Working principle of wireless smart meter

Wireless smart meter: How does the "electricity manager" at home work?

Are you curious every time you pay your electricity bill: how can the power company accurately know how much electricity your home is using without the need for a meter reader to come to your door? The 'hero' behind this is the wireless smart meter. It is not like a traditional electricity meter that only records numbers, but more like an "electricity manager" that can automatically measure, transmit data, and interact remotely. Below, we will discuss its working principle from three core aspects.

1、 Measurement core: Accurately calculate each kilowatt hour like an "electronic scale"

The measuring core of smart meters is equivalent to installing a "precise electronic scale" for current measurement. After the household appliances are powered on, the current will flow through the special coil in the electric meter, which will generate a weak electromagnetic signal. The chip inside the electric meter will "capture" these signals and convert changes in current and voltage into numbers - just like when weighing something with a scale, the weight is turned into numbers on the display screen.

For example, when you turn on the air conditioner and the current increases, the electromagnetic signal of the coil becomes stronger, and the chip will "calculate" that the power consumption is faster at this time; After turning off the air conditioning, the signal weakens and the metering speed slows down. Compared to traditional electricity meters, it has smaller errors and can accurately record even low-power electricity consumption such as mobile phone charging, without any "inaccurate" situations.

2、 Data collection and transmission: Electricity consumption data is automatically transmitted to the power company

After measuring the electricity consumption data, the smart meter needs to "send" the data - this step relies on wireless transmission function. It has a built-in wireless module similar to a mobile phone, which can automatically send daily electricity consumption, usage time, and other information to the power company's system through a dedicated power network (similar to home WiFi, but more stable).

For example, if you use a washing machine or water heater at home at night, the electricity meter will record the electricity consumption in real time. When the electricity consumption is low in the early morning, it will package and send the data "while it is not busy". You don't have to wait for the meter reader to come to your house like before. The power company can receive your electricity consumption data every day, avoiding the problems of "estimated reading" and "missed reading".

3、 Remote interaction: mobile phones can handle payment and electricity usage checks

The most convenient feature is still the remote interaction function. The smart meter is connected to the power company's system and your mobile app: when you check the electricity consumption on your phone, the data comes from real-time information uploaded by the meter; After paying the electricity bill, the system will immediately notify the electricity meter, so there is no need to worry about "power outage reminders".

For example, in summer, if you want to see how much electricity the air conditioner uses, you can open the app and see "Today's electricity consumption is 10 kWh, of which the air conditioner uses 6 kWh"; If you forget to turn off your appliances when going out, some smart meters can also be linked to smart homes to remotely remind you of power outages. Even power companies offering "off peak electricity discounts" can remotely push information through electricity meters to help you save on electricity bills.

Nowadays, the majority of households across the country are using wireless smart meters. It not only makes paying electricity bills more convenient, but also helps us develop the habit of saving electricity - when you see "Yesterday's electricity consumption was 5 degrees more than the day before" on the app, you may pay attention to turning off unused appliances. This small 'electricity butler' is quietly changing our electricity lifestyle.