Problems with off-peak hours definition

  • BCM454's Avatar
    Level 4
    @geoffers Thanks, again! I feel a little bit like I am entering the ALCS conversation at chapter 3. Reference was made to a 5 terminal meter concept but I freely admit to wondering what all 5 do! Is there a beginner's guide to the function of terminals 1 to 5? Is it naive to assume 3 of them are Live, neutral and earth? What's 4 and what's 5?

    DCC must be electricity supplier/setter of the tariff times but what do the letters stand for, please?

    Only once in the whole 18 months I spoke to an absolute star at Eon, who understood and knew things. She was the one who found in 5 mins how I had been overcharged over 2000kWh in 2024, when I thought itworth asking her after everyone else dismissed my claim. I wish I could recall her name to get hold of her again!

    On the back of all this, I emailed Kaifa (my meter manufacturer), again, to ask for a manual. I assume its trade only but if I can get one, I can see if the tariff times are displayable, and likewise for the randomised time offset and perhaps find an ALCS setting. Here's hoping!
  • BCM454's Avatar
    Level 4
    ...I wondered whether a lecturer at a tech college might know this level of detail about domestic electricity meters? ...then all I need do is find one to ask...
  • geoffers's Avatar
    Level 48
    @BCM454 - no problem : I've just picked all this stuff up from following this forum.

    1) A normal meter has 4 terminals -
    • 2 = live and neutral in from the supply
    • 2 = Live & neutral out to the consumer unit.
    2) A 5 terminal meter has a 5th terminal which is the Live wire powering the Auxiliary Control circuit, and switched on via the timings in the ALCS calendar

    (I have also discovered that a 4-terminal meter like mine can use an ALCS calendar, but this needs to connect to an external relay which switches the Auxiliary circuit on, rather than being contained within the meter itself)

    3) DCC is the centralised Data Communication Company who are the intermediate "portal" between the energy suppliers who set the tariffs & bill us (plus other parties) and the customers (us), and who coordinate all the connections/security etc in the Smart metering system

    This schematic shows the links between the various entities
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    Last edited by geoffers; 1 Day Ago at 15:42.