What is an alternating current meter?
An AC meter is a measuring device that measures the electricity consumption of a household over a defined period of time, on the two-pole connection of phase and neutral. This consumption is expressed in kilowatt hours. With electricity meters, energy suppliers and customers know exactly how much electricity is being consumed. With fixed basic prices and consumption-based energy prices, accurate cost calculations are possible. To prevent customers from having to transfer different amounts for the electricity they use each month, there is an advance payment. This is a monthly debit from the customer's account - as a convenient part of the payment. An adjustment is made annually: if the customer pays more in advance than they actually use, the excess is credited to their electricity bill. If the customer spends more, the difference is charged. In this way, the payment on the account becomes closer and closer to the actual electricity consumption.
Difference between alternating current meter and three-phase meter
Whether three-phase or alternating current meters, both measure electricity consumption when connected to the appropriate grid connection. However, the difference between the two meters also lies precisely here in the connection. Basically, an AC meter differs from a three-phase meter only in that it is limited to one phase. That is, it only measures the energy transfer on bipolar connections consisting of phase and neutral. In contrast, a three-phase meter can measure the energy flow on the three-phase and neutral conductors at the same time. In principle, it can also be used to measure energy in single-phase AC connections. However, this is often impractical due to the high cost of instrumentation. It turns out that an AC meter is the cheaper and calibrated option. They are powered by alternating current and are also suitable as intermediate meters. This allows indoor measurements of houses and apartments. An AC meter measures only one phase, while a three-phase meter measures three phases.
Tested safety
Three-phase and alternating current meters are used as calibrated meters for house or apartment connections. You can also switch them as intermediate meters in your home to better track electricity consumption in different areas. Many people wonder how accurate three-phase and alternating current meters are. Here we can be sure: very accurate! Even with older purely mechanical models, the accuracy is very high. This has also been confirmed by the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB). Electricity meters are calibrated according to strict regulations before they are put into operation, and installed electricity meters are also checked regularly. In addition, they are replaced by newer models every 16 years at the latest as a precaution.