Electric Meter

[mdechgan]

Currently I have a 15A/45A meter. My bill averages around 1500 baht per month or about 400 units. I have been talking to my neighbors and they recommend 30A/100A because they said my bill is rather quite high. My other neighbor uses a 3 phase 30A/100A system and he says his bill is actually lower than mine.

I was wondering if it is worth it to upgrade my meter to a 30A or even a 3 phase system. I have 35 sqmm main wires to my house but I will need to add an isolator and increase my breaker to 100A.

If i upgrade to a 30A/100A meter I have to pay about 9000 baht. Not including the cost of an electrician because I have no way of adding an isolator or changing the breaker because I don't have a main power cutoff. The main go directly to my main breaker box. If I add an isolator or increase my breaker that means I have to disconnect and cut live main wires which might be kinda dangerous unless I wear rubber gloves or something.

Is it worth it to get a meter upgrade or switch to a 3 phase system? Would my bill be lower? I thought you pay for what you lose but my meter does seem to be running kinda fast. I think I am losing or wasting energy because my meter might be kinda small.

[InterestedObserver]

Unless you turn something off you are not going to consume less kWh. The meter size does not determine how many kWh you use. Is the meter currently overloaded by any chance? You may have too much load for your electrical installation.

Edited February 11, 2010 by InterestedObserver

[mdechgan]

Some parts of the day it might get to around 40amps. But usually 15-30 amps normal load.

[InterestedObserver]

I guess the meter would be turning kind of fast during the day. Are you wasting energy, no - but the meter calibration may be off at full load. A larger meter would certainly be appropriate, I'll let others more familiar with Thai installations comment.

Edited February 11, 2010 by InterestedObserver

[mdechgan]

That is what I am afraid of. At over 15 amps I am afraid that the calibration might be off. If i use 30 amps I would think the 30 amp meter would be more accurate than the 15 amp meter.

[Crossy]

I doubt your meter is reading far out as you're not overloading a 15/45 at 40A unless it's actually faulty.

These old mechanical meters are pretty robust, my in-laws had a 5/15 that was regularly run at 30A+ with no noticeable ill-effects (no smoke) but I'm saying nothing about the 'fuse' they had installed.

I don't believe there is a tariff change either. To be honest, unless you're regularly pulling over 40A I wouldn't bother apart from maybe asking MEA/PEA to check the meter.

We're on a 15/45 and our bill is invariably around 2500 Baht, we pull nothing like 40A at any time

[katabeachbum]

using 400 units a month and never loading 15/45A with more than 40 amp, I see no reason to spend money on changing to larger meter.

If you want to change, simply disconnect powersupply from meter before changing mainbreaker/switch to 100 amp.

Seems normal to have 63 Amp main breaker on 15/45A meter without burning meter. I dont say its ok, I just say these meters are able to carry some load. More than 45 amp load it could measure inaccurate, so you might loose 10 baht a month.

[Jdietz]

Maybe the neighbors want their own phase so they can leech off more?

Anyways with 400 units no need to change a thing, though I would worry about the 40Amp peak (which is over 8KW load), and wonder where that comes from, though if you have 4 large aircon units you can manage that at peak I guess..

[katabeachbum]

Maybe the neighbors want their own phase so they can leech off more?

Anyways with 400 units no need to change a thing, though I would worry about the 40Amp peak (which is over 8KW load), and wonder where that comes from, though if you have 4 large aircon units you can manage that at peak I guess..

fridge and 2 hotwatershowers is 35-40 amp peak

[mdechgan]

If you want to change, simply disconnect powersupply from meter before changing mainbreaker/switch to 100 amp.

How do you do that? I don't see any disconnects and working with live wires doesn't seems safe to me.

I don't even see any fuses on the pole.

[mdechgan]

Maybe the neighbors want their own phase so they can leech off more?

Anyways with 400 units no need to change a thing, though I would worry about the 40Amp peak (which is over 8KW load), and wonder where that comes from, though if you have 4 large aircon units you can manage that at peak I guess..

Three a/c units 12,000 but. 2 water heaters, 18 cu/foot fridge, 2 t.v. sets, and a water pump. Sometimes I use my clothes dryer. However I try not to use all at one time. Only when my family visits from overseas. But usually we only use 1 a/c, 1 water heater, 1 tv set.

[katabeachbum]

If you want to change, simply disconnect powersupply from meter before changing mainbreaker/switch to 100 amp.

How do you do that? I don't see any disconnects and working with live wires doesn't seems safe to me.

I don't even see any fuses on the pole.

use a rubber handle scewdriver, take cover off meter and loosen screws holding cables going to house. disconnected.

I prefer to use a uni grip with rubberhandles to hold the cables, cause insulation may be damaged

just like the electic company guys do every month someone doesnt pay their bill

[katabeachbum]

Maybe the neighbors want their own phase so they can leech off more?

Anyways with 400 units no need to change a thing, though I would worry about the 40Amp peak (which is over 8KW load), and wonder where that comes from, though if you have 4 large aircon units you can manage that at peak I guess..

Three a/c units 12,000 but. 2 water heaters, 18 cu/foot fridge, 2 t.v. sets, and a water pump. Sometimes I use my clothes dryer. However I try not to use all at one time. Only when my family visits from overseas. But usually we only use 1 a/c, 1 water heater, 1 tv set.

you could face much more than 40 amp peak here if 3 ac is cooling same time 2 hotwaters, probably like 60amp, dryer ad 10amp, but you r still fine with 15/45 Amp meter

one of my houses has 6 x 13btu ac, electric oven, micro, hotwaterwashingmachine, one hotwtershower, poolpump, waterpump, large fridge, tvs, garden lights. works fine with 15/45amp to 63 amp main breakers. should have upgraded, but since its rented out and everyone is happy I dont bother

Edited February 11, 2010 by katabeachbum

[lopburi3]

I have the same 15/45 meter and normal bill of between 6-9,000 baht per month so at 1,500 baht do not believe you are overloading anything.

[Crossy]

For those of a slightly technical bent here is a typical trip curve for an MCB.

It's fairly clear that a 63A MCB (typical on a 15/45 supply) is quite happy at 71A pretty well forever, and at between 71A and 91A could take up to an hour (3600 seconds) to trip.

Even at 126A it's going to take between 10 and 120 seconds to drop out.

So don't fret about short-term overloads, it's not all going to come crashing down at 63.1A

[InterestedObserver]

It amazes me, 40, 50 even 60 amps routinely on a kWh meter rated for 15 (15/45) amps. I acknowledge the overload factor, but it's still a 15 amp kWh meter.

[mdechgan]

If you want to change, simply disconnect powersupply from meter before changing mainbreaker/switch to 100 amp.

How do you do that? I don't see any disconnects and working with live wires doesn't seems safe to me.

I don't even see any fuses on the pole.

use a rubber handle scewdriver, take cover off meter and loosen screws holding cables going to house. disconnected.

I prefer to use a uni grip with rubberhandles to hold the cables, cause insulation may be damaged

just like the electic company guys do every month someone doesnt pay their bill

Isn't there a tamper proof wire on the cover? If I cut it doesn't the MEA get mad that I have tampered with the meter?

[longball53098]

Tamperproof or not I would not recommend "you" changing the Electric companies meter with one you purchased. The meter is not a problem here.

[katabeachbum]

Tamperproof or not I would not recommend "you" changing the Electric companies meter with one you purchased. The meter is not a problem here.

my advice was on how to be able to replace mainswitch without working with live wires.

its illegal to replace PEA meter or even disconnect the supply to it. Its legal to disconnect your own cables (going to your house)

but again OP, no need to upgrade your 15/45 meter with your loads. your peakloads consist primarely of compressors and hotwater, which not often run same time. you would basicly have to start all ac in hot rooms and two hotshowers at the same time to reach peak, and it would not last for more than a few minutes.

[Gary A]

I think my original meter was a 5-15. I built a new workshop/garage and have welders and other power equipment. The electrician who wired my workshop said the 5-15 would probably still be Okay and if it wasn't it would be an easy thing to buy a bigger meter. Since I had new heavier wires run from the old meter, I insisted on having a bigger meter. I now have the 15-45. I only have one air conditioner in the house. The new meter made no difference as far as my monthly bill. If I have a heavy welding project, the max bill I have ever had was 1,600 baht. Normally it is about 1,100 baht.