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Forum Index : Solar : New Smart meter Rollout
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| michael Regular Member  Joined: 06/12/2008 Location: AustraliaPosts: 40 |
http://www.theage.com.au/national/new-meter-to-crank-up-powe r-bills-20090822-euh5.html Victoria begins total switch to smart meters in September and October. ( a four years process) All the predictions are for higher bills. We have solar 1kw installed along with five friends in the last week. All with nu-energy in victoria. All free and sunny boy inverters so no complaints are really well finished installations. Any sparkies have any knowledge of these new smart meters, I was told they are solar rebate compliant, but they wont be set for solar and the new bi directional meters being installed for solar panels customers will stand. This is from the sparkie who installed our systems and hundreds of others. |
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| rgormley Senior Member  Joined: 22/02/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 245 |
Michael and others... anyone... any idea when the Victorian premium feed in tariff will start? i have the bi directional meter and a 2kw system http://www.energyaustralia.com.au/internet/pdfs/CIA1321_ES3. pdf |
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| micke Newbie  Joined: 25/10/2008 Location: AustraliaPosts: 15 |
I have been working on the Solar Cities Project on Magnetic Island in North Queensland and as part of the project we have been trialling smart meters (1800 metering sites accross the island). We have had quite alot of complaints from customers about excess electricity bills since the smart meters have been installed, in almost all the cases the old meters were found to be inaccurate (30-40%) due to age, some of them have been 40+ years old. For more info on what meters will be installed try talking to your electrical distributor. (Citipower, AGL, Powercor, United, Eastern) The rest of Australia's distributors will be whatching Victoria very closely, to try to learn from there mistakes, which I'm sure there will be a lot... |
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| rgormley Senior Member Joined: 22/02/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 245 |
Hey Micke, Anything to do with Intermoco by chance? also any idea on when the FIT`s are excepted to commence in Vic? |
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| michael Regular Member Joined: 06/12/2008 Location: AustraliaPosts: 40 |
Landis+Gyr are supplying Melbourne and Victorias new meters. For all smart citipower and Origin customers. Rollout starts 1st October. Interesting to see who is the first solar grid customer with one and what they think of it. The peak off peak features and rates dont start till early 2010. |
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| dwyer Guru  Joined: 19/09/2005 Location: AustraliaPosts: 573 |
Not look so good on Solar power light on savings. News last night HOMEOWNERS are fuming after spending tens of thousands of dollars on solar panels only to find their power bills have stayed the same or only marginally dropped. Each of the cases involved installations by Modern Solar, which has blamed Energex meters for the problems. One customer said he had estimated it would take 190 years to recoup the cost of the installation, when he was promised it would take 13 years in a worst-case scenario. Energex said it was aware of the problem but, despite repeated testing of various installations, could not pinpoint the cause. Energy Ombudsman Barry Adams said there had been a rise in complaints from people unhappy with their savings. He said it appeared some companies had "over-exaggerated" the savings. Mr Adams had raised the issue with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and Queensland's Office of Fair Trading. |
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GWatPE Senior Member Joined: 01/09/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2127 |
The savings rely heavily on changes to usage patterns for maximum returns, and the figs quoted by installers commonly use these figs. I have even heard the excuse that the old meter must have under read, so you paid less for all these years. Now the meter reads correctly. I don't think you could live off the savings. Brucedownunder2 should pay off his install in a year. Solar goes further than just $ savings. Being more aware of wasted consumption, and finding ways to reduce it is where the biggest savings will come. Gordon. become more energy aware |
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| brucedownunder2 Guru Joined: 14/09/2005 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1548 |
Yes, I'm one of the lucky ones ,,at $355 for 1 Kw plus 3 free usage meters it was good deal. I'm getting around 3 Kw per day , and my big saving is being carefull of whats not necessary to be on. My workshop generally works off my 300 watts of "other" solar panels . I'll certainly re install the 1 Kw onto a tracker,which will make a heck of a difference. Solar hot water is a very big saver,if you can get a decent rebate. Bruce Bushboy |
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| michael Regular Member Joined: 06/12/2008 Location: AustraliaPosts: 40 |
we had a sunny day in melbourne today, still cold but my 1kw produced 4.6kw today so not bad. Thats what the sunnyt boy tells me anyway. |
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