domestic power meter question

Thread Starter

gehan_s

Joined Sep 17, 2012
38
hey all,

in a domestic electricity meter do they measure active power or apparent power ????

are they billing us for the apparent power or active power ???

thank you !!!!!!!!!
 

Audioguru

Joined Dec 20, 2007
11,248
At home you are not billed extra for a poor power factor. You are billed for true power (active power).
Industry is billed extra for a poor power factor. They are billed for apparent power.

The inductance of an appliance causes its true power (active power) to be less than its apparent power.
The gadjet that is sold to save money at home on your electricity bill is just a useless very over-priced capacitor that does not change your electricity bill.
 

Audioguru

Joined Dec 20, 2007
11,248
Have a read of this it may enlighten your mind,


http://standby.iea-4e.org/files/otherfiles/0000/0059/PowerFactorBasics.pdf

If you think of ac power as a right angled triangle,the bigger the angle the more waste. the closer the Hypotenuse is to the Adjacent side the less wasted power your paying for!!
The article forgot to say that it is talking about an industrial site that uses a lot more very powerful inductive motors and transformers than my entire neighbourhood!

My utility doesn't bother measuring the slight increase in the current in the power lines when my refrigerator or washing machine is running. But when an industrial company has a poor power factor then it is expensive for the utility to increase the generators and power lines for them so they charge them more.
 
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