According to my electricity supplier, I’m supposed to use my heavy appliances (washer/dryer/dishwasher/a/c) mostly at night for several reasons. One, touting it is in my best interest, is that electric rates are much cheaper at night.
I went out and looked at my standard elec meter. It basically has a wheel and a “odometer.”
When the bill comes, it is just “last month minus this month,” separated by several rate tables times the rate and summed up.
Looking at this, I can not figure out how the heck they can tell how much electricty I use during peak times vs. how much I use aduring the lower night-time rates.
I considered a clock in the meter itself, somehow, which might “slow” down the wheel that clicks off the odometer, but that would be a “discount” taken at the meter itself vs. the power company actually having a night-time usage number to multiply by the lower rate.
How does the meter-reading-man tell, when looking at my meter how much of the electricity used was at any specific time or usage rate period?
No clock, just the power company estimates you usage based on the actual amounts of power supplied to your area during peak/off peak times - for everybody.
Some places you can pay to upgrade your meter to a digital model whihc would allow you to pay actuall peak/ off peak rates for your usage.
Also aroung here the difference is about 3/4 of a cent between peak/ off peak.
Most residential meters are just one reading to the next.
However, a small number do take readings based on 15-minute intervals. That information is extracted into the hand-held computers with a special connector. It’s then used by various departments for load analysis and forecasting.
Unless you have specifically asked for a special “time-of-use” rate, or they have installed a special “interval recording meter,” they don’t know about your specific use.
As an aside, I’d like to mention that in Florida where my parents live, there is a device connected to their electric water heater. Apparently FP&L can turn off the water heater in times of high demand to allow more power for air conditioners and such. They get a slightly reduced rate for allowing this.