🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <25675@cup.portal.com> Dick@cup.portal.com (dick a wotiz) writes:
>You probably won't want to build a meter that will be accurate enough
>with an inductive load like a refrigerator.  But I've seen surplus
>real electric meters (like the one on the side of the house)

Do the utility meters on the average house measure true watts or only current?
I have always assumed they measured watts, but when I think of it now, why
shouldn't the utility charge by the amp? It seems as if the utility
charging for "amp-hours", rather than for watt-hours, would be in THEIR best
interest.

Utilities provide financial incentives for raising the power factor of the load
of industrial companies.  I have always assumed that the industries get
charged for "amp-hours".

Do household and industrial customers get metered differently in this regard?

-- 
   Rich Fanning			|	"Thinking is more interesting than
{uunet,sun,well}!island!rich    |   	 knowing, but not so interesting as
				|	 looking"	- Goethe