Is it advantageous to install a two-zone counter? Calculation and installation

Obviously, a two-tariff or multi-tariff counter costs more than normal, so many seriously think about the advisability of switching from a conventional tariff to multi-zone.

Although there is more of this counter, but in the future, its acquisition will pay off fairly quickly due to future savings when paying bills for consumed electricity.

Usually, people include the electrical appliances they need, without thinking about the economic consequences of this in the future. Meanwhile, there are time intervals in days, during which the cost of consumed electricity is much lower, and it makes sense to try to save on it. It's about the night and early morning. If there is an opportunity, it is more profitable to use energy-intensive devices at this time. This is where the dual-zone counter comes in handy.

On what can you save

In this case, there is a variant of using a multi-tariff meter, which will take into account the electricity of all for a pair of tariff zones - two-tariff, or two-zone. This is especially suitable for those who are not sure what will be the maximum use of electrical appliances during the lower threshold of energy prices. The two- zone electricity meter will save money unambiguously, since there is no higher payment in this tariff scale than the usual price for electricity.

Differences between existing meters

For different manufacturers, the range of multi-tariff meters is quite large, so in the market there are a lot of foreign products, such as counters "Aktaris", and Ukrainian ones - NIK. Since counters have different technical characteristics and capabilities, they cost more than ordinary meters, which are usually installed in apartments. However, although such counters are more expensive, they are much more accurate and do not consider extra kilowatts. Therefore, each for himself should decide what is most important for him - cost or economy.

Since multi-tariff meters allow you to save energy significantly, they are currently the most in demand compared to conventional ones.

Principle of operation

Savings with the help of multi-tariff meters are achieved thanks to the device installed in them, which programs the work according to the corresponding conditions of different tariffs.

A special timer switches the counter between the tariffs, and in addition, such counters are equipped with memory blocks, in which all information about violations in operation, tariff changes and much more is stored, and all information can be extracted and stored on external storage media if necessary. For example, a flash card. For this purpose, there is an opto-port on the meters.

Dual-zone counter device

The counter is a fairly common device with the use of electronic parts, in which the ability to count electricity at certain times of the day at specific tariffs is realized. In other words, the cost in the morning and in the afternoon is one, and at night and in the evening the other is much less.

Some models of modern electricity meters can even be connected to computers and other devices on a digital basis. Most of these devices have a memory built into them, with the help of which the amount of energy expended is fixed for each time period of the day.

It is thanks to such opportunities that more and more systems of the "smart house" are functioning.

Reasonableness of use of two-zone counters

Definitely and there is no doubt that the two-zone counter is justified absolutely in any room, and especially in a private house.

This is due to the following factors:

• It is possible to significantly save on heating the water (in this case it is necessary to install a water heater);
• Savings appear on heating the premises (you can install an electrical heating system);
• On household processes, you can also save - washing and other daily household chores.

As for private residential buildings, it is understandable. Consider the state of things when using multi-tariff meters in apartments. Basically, the benefits are the same as in a private house, especially the efficiency is manifested when using systems of warm floors. Of course, they should only be included at a time when a reduced tariff is in effect. Although the apartment apartment building is unlikely to save on laundry at night, because, most likely, neighbors do not like it. True, if the house is built according to modern standards of sound insulation, then it is possible and it will turn out.

For industrial enterprises, especially for round-the-clock meals, it is certainly more profitable to pay electricity costs separately, in the daytime at a normal price, and at night on a reduced one.

Replacement procedure

A two-zone counter is set in the same way as usual, there are no specific requirements for its installation. The connection can be made by any wire that has a corresponding cross-section, the automata can also be used absolutely any, including protective devices and all the necessary electrical appliances.

Setting the two-zone counter

Such a meter must be made out during the installation by concluding a contract. There is it as follows:

1. First, you need to contact the relevant organization, which "delivers" electricity to a specific locality. There, in the department for registration of supply contracts, the contract for changing the existing form of payment for electricity is being reissued. The completed application form remains with them, and in a few days the previous contract will be automatically reissued. There you can also specify the question of which meters are recommended by experts for installation in the specific conditions of the given locality.
2. Then you need to buy a new two-zone counter in the store. At the request of the buyer, the store employee is obliged to program the device that fits the parameters to the buyer, and issue a special document corresponding to the parameters. It is this document that must be presented to the electricity supplier organization, in response, the purchased meter will be checked.
3. It remains to write a statement about replacing the existing meter with the newly purchased one, pick up the device that has already been checked and re-issued the new contract.
4. Wait for the master who can install a two-zone electricity meter, and then enjoy the advantages of the new device and calculate the savings.

In our country, in accordance with the legislative acts governing legal relations in the sphere of energy consumption, such accounting is divided into only two types. Applying a two-zone electricity meter, tariffs are defined as day and night. Daytime operates from 07 am to 11 pm, and the night is from 11 pm to 07 am, respectively.

As a result, the consumer has only to periodically calculate the two-zone meter, simply taking off his readings for each of the tariffs, and then paying for the electricity consumed.

In other countries, including Ukraine, tariffs are divided into three time zones.

"Mercury 200"

The counter "Mercury 200" replaced the previous generation, now in a beautiful and strong rectangular case made of plastic. A liquid crystal display of a monochrome type shows an indication of the data. With it, the meter 's readings are reflected . Namely, the current voltage and current consumed at a given moment. And also, the moments of switching of tariffs.

A liquid crystal display makes it easy to calculate the energy of a two-zone meter. The scoreboard separately shows in real time, how much energy is spent in the daytime, and how much in the night tariffs. It remains only to multiply the spent kilowatts by the cost of electricity.

In this counter there is a special interface RS-485 (CAN), which makes it possible to use it in automated control systems over the sizes of energy consumption of various kinds. But this counter is a slave. That is, he himself will not be able to convey information about how much energy the subscriber consumed. This requires an appropriate request from the computer, which is installed on the side that controls the energy consumption among the population.

Counter "Neva" MT 123

It is also a digital device that can perform electricity metering simultaneously for four tariffs. It looks like Mercury, but it looks more presentable.

NIC 2102

Also the device from the group of energy-reading devices under consideration. It is produced by the Ukrainian company, which is widely used in the country and its production counters are everywhere - in apartments and private houses.

He is also clothed in a plastic case. The front side is covered with a transparent plastic, under which there is a display with an LED indicating the presence of voltage in the electrical network.

The counter NIK 2102 has a different interface, RS-485. It can itself transmit to the distance the data corresponding to the energy consumed by the subscriber. The developers used the radio channel. That is, such a device can be used in any system without the use of wires.

Two-tariff counter - feedback and application experience

Judging by the responses of the subscribers of power grids who decided to install a two-zone counter, the effectiveness of its application is felt already in the very near future. The only condition is that you need to carefully monitor the use of energy-consuming electrical appliances exclusively at appropriate time intervals. If you use electricity without thought, multi-tariff meters will not help.

Especially happy with the use of multi-tariff meters are the owners of apartments or private houses in which the heating system is organized using electric warm floors. Of course, only the presence of an electrically heated film under the floor covering will not save anything. The heating system must be properly designed, using all the necessary structural elements. Such as temperature sensors, relays for automatic switching on and off of heating circuits and so on.

For those electrical networks in which three-phase electricity connection is used, a two-zone three-phase meter is produced that monitors the consumption of electricity for each of the voltage phases supplied to the consumer.

Although there are small unpleasant moments, to which some owners of multi-tariff meters refer. This is the process of replacing the device and its re-registration. Often there is frank red tape and unwillingness of the employees of the relevant organizations to fulfill their duties on time. It helps in such cases an ordinary complaint to the authorities.

Another unpleasant moment is connected with the periodic check of the counters for their serviceability. The procedure is extremely simple. The master must come to the room where the counter to be checked is, and use a laptop computer to test its suitability for further work.

But often, the arriving master begins to explain to the owners about the need to dismantle the device for its subsequent repair in the organization. Only in this case it will turn out that for some time the consumer will remain without a counter at all, which is strictly prohibited by law. Therefore, in case of necessity of carrying out of repair, from the master it is obligatory its time replacement by the suitable device. In that case everything will be all right.