> > >Incidentally, is power factor correction (PFC) a Good Thing
> > >for the user (ie. does the meter go round less for a given
> > >power used) or for the supplier (the meter goes round more)?

> > For a home user, it's only good for the supplier, since the average
> home
> > electricity meter does not measure power factor.  The home owner
> probably
> > doesn't care either way, he gets no financial gain for presenting a
> good  > PF.

> The old disc type meter only measured current regardless of voltage

Not true AFAIK - certainly not here in the antipodes. .
Disk meters measure true power subject to their design accuracy, which is
reasonably good.
Power factor is value-neutral for a home user BUT is value negative for the
supplier. ie the home user pays for power regardless of power factor but the
supplier has to supply "wattless current" if the power factor is not unity.

Domestic loads are traditionally predominantly resistive (heating,
incandescent lighting) with a smaller component from eg refrigerator motors.
Industrial loads are liable to have a higher inductive component due to eg
motors being a significant part of the load.

        RM

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