Electricity Meter

[chris_j_hunter]

Our utility company has told us they want to replace our electricity meter, a digital one, it having been in for ten years ...

so wondered if there might be any point in asking the guys to leave the old one for us to dispose of when they do it ... if they will ... and if it might be of use to us as a power-meter for our Idratek install to make use of ??

wonder, too, if there'll be any choice of what they put in for the new one ... maybe they're all the same, but maybe one could be better for feeding Idratek with data than another ??

Any thoughts, any experience, please ! ??

[toscal]

There is a piece of software that requires a webcam to look at the flashing LED you now get on most modern meters. The pulses relate to kWh consumed. And all the software does is count the flashes.

http://www.wordpress-1219309-4387497.cloudwaysapps.com/New-Products/Webcam-Works-Out-Your-Energy-Consumption.html

Another option could be to make a small flashing light detector, probably a modified light detector circuit would work well. Possibly one with a sensitivity adjustment. Then I guess you could connect the output of this to Idratek.
Have a look here for light sensing kits

http://www.quasarelectronics.com/sensing-devices.htm