Mark Willis wrote:

> My understanding's that the power company doesn't charge you for
> REACTIVE loading, just real power you use, for regular consumers.

  The story goes ... that the electricity supplier doesn't like you to
have a capacitive ("leading") phase angle because the electricity meter
isn't calibrated for this condition and will under-read, even run
backward if the phase angle is severely capacitive!

  Obviously this applies only to the traditional motor-based power
meters and not electronic ones (when/ if they are deployed).

  I find it quite plausible since these are obviously based on a motor
whose directional torque is generated by a phase-shifting mechanism.
The big visible aluminIum disc is not the motor but the "drag" disc
between two large magnets.
--
  Cheers,
        Paul B.