Electric two-tariff meter: reviews, pluses and negative messages

Electricity costs cause serious damagefamily budget. To somehow save, many enterprising homeowners install an electric two-tariff meter that keeps a record of electricity consumption separately in the daytime and separately at night. This approach to the reading of indications was introduced by the power stations servicing the houses to increase profitability. What are the advantages of this approach to electricity accounting and what kind of pitfalls can there be?

Wavy load

It is obvious that the consumption scheduleelectricity, for example, in an apartment building has a wavy character. At night, when all tenants sleep and work only some of the electrical appliances (refrigerators, air conditioners), energy consumption is at a minimum. In the morning, from about 7 to 10 hours, this indicator increases dramatically - people wake up, start to prepare breakfast, turn on TVs. This is the so-called morning maximum.

After that, when almost all the tenants left forwork, the value of energy consumption is reduced and remains unchanged almost until the evening, hours to 18. After this, the evening peak begins - a sharp jump in energy consumption to its maximum value. It will last until 23-24 hours, and then the night minimum comes again.

For these reasons, to unload the evening peak orhours of the maximum and an electric two-tariff meter was introduced, which keeps a record of consumed electricity only for a certain period of time (day or night).

Why was this done?

The thing is that as a result of the undulatingnature of electricity consumption, electrical substations operate in an inhomogeneous mode. At night they are practically inactive, and in the morning and in the evening they are forced to operate at maximum capacity to meet the needs of all tenants. As a result, the equipment wears out unevenly, which increases the cost of its maintenance and shortens the durability.

Entering the right to use electrica two-tariff meter, the electricity supplier company encourages people to use household appliances evenly throughout the day. If you pay both for nightly and for daytime energy consumption in the same way, then at a two-tariff price per kW of energy at night will be significantly lower than in the daytime.

So, if you change your routineday and include, for example, a washing machine only at night, you can save the family budget, and the electrical substation will work more evenly.

Advantages of a two-rate counter

The main advantage that a regular consumer receives by installing an electric two-tariff meter is saving money.

Typically, the tariff for electricity during the day isone and a half to two times higher than in the night. Two other advantages will interest only those who consider themselves a citizen of a law-based state and understand their responsibility to society and nature:

1. Reducing the load on the servicing power plant (theoretically this fact can affect the reduction of the cost of electricity).
2. Reduction of harmful emissions into the atmosphere as a result of a more even operation of the enterprise.

Obviously, in conditions of deterioratingecological situation in the city and increase of tariffs for utilities, the last two advantages are unlikely to be of any interest to anyone. But trying to reduce costs, we must remember that the tariff rate in all regions is different. If you do not take this into account, you will not be able to save money.

Underwater rocks

Having installed an electric two-tariff meter inyour apartment, you will most likely have to change your daily routine. In this case, it will be more profitable to use household appliances at night, and if you are a born "owl", then this will not be a problem. However, "Larks" will make their life less enjoyable.

The second and main pitfall of the two-tariffcounter is the difference in tariffs. So, for example, if the cost of kW of energy for a single-rate calculation was 5 rubles, then when switching to a two-tariff calculation, the price for "daily kW" will be 5 rubles 40 kopecks, and for "night" - 2 rubles.

Accordingly, if you do not saveelectricity by day, you will not only not be able to save money, but also increase your expenses for utilities. And this, taking into account the cost of the meter itself, will pour out into a tidy sum.

When a two-rate counter is profitable?

It is necessary to understand that the electric countertwo-tariff "Mercury", for example, in the Moscow and Sverdlovsk regions will give different benefits. It's all about the difference in tariffs. To calculate your benefit from installing a new accountant, you need to do a number of simple manipulations:

1. Find out the cost of one kW of energy for a one-tariff and two-tariff calculation.
2. Measure the amount of energy consumed at night.

After you have found out all the values, you need to substitute them in the formula:

Here, Mon - consumption at night, Td, Tn and T1 - the cost of "night", "daytime" and "round the clock" of one kW of energy, respectively. You will receive the result in percent.

So, if you get a value of 20%, then toyour costs before and after you installed single-phase dual-rate electric meters were at the same level, you have to spend at night 20% more energy than during the day. Only in this case a two-rate accountant will justify himself.

How to choose a two-rate counter?

The choice of a two-rate counter is no differentfrom the selection of a conventional device. The main thing that you need to remember is the number of phases of the electrical network in your home. In ordinary houses there is only one phase. You can learn this from the nominal voltage - it will be 220 volts.

If you choose a counter for a garage, a smallenterprise, or a three-phase power line is put into your house, then you need electric meters three-phase two-tariffs. The rated voltage of the network will be 380 volts.

It is important to remember that three-phase devices are suitable for both types. But to install single-phase devices on a three-phase line is not allowed.

Reviews of two-rate counters

The vast majority of users respondabout two-rate counters is positive. According to network users, the savings in some cases is more than 500 rubles. However, there are those who have not been able to install a new recording device and are even unprofitable.

But, as a rule, the meter is electrictwo-rate negative reviews are left by those users who incorrectly calculated the benefit from using it. It is also important to remember the payback of the device. In some cases, this process may take several years.