Power line carrier as a communications medium for remote metering

The Water Industry Act of 1991 has decreed that the traditional method of charging customers based on the rateable value of premises must be replaced by the year 2000. The suitability of metering as a means of charging by electricity and gas suppliers has never been questioned, and now it is receiving serious consideration by the water industry. If it chooses to adopt this solution, there is a unique opportunity to implement remote metering through the selection of suitable communications right from the start. The choice of communications for remote metering purposes will depend on a number of factors, some technical, others commercial. This paper examines the technical issues associated with the use of power line carrier (PLC) technology as a medium for remote metering.