhibition to deny access until proper oversight of SP-induced errors were finally compensated for. The ‘threat’ of a pre-pay meter was avoided. You expect me to be happy that a smart meter can have this functionality? Only a fool would suggest that the smart meter programme has been a success. The benefits to the consumer are considerably less than those enjoyed by the supply companies and let’s not forget who is paying for it all. Certainly not the companies… the Tories ensured that all costs would be recovered from the consumer through higher bills.
There Still has to be a meter in circuit, off-peak supply was always staggered due to each property timer drifting slightly - even after being set. RTS added a level of synchronisation that I thought would have been detrimental - but aparrently it wasn’t an issue. What happened at 1500 and 2000? There were still peak hours!