GB2300721A

GB2300721A - Improvements in or relating to utility meters

Info

Publication number: GB2300721A
Application number: GB9509281A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ronald Warwick
Original assignee: Siemens Measurements Ltd
Current assignee: Siemens Metering Ltd
Priority date: 1995-05-06
Filing date: 1995-05-06
Publication date: 1996-11-13
Also published as: GB9509281D0

Abstract

Apparatus for providing 'use profile' data appertaining to the supply of a utility to a consumer, comprising measuring means 6 for measuring mean use of the utility in each of a predetermined plurality of consecutive periods, and data storage means 7 for recording data appertaining to the measurements made, the said apparatus being operatively associated with and embodied in a consumer utility meter having a data output port 9 for data appertaining the metered utility usage 1, via which output port the said recorded data is also made available.

Description

IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO UTILITY METERS This invention relates to utility meters for recording the consumption of gas, water or electricity, and more especially but not exclusively it relates to electricity meters.

Charging for electricity is commonly based on the time of usage and the quantity used. Thus, off peak tariffs tend to be less costly than charges which obtain at peak times and large users of electricity may qualify for concessionary rates.

In order to establish consumer requirements and/or the tariffs which may be appropriate, it is advantageous to collect data relating to a consumer's 'use profile', e.g. the average rate of use per hour throughout the day. It will be apparent that the characteristics of a 'use profile' will vary from consumer to consumer, and it will also be apparent that a tariff may be adjusted taking different profile characteristics into account.

At present for most consumer, 'use profile' data is likely to be compiled from questionnaires completed by the consumer.

Data gathered in this way, however, tends to be inaccurate or unreliable and may even be misleading.

Although it would be possible to install on a temporary basis, 'use profile' data recorders, this would clearly be uneconomic except perhaps for a few very large users.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide apparatus operable to afford 'use profile' data. which apparatus is comparatively inexpensive to fabricate. to install and to read.

According to the present invention apparatus for providing 'use profile' data appertaining to the supply of a utility to a consumer, comprises measuring means for measuring mean use of the utility in each of a predetermined plurality of consecutive periods, and data storage means for recording data appertaining to the measurements made, the said apparatus being operatively associated with and embodied in a consumer utility meter having a data output port for data appertaining the metered utility usage, via which output port the said recorded data is also made available.

By embodying in a utility meter, means for measuring and recording 'use profile' data, and making use of existing meter functionality, the 'use profile' data is simply made available at comparatively small expense.

The said port may be a port which is easily accessible by an official of a utility supply authority.

The port may comprise, for example, an opto-port through which data is transmittable in the form of light signals which may be in the visible or in the non-visible spectrum, such as infra red for example.

Alternatively, the port may be remotely accessed as by means of a telemetering system.

Remotely accessed meters and apparatus which includes an opto-output interface are well known and accordingly they will not be described herein in detail.

One embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which, FIGURE 1 is a somewhat schematic circuit block diagram of an electricity meter and wherein, FIGURE 2 is a graphical representation of a consumer's 'use profile' Referring now to Figure 1, an electricity meter comprises a measurement unit 1, which serves to measure the quantity of electricity supplied from a utility supply via an input line 2, to a consumer via an output line 3. Units of electricity used are registered by a central processor unit (CPU) 4 which appropriately updates a digital display 5. Average usage in consecutive similar periods of time is measured in a mean use per unit time module 6 and the mean use for a predetermined number of consecutive similar time periods is stored in a store 7.The measurement unit 1, the CPU 4, the display 5, the mean use per unit time module 6 and the store 7 are operated in dependence upon clock pulses provided by a clock pulse generator 8. Data appertaining to the total quantity of electricity used and to the mean use of electricity in predetermined consecutive similar time periods which define a 'use profile', are fed from the CPU to an opto-port 9 and to a data output line 10. Thus data relating to electricity usage and representing a 'use profile' may either be accessed manually by a meter reader, or alternatively data on the line 10 containing this information may be transmitted via apparatus (not shown) for remote collection and/or recorded.

The 'use profile' may be as shown in Figure 2 for example, wherein the mean use rate at hourly intervals t, during a time period T, which may be a twenty four hour period for example, is recorded.

It will be appreciated that other profiles may be provided for and that a plurality of different profiles may be provided for.

Thus, weekday and weekend profiles may both be recorded at the same or at different sampling rates.

It will be apparent that the store 7 and the mean use per unit time module 6, could be fabricated in chip form and included in the meter as required, the other functions as required for 'use profile' monitoring being provided by existing functional blocks of the meter arrangement.

Although an electricity meter has been described herein, it will be readily apparent that the principle of 'use profile' monitoring using some of the existing meter functionality may equally well be applied to other utility meters such as water meters or gas meters, for example.

Claims

1. Apparatus for providing 'use profile' data appertaining to the supply of a utility to a consumer. comprising measuring means for measuring mean use of the utility in each of a predetermined plurality of consecutive periods, and data storage means for recording data appertaining to the measurements made, the said apparatus being operatively associated with and embodied in a consumer utility meter having a data output port for data appertaining the metered utility usage, via which output port the said recorded data is also made available.

2. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the said port is a port which is easily accessible by an official of a utility supply authority.

3. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the port is an opto-port through which data is transmittable in the form of light signals.

4. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 3. wherein the light signals are arranged to be in the visible spectrum.

5. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 3, wherein the light signals are arranged to be in the non-visible spectrum.

6. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 5, wherein the light signals are infra red.

7. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the port is arranged to be remotely accessed.

8. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 7, wherein the port is remotely accessed by means of a telemetering system.

9. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 and substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.