Rota Load Blocks

[Paddy]

When electricity sells at a negative price
France has already experienced 118 hours of negative prices in 2023. A record. This is due to electricity production exceeding demand, particularly due to renewable energies such as wind or solar power, which cannot be stored.

https://www.lemonde.fr/economie/arti...5649_3234.html

[vetran]

That's blatant teasing and just when I've mislaid my doll!!!

I didn't know you lived in Warwick?

[Gibbon]

I think I'm slightly smelly...

That's blatant teasing and just when I've mislaid my doll!!!

[cojak]

The problem is that the marketing premise of a smart meter is technically a lie. Smart meters DO NOT save you money. You can't expect to get one fitted and start seeing your bills reduce. What they do is tell you how much energy you're using in a more user friendly way so can see what it costs to boil a kettle or run the tumble dryer. It helps you make informed decisions about your energy usage.

That and it enables your energy provider to cut off your supply should you so much as sneeze in the wrong direction and they decide you're no longer worthy of having electricity.

Absolutely, there is no consumer benefit at all, in fact it costs electricity to keep the stupid monitor running all the time.

We hardly look at it, we know that having fewer kettles and showers on will cost us less.

So I'm sitting here drinking cold drinks and I think I'm slightly smelly...

[ladymuck]

The problem is that the marketing premise of a smart meter is technically a lie. Smart meters DO NOT save you money. You can't expect to get one fitted and start seeing your bills reduce. What they do is tell you how much energy you're using in a more user friendly way so can see what it costs to boil a kettle or run the tumble dryer. It helps you make informed decisions about your energy usage.

That and it enables your energy provider to cut off your supply should you so much as sneeze in the wrong direction and they decide you're no longer worthy of having electricity.

[SueEllen]

Just heard a British Gas advert to encourage their customers to use more energy in off-peak times with a discount. Obviously you need a smart meter.

Only problem is that the government hasn't been very good in encouraging people to get one or as the Telegraph puts it "Smart meters benefit wealthy old men the most"
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/ne...ters-replaced/

https://www.theguardian.com/business...meter-benefits

The delayed smart energy meter rollout has failed to meet its targets because ministers have not done enough to convince households of their benefits, according to the public accounts committee (PAC).

The government watchdog called on ministers to set out how they plan to convince the public to take up a smart meter after a “troubled” rollout that began in 2011.

The committee has also urged the government to disclose the costs of the programme, which are ultimately paid for through energy bills, in a report to parliament every year.

The government has pushed back the date by which it hoped that all homes and businesses would have a smart meter three times since it first proposed a deadline of 2019. It currently hopes to reach about 75% of homes and 70% of small businesses by 2025.

[vetran]

put money into hurricane lamps!

Yes rolling blackouts are on the way. Plenty of things should have been done.

1. Hydrogen from wind/wave etc power to limit gas usage (Vlad's gas is pricey).
2. Economy X options to shift load to overnight.
3. Build some nuclear power stations.
4. Energy star style initiatives more aggressive.
5. Switch from gas to hydrogen for industry.
6. overhaul the grid its nearly 100 years old.

Oddly South Africa had this a decade ago and everyone bought UPS by the truckload, just like Iraq.

They had an excuse.

[ladymuck]

I learned a new thing today so am sharing because it's good to share.

I noticed the term 'Rota Load Block Alpha Identifier' on my latest energy bill, with the letter N next to it. I wondered what that was and this site gives a pretty decent answer, I think: https://lastmile-uk.com/check-what-r...ck-you-are-in/

In the unlikely event of temporary disconnections of customers in an emergency, this would happen on a rotating basis based on ‘blocks’ of customers, to ensure that overall customer supplies are protected equally and fairly.

Each customer ‘block’ is identified by a letter from A to U which indicates where your property is connected to the electricity system.

It goes on to show examples of the letter as it is displayed on different suppliers' bills (some look more helpful than others) along with examples of how a rolling disconnection could be scheduled.