How a two-rate meter works

In the current economic crisis, a two-tariff electricity meter is the best way to save money. This is really a way out, because tariffs are growing every day, and family incomes are not growing so quickly. That is why every prudent owner tries to install such a device in his own home.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of this device, as well as how the day night counter works, read the article.

How the counter works

The principle of operation of a two-tariff meter is that at different times of the day it calculates the cost of electricity at different prices. It's no secret that the cost of a kilowatt at night is significantly different from the daily rate. And if we take into account the dynamic rhythm of life of the inhabitants of our country, when the majority of workers return home late in the evening, and in the morning they go to work again, why not take advantage of such a unique offer.

The principle of such a policy is quite simple: it is very convenient for the management that the power plants work constantly in the same mode, without overloading at certain hours. But, whatever one may say, most of the devices are plugged into the outlet during the daytime. This leads to additional fuel consumption for the operation of the station. At the same time, these indicators fall to almost zero at night, which contributes to equipment downtime.

To optimize productivity, the management of such companies has introduced a two-tariff counter, which allows not only to balance the work of the company, but also enables ordinary people to save money.

To make it more clear, the two-tariff electricity meter of the energy meter in the daytime (from 7:00 to 23:00) calculates the cost at the usual rate. But at night the second (preferential) tariff comes into force, which will cost the family an order of magnitude cheaper. It turns out that the device itself does not save electrics, but simply divides it into two types.

It turns out that the use of such devices allows everyone to save money: ordinary residents save their money, and power plants save resources for work.

Two-tariff meter and its advantages

Of course, two-tariff electricity meters have many advantages that cannot be exaggerated:

1. Cost savings. Half of the inhabitants of the metropolis, and most of the citizens of other cities, spend most of their time at work. That is why they return home late at night, and in the morning they hit the road again. That is why, with the right organization, they can significantly save their own funds. All you need to do is load the washing machine and dishwasher overnight. It can accumulate their own funds without restrictions in convenience.
2. Reduced harmful emissions into the atmosphere. If the work of the power plant is distributed evenly, then additional costs are not needed for this. Accordingly, emissions into the environment are reduced.
3. Help for electrical substations.

In fact, the last two points are of little concern to the average citizen. But saving money that can be used for other family needs is an undeniable advantage.

Disadvantages of a two-tariff meter

Like any other device, a two-tariff two-phase electric meter has not only a number of positive sides, but also negative points, which are important to know about before installing the device at home:

1. After installing the counter, you will need to thoroughly revise your own daily routine. To be more precise, all manipulations associated with electrical appliances should be postponed at night, otherwise the device will be simply useless. This means loading the washing machine, turning on heaters or they will need to be charged only in the dark.
2. Before installing a dual-mode meter, carefully study the tariffs that apply in your region, since they can differ significantly in different areas. If the discount is only 10-20%, then the device can be called not profitable, it will pay off for at least 5 years.

If such shortcomings do not scare you, then you can safely proceed to buying and installing a meter at home.

How to install a two-rate meter

Everyone has the ability to change a regular meter for a two-tariff electricity meter. To do this, simply change the device itself. The sequence of actions is as follows:

1. Write a statement to the RES. It is here that they will tell you which model is needed in your case, and where you need to buy it. Please note that you need to make a purchase only in specialized stores.
2. Purchase of the day-night counter itself. The price may differ, but most often it is in the range of 2500-3000 rubles.
3. Take it to the master, who will program it for a certain way of working and metering electricity. In addition to the main work, the specialist must also issue an act of work done.
4. Return back to the RES with all documents and a counter. After verification, an installation date will be assigned.
5. On the appointed date, a master will come to you, who installs a new device instead of the old one. Attention: installation can only be done by a representative of the RES. Doing it yourself is prohibited.
6. It remains only to take readings of a two-tariff electricity meter, regularly transmit them and pay.

In most cases, the whole procedure will take about 14 days, but this figure directly depends on the level of workload of the institution at the time of application.

How to take meter readings

An ordinary meter, to which we are all so accustomed, records all electricity consumption in one account, therefore it is almost impossible to determine how much you used during the day and how much at night. That is why, to use the preferential tariff, a two-tariff electricity meter is being installed.

Taking readings from a new meter is not at all as difficult as it might seem at first glance. It is enough to use this simple sequence:

1. Press the "Enter" button, which is available in all models. This way, you can select the readings that you need.
2. Record the readings labeled T1 and T2, where T1 is the number of kilowatts used during daytime and T2 is used at night.
3. Subtract the readings from last month and find out the difference in these two parameters. This will be the amount of electricity that you used in a month.
4. Transfer the received data.

You can find the same sequence in the instructions for the two-rate meter.

How to accelerate ROI

The bottom line is that a two-tariff meter determines the operating time of devices that consume an electrician. That is why, in order to get the maximum benefit, it is better to transfer them all to the darkest time of the day. It's actually quite simple to do this:

1. Kitchen helpers such as a bread maker and multicooker can do their job perfectly well when you sleep. They work silently, and therefore will not cause discomfort, and in the morning they will delight you with fragrant pastries or a hot breakfast.
2. Load your washing machine and dishwasher after 11:00 PM and everything will be clean by morning.
3. Turning on the boiler after the specified period, it will heat the water overnight, and in the morning you can easily use a warm shower, and you can put yourself in order.
4. It is very profitable to install a single-phase two-tariff electric meter, you often and constantly heat the room with the help of electrical appliances. Indeed, during the day, most often, no one is at home, but at night the rooms are completely warmed up.

Almost all modern devices have a delayed start function. This means that it is enough to indicate only the switch-on time, the technician will do the rest independently. You won't need to get up at night if you go to bed early.

As you can see, installing a day-night device is quite beneficial, especially for those who spend a lot of time at work and return home only late at night. Within a few weeks after installing the device, you can easily rebuild and learn to use energy at night to the maximum. But, nevertheless, before installing a two-tariff meter, calculate its profitability in your region and in your family.

How to issue a two-tariff meter - video