Transforming the Ferraris disc meter into a key element in an automated meter reading system

World markets are heavily populated with single-phase Ferraris disc electricity meters installed to measure energy usage against simple tariff structures accurately over many years. For important reasons (such as demand side management requiring multi-rate, time-of-use tariffs, remote communication and the complexities of competitive supply) there is a growing interest in intelligent forms of domestic electricity metering. In the privatised UK electricity supply market, uncertainties remain about the possible form of single-phase metering in 1998 and beyond. The Regional Electricity Companies wish to plan for the final phase of deregulation but do not wish to invest in what could be inappropriate technology or meter designs. The purpose of this paper is to describe how these meters can in situ, and without de-certification be transformed into the key source of information in any one of a number of automated meter reading systems. The paper is divided into three sections: (1) a simple and elegant mechanical design to fit over the majority of meters already installed in the UK; (2) the sophisticated and patented technology used for the detection of disk rotation; and (3) two possible technologies used for automatic meter reading.