Performance of advanced meters: Effects of different temperatures and loading conditions on meter accuracy

An accurate electricity usage measurement is vital to utility company operations and customer relations. Electromechanical meters have long been used as the standard for reliable recording of customer usage. However, the process of manual meter readings and the age of some of the meters that are currently in use present possibilities of inaccuracies in determining customer electricity usage. Advanced meters are essential parts of electric utility system modernization in the transition to a smart grid. Accuracy enhancement of the meter reading is the primary driver for smart meter deployment in the United States. This paper provides a statistical analysis of the meter accuracy results for a variety of test loads and conditions for an actual electric utility company. The work presents an independent third party accuracy testing of samples of residential electromechanical and advanced meters. The ANSI standard as well as the more stringent accuracy class performance criteria of ±0.2% are used to evaluate the electric meter performance. Effects of different temperatures and loading conditions on meter accuracy are investigated based on the test results.