Electricity metering
As a rule, electricity meters are read once a year.
- General distribution service customers have single-rate meters which meter the total energy consumption.
- Time-of-day distribution service customers have two-rate meters which separately meter the consumption of daytime and night-time energy.
- Power distribution service customers have power metering, which not only meters the consumption of daytime and night-time energy, but also active power and reactive power. Hourly metering is required of electricity consumption sites of more than 63 A, the electricity purchasing of which is put out to competitive tender, or the connection contract for which has been concluded after 1 January 2005 and the annual consumption of which exceeds 5,000 kWh.
- The hourly metering requirement is based on section 5 a of the Electricity Market Decree. For hourly metering purposes, the consumption site shall be equipped with hourly metering equipment and a data line.
Mitox Oy carries out invoicing-related metering and metering required by free electricity trading for Helen Sähköverkko Oy. In addition to this, Mitox Oy visits customers in Helen Sähköverkko Oy’s area of operation, when alterations to contracts are needed.
Remote reading
There are approx. 150,000 electricity meters connected to the remote reading system in Helsinki (June 2010). In addition to the places of electricity use that have hourly and power metering, also the areas of Katajanokka, Pakila, Paloheinä and Maununneva are connected to the remote reading system. Installations continue to be carried out in the centre of Helsinki.
Remotely read meters make it possible to transfer the reading data by a remote connection. This means that the meter reader will no longer call at the customer to read the meter, nor does the customer have to report readings. The customer is informed about replacement of a meter three days in advance, and no costs will result from the replacement.
Heating control
Helsinki residents’ heat-storing heaters, set to function during the night, always switch on at the same time, when the low night-time rate becomes valid. On weekdays, this takes place at 8 p.m. at customer sites which use time-of-day electricity. In electrically heated buildings, the service water accumulator and floor heating systems are usually set to function during the night.
