Energy Power Meters and Counters

Electricity meters are installed to keep track of the electricity used. They are installed in private homes, apartments, factories - you can find them everywhere. The accuracy of the electricity meter determines the energy used, as well as the financial calculation, so it is advisable to choose a meter with MID certification, which ensures that the electricity meter is accurate and suitable for electricity billing.

Operating principle of an energy meter.

The design and type of electricity meter determines its operating principle. It can be divided into two types:

• Mechanical or induction electricity meter.

  The basic elements of this type of meter are two current-carrying coils and an aluminium disc connected by a gear to the metering mechanism. The coils are energised and form a magnetic field which turns the disc by the force of an electric motor. Each revolution of the disc is recorded by a counting mechanism, where the number of revolutions of the disc is proportional to the energy consumed.

• Electric power meter.

  The design of these meters includes a converter, a microcontroller and a counting mechanism with a display. The converter receives an analogue signal which is converted to a pulse signal and sent to the microcontroller. There, the value of the current consumed is calculated from the data and displayed numerically on a display. And the data is stored in the meter's internal memory.

Meter classification.

Electricity meters can be divided into several categories, which essentially determine their application. They can be divided into:

By number of phases.

• Single-phase electricity meters.

  These meters are used in 220V mains. This is basically in private houses, apartments, public buildings.

• Three-phase electricity meters.

  These meters are used in 380V mains and are mainly used in factory premises.

By connection method.

• Directly connected to the grid.
• Connected through a current transducer. This type of connection is used when the rated current in the mains exceeds the current intended for the device.

5 steps in choosing an energy meter.

To choose the right energy meter for your needs, please contact our experts or you can take a look at these recommendations:

1. Accuracy. Expresses the percentage of measurement error.
2. Communication port and protocol. There are different communication interfaces such as M-BUS, ModBUS and there are meters without a communication port.
3. Certification. First of all, the meter has to comply with CE certification and if billing is planned, the meter needs to be MID certified.
4. Connection type. How the electricity meter is connected - direct circuit or through a power strip.
5. Type of electricity to be metered. The electricity to be measured or metered may be active or reactive. Active energy is the actual energy consumed by the appliances, while reactive energy is that which is lost, for example in heat rejection.

We have a wide selection of quality tested SENECA electricity meters and network analysers. Most of the products listed are available immediately at our office / shop. Here you can even get professional advice on choosing the right product.