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SILICON SILIC CHIP www.siliconchip.com.au Publisher Leo Simpson, B.Bus., FAICD Editor Nicholas Vinen Technical Editor John Clarke, B.E.(Elec.) Technical Staff Jim Rowe, B.A., B.Sc Bao Smith, B.Sc Tim Blythman, B.E., B.Sc Technical Contributor Duraid Madina, B.Sc, M.Sc, PhD Art Director & Production Manager Ross Tester Reader Services Ann Morris Advertising Enquiries Glyn Smith Phone (02) 9939 3295 Mobile 0431 792 293 glyn<at>siliconchip.com.au Regular Contributors Dave Thompson David Maddison B.App.Sc. (Hons 1), PhD, Grad.Dip.Entr.Innov. Geoff Graham Associate Professor Graham Parslow Ian Batty Cartoonist Brendan Akhurst Silicon Chip is published 12 times a year by Silicon Chip Publications Pty Ltd. ACN 003 205 490. ABN 49 003 205 490. All material is copyright ©. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher. Subscription rates: $105.00 per year, post paid, in Australia. For overseas rates, see our website or email silicon<at>siliconchip.com.au Editorial office: Unit 1 (up ramp), 234 Harbord Rd, Brookvale, NSW 2100. Postal address: PO Box 139, Collaroy Beach, NSW 2097. Phone (02) 9939 3295. E-mail: silicon<at>siliconchip.com.au ISSN 1030-2662 Recommended & maximum price only. Editorial Viewpoint Don’t be ripped off by your smart meter AS I AM SURE you well know, the cost of electricity for Australian consumers is among the highest in the world, which is a huge change from a decade ago when our electricity was among the cheapest. This is not a problem that will be solved easily or quickly but there are some things you can do to minimise the size of your quarterly bill. You can shop around and get significant “discounts” if you switch to a different provider and pay your bills on time. Even if you don’t want to switch, you may still be able to get the discount. When your current contract expires, shop around and find the best offer available to you, then contact your existing electricity provider and tell them you’re going to switch because you were offered a better rate. They may well be able to match it or even do better. Even that result can leave a bad taste because if they’re prepared to offer you a discount when you threaten to switch suppliers, that means they have been overcharging you. But even with the discount, depending on the size of your home and your heating/cooling needs, your family could still be paying many hundreds of dollars a month. So what can you do about it? First and foremost, you must know how much you are paying and how much power your appliances use. If you have a “smart meter” (whether you wanted one or not), you are likely subject to a much higher tariff during peak periods (usually in the evening) than if you did not have a smart meter, although that is offset to some extent with a lower tariff during off-peak periods (usually late at night and in the morning). The difference between the peak and off-peak tariffs can be huge. One of our staff members cites his latest electricity bill with a peak tariff of 59.4c/kWh, compared with an off-peak rate of 16.5c/kWh (both including GST). So if you can arrange for your most power-hungry appliances to run at off-peak times, you could make significant savings. But you need to be aware at all times just what the tariff is. The Tariff Super Clock project in this issue means you don’t have to note the time and then mentally consider the tariff. It’s displayed on the clock at all times so you know just how much you are paying for power at any given time, to help you make informed decisions. And other members of your household can also see the rate so there is no excuse for them to be careless of this aspect. Of course, you can’t always avoid using power when the peak tariff is in effect. They call this peak time because that’s when demand is the highest, partly because it’s around dinner time when you are likely to be cooking and partly because it’s around sunset, when people with full-time jobs usually get home and switch on the lights, TV and other appliances. But if you can run the dishwasher in the morning or late at night and set up your pool pump to run during the off-peak or shoulder periods you can save significant amounts of money, with very little inconvenience. By the way, if you are presently paying a relatively low flat rate for electricity and are considering installing a solar system, just remember that any grid feed-in tariff will be overwhelmed by the much larger time-of-day tariffs that will be applicable because you will have a mandatory smart meter. In fact, depending on your usage and the size of the feed-in tariff, you may not be any better off overall. Look before you leap! Printing and Distribution: Nicholas Vinen Derby Street, Silverwater, NSW 2148. 2 Silicon Chip Australia’s electronics magazine siliconchip.com.au