Smart meter!

If you have solar panels but you do not have a smart meter, you do get the satisfaction of knowing you are contributing to making the world be powered in a slightly more renewable way. But if you want to actually pay less for your energy than you did before the solar panels, you need a smart meter. I had told my energy provider in all sorts of ways I needed one, but nothing had happened. But when my first bill came in, and it was as high as the previous one even though I had produced an awful lot more than I had used, I got in touch again, and given that I was challenging their bill, they started paying attention. And not much later I got a phone call in which they proposed a date for installing the smart meter.

The day came, and the installer arrived. He asked me to remove a plank I had improvised in the little cupboard where my electricity meter lived. But when that was done he could just do his thing. And less than two hours later he switched my electricity back on. It was done!

Before he got stuck in

Finished!

It was not a big intervention, but now I finally have my solar panels acknowledged. And I can see my energy use. Surprise surprise; boiling water for coffee or tea is responsible for pretty much all the peaks in my usage. 

I decided to keep the little monitor that shows me my usage inside the cupboard, which is normally closed. I don't like such modern things in view in my living room! And that does mean I don't keep a close eye on it, but I can look up my usage whenever I want. And I am now quite curious to see what my next energy bill will be! I will be one of the few people who sees their bill go down in this period…

A spike for breakfast and a spike for coming home out of the field! Picture taken after a few days since installation…