POWER SUPPLY CONTROL DEVICE AND ASSOCIATED METHOD

Abstract

Specifically disclosed are a method and implementation device for controlling the power supply of a second group of devices comprising at least one device (110), the method being implemented by a device (100) comprising a first processor (101) adapted to perform power consumption measurements, a second processor (102), and a switching device (104) controlled by the second processor to start or stop the power supply to the second group, the method comprising: obtaining the total power consumption (203) of a first group of devices and the second group of devices over a period of time, operating in hysteresis mode with power supply cut-off if the total consumption exceeds the first threshold and power supply resumption if the total consumption falls below the second threshold, and repeating the preceding steps over successive periods of time. Figure for the abstract: FIG. 5

Description

Title of the invention: CONTROL DEVICE POWER SUPPLY AND ASSOCIATED METHOD technical field

[0001] The various embodiments described in this disclosure relate to a power supply control device and a method implemented by this device. The disclosed device is particularly suitable for charging an electric vehicle or for supplying power to appliances such as electric heaters or other devices through a single electrical outlet. The device may be an electricity meter.

[0002] BACKGROUND

[0003] Domestic electricity consumption is evolving, particularly due to the emergence of new needs, such as the requirement to charge an electric vehicle. This generates significant consumption over long periods during the day, which can conflict with other types of consumption. Electricity suppliers generally impose a maximum power limit in their contracts. If this maximum power limit is exceeded for a certain period, the subscriber's electricity meter may simply cut off the power supply.

[0004] There is a need to control electricity consumption taking this constraint into account.

[0005] SUMMARY

[0006] A first aspect of this disclosure relates to a method for controlling the power supply of a second group of devices comprising at least one device, the method being implemented by a device comprising a first processor adapted to perform power consumption measurements, a second processor and a switching element controlled by the second processor to start or stop the power supply to the second group, the method comprising:

[0007] - obtaining, by the second processor, the total electrical consumption of a first group of devices and second group of devices for a period of time, the total power consumption being determined by the first processor; the duration of the period of time being less than a maximum duration during which the power demanded by the two groups may be greater than a maximum power to be respected;

[0008] - determining whether total consumption is below a second threshold, and in If so, the closure of the shut-off device to allow the supply of the second group;

[0009] - determining whether total consumption exceeds a first threshold and in If so, the opening of the shut-off device to suspend the supply to the second group;

[0010] - the first threshold being lower than a maximum consumption threshold to be respected for total electricity consumption; the second threshold being lower than the first threshold, the second threshold being higher than a minimum consumption per period over a time interval including a plurality of consecutive periods of the same duration;

[0011] - the reiteration of the previous steps over successive periods of time.

[0012] The present method can be applied to the power supply of any device having a significant consumption (for example greater than or equal to 10%, in relation to the power subscribed over a given period of an electrical installation).

[0013] The minimum margins between, on the one hand, the first threshold and the maximum consumption threshold to be respected, and on the other hand, between the second threshold and the minimum consumption, can be defined to reduce the impact of noise on consumption measurements. It should be noted that, according to certain embodiments, these thresholds, and in particular the first threshold, can be chosen with a larger margin to influence the opening and closing frequency of the shut-off device.

[0014] According to one or more embodiment examples, the maximum consumption is a function of the maximum power to be respected.

[0015] An equivalence is thus established between the subscribed power to be respected and the maximum consumption to be respected, over a period. The subscribed power is expressed in kW and corresponds to the power that must not be exceeded for a certain time – for example, twenty minutes. The maximum energy that can be consumed during this same time is, for its part, expressed in kWh and corresponds to the energy consumed at the maximum power during this same time.

[0016] According to one or more embodiment examples, the first threshold has a unique value.

[0017] According to one or more embodiment examples, the first threshold is a function of the time of day.

[0018] According to one or more embodiments, the method includes assigning to the first threshold a first value (609) for a first electricity tariff based on the time and a second value (610) for a second electricity tariff based on the time, the first tariff being higher than the second tariff and the first value being lower than the second value.

[0019] According to one or more embodiments, the method includes determining the maximum power, Pmax, requested by the second group over said duration, the first threshold and the second threshold being chosen to respect the relationship First Threshold-Second Threshold > Pinax*duration of a period

[0020] According to one or more embodiment examples, the time interval is one day.

[0021] According to one or more embodiments, the second group of devices includes an electric car charger.

[0022] A second aspect of this disclosure relates to a power supply control device for a second group of devices comprising at least one device, the device comprising a first processor adapted to perform power consumption measurements, a second processor, and a switching element controlled by the second processor to start or stop the power supply to the second group, enabling the total power consumption of the first group of devices and a second group of devices to be obtained over a period of time, the duration of the period of time being less than a maximum duration during which the power demanded by the two groups may exceed a maximum power to be respected, the second processor being configured to drive the device to perform:

[0023] determining whether the total consumption is less than a second threshold, and if so, closing the shut-off device to allow the supply of the second group;

[0024] determining whether the total consumption is greater than a first threshold and, if so, opening the shut-off device to suspend the supply to the second group;

[0025] the first threshold being lower than a maximum consumption threshold to be respected for total electrical consumption; the second threshold being lower than the first threshold, the second threshold being higher than a minimum consumption per period over a time interval including a plurality of consecutive periods of the same duration;

[0026] the repetition of the previous steps over successive periods of time.

[0027] According to one or more embodiment examples, the maximum consumption is a function of the maximum power to be respected.

[0028] According to one or more embodiments, the device being an electric meter comprising a circuit breaker controlled by the second processor, the circuit breaker being disposed between a phase input of an electricity supply network and the breaking element, the supply of the first group being made via a phase taken between the circuit breaker and the breaking element, and the supply of the second group being made via a phase at the output of the breaking element.

[0029] According to one or more embodiment examples, the switching element is a power relay.

[0030] According to one or more embodiments, the switching element is connected to the circuit breaker via a measuring shunt.

[0031] According to one or more embodiments, the output of the switching device is configured to be connected to an electrical outlet suitable for connecting the second group of devices.

[0032] According to one or more embodiment examples, the device described above is configured to implement the methods described above.

[0033] Also disclosed is a computer program product comprising instructions which, when executed by at least one processor, cause the implementation of such a method.

[0034] Also disclosed is a computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the implementation of such a method. In one embodiment, the storage medium is non-transient. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0035] The implementation examples will be better understood in the light of the detailed description that follows and the accompanying drawings, which are given for illustrative purposes only and are therefore not limiting to this disclosure.

[0036] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of a counter according to one or more non-limiting embodiment examples.

[0037] Fig. 2 is a graph representing an example of load curves for a subscriber in the case where one of the described methods is not implemented.

[0038] Fig. 3 is a graph representing an example of load curves of a subscriber in the case of the implementation of a method according to a first example of embodiment.

[0039] Fig. 4 is a graph representing an example of load curves of a subscriber in the case of the implementation of a method according to a second example embodiment.

[0040] Fig. 5 is a flowchart of a method according to the first embodiment example.

[0041] The [Fig.6] is a flowchart of a method according to the second embodiment example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] Various embodiments will now be described in more detail, by way of non-limiting examples, with reference to the drawings accompanying this disclosure, which illustrate certain embodiments.

[0043] The specific structural and functional details described herein are non-limiting examples. The embodiments described herein may be subject to various Modifications and alternative forms. The disclosure may be realized in many different forms and should not be interpreted as being limited to the implementations presented herein as illustrative examples. It should be understood that there is no intention to limit the implementations to the specific forms described later in this document.

[0044] According to one or more embodiments, a device and a method for controlling an electrical supply circuit are presented. It should be noted that the control is carried out in real time and ensures that the power subscribed to by the customer to whom the meter is associated is not exceeded for more than a permitted period. Furthermore, prior knowledge of the power demanded in real time by this supply circuit is not required. The device is advantageously an electricity meter or integrated into an electricity meter, but can also be implemented as a separate device, which has access to certain information relating to the total instantaneous electricity consumption of the location concerned, up to a maximum power subscribed to with an electricity supplier.

[0045] According to one or more embodiments, in the context of electricity supply subject to a maximum power consumption constraint, two separate power supply circuits are provided. The first circuit is intended for typical household electricity consumption. The second circuit, which is the power supply circuit that we propose to control using the disclosed methods, is reserved for supplying one or more devices requiring significant power consumption over long periods, for example, a whole day or a large part of the day. This includes charging an electric vehicle or electric heaters. The total consumption through these two circuits overlaps with the maximum power constraint to be respected.Based on one or more implementation examples, the second circuit is planned to be opened and closed according to overall consumption in order to comply with the imposed constraints.

[0046] The opening and closing of the second circuit can be carried out using a switching device such as, for example, a power relay. The switching device is controlled by a suitable processor, which may advantageously be a processor already present in the device for managing the first circuit.

[0047] Overall consumption thresholds are defined for use in hysteresis operation, the second circuit being cut off when overall consumption exceeds a high threshold, the second circuit being closed when consumption falls below a low threshold.

[0048] Thus, priority is given to the consumption of the first circuit. A user will be able to operate their household appliances normally, which are not affected. by opening or closing the second circuit. The power supply for devices with high power consumption and for long periods will be provided intermittently where necessary, which will generally be painless and transparent to the user given the applications of the second circuit.

[0049] The thresholds can be defined manually or automatically according to the embodiment examples and their variants.

[0050] Two embodiments will be described. In the first example, the upper threshold is at a single level throughout the day. Since the upper threshold level impacts the frequency of the second circuit's switching on and off, the inventors propose in the second example to advantageously use this feature to vary the upper threshold level during the day. This variation makes it possible, for example, to adapt to another consumption constraint depending on the time of day, such as the cost of electricity: during peak hours (high-rate hours), the upper threshold will be set at a lower level than during off-peak hours (low-rate hours) to trigger the second circuit to open more frequently and thus reduce charging time during peak hours.

[0051] Figure 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example implementation of a device 100 applicable to both embodiments. It should be noted that the structure presented is for illustrative purposes only, to clarify the subject matter, and that other implementations may be used. According to the example in Figure 1, the device 100 is an electricity meter. In this same example, the meter is single-phase, but the present disclosure can easily be adapted to a multi-phase context, and in particular a three-phase context, by monitoring the overall consumption on one of the phases. The letter 'P' indicates the phase and the letter 'N' indicates the electrical neutral, P and N – without apostrophes – representing the connection to the electricity supplier's network. The meter 100 conventionally includes a metrology processor 101 and a circuit breaker 103. The metrology processor 101 measures currents, voltages, and / or energy consumed.In the example of [Fig.1], these quantities are measured (measurement M1 in [Fig.1]) through a measuring shunt 106, located between phase P and the circuit breaker 103. An application processor 102 controls the state of the circuit breaker 103 using a control signal 107. The processor 102 activates the circuit breaker in particular when the power consumed exceeds the power subscribed to by the subscriber, for example when this excess is detected over a time interval of a duration greater than a threshold, designated by threshold T1 in what follows (Tl = 20 minutes for example).

[0052] A phase P' (or primary phase) at the output of the circuit breaker 103 represents the phase at the output of the meter. In the context of this example, phase P' is the phase through which the room associated with the meter is supplied, excluding the loading of the electric vehicle. Phase P' is also called the main phase. A neutral N' at the output of the meter and associated with phase P' is connected to the neutral N at the input of the meter.

[0053] According to this embodiment, the meter includes, in parallel with the conventional phase circuit P' (first circuit mentioned above), a phase circuit P” (second circuit) intended for supplying one or more electrical appliances 110 via one (or more) electrical outlet(s) 109 connected to the (same) phase P” and neutral N”. The electrical outlet 109 is, for example, a dedicated wall outlet. It should be noted that the electrical outlet 109 can be connected to other circuits at the meter output depending on the appliance(s) to be supplied with electricity (such as 110).

[0054] In what follows, the example of charging an electric vehicle will be taken, but it is quite clear that the disclosure is not limited to this particular context and that the charging of other devices can be implemented.

[0055] Regarding the charging of an electric vehicle, the term 'SCVE', for Electric Vehicle Charging System, will be used to designate either the charging functionality itself or the various components associated with this functionality. The acronym SCVE corresponds to the acronym 'EVCS' for 'Electric Vehicle Charging Station' in English.

[0056] The SCVE phase circuit includes a power relay 104, one input of which is connected to phase P' at the output of the circuit breaker 103 through a measuring shunt 105. The measuring shunt 105 is optional. The metrological processor can measure the current, voltage, and / or consumption specifically of the second circuit, in this case the consumption due to vehicle loading via the shunt 105 (measurement M2) of the SCVE phase circuit. The output phase of the power relay 104 is designated by P” (or secondary phase). A neutral N” at the meter output and associated with phase P” is connected to neutral N. P” and N” supply power to the SCVE electrical outlet 109. The application processor 102 controls the state of the power relay 104 via a control signal 108. In the present embodiment examples, the application processor acts on the power relay 104 to control the charging of the electric vehicle.

[0057] According to a particular embodiment, the SCVE 105 measuring shunt is optional. Indeed, it is sufficient to know the total instantaneous power (load due to the vehicle and load due to domestic consumption) to implement the vehicle load control method described.

[0058] According to a detailed embodiment described later, the shunt 105 allows for the automatic adjustment of load activation and deactivation thresholds (upper and lower thresholds) as described below. If the shunt 105 is not present, the thresholds can, for example, be programmed manually.

[0059] It should be noted that the meter structure described above is given for illustrative purposes only. Some components may be absent and others may be present. For example, a meter will include a communication interface for reading its consumption data. Furthermore, some functions presented for clarity by separate components may be grouped into a single component or distributed across several components. For example, a single processor may be used instead of the two processors shown, although the use of two separate processors for metrology on the one hand and other applications on the other (including, in particular, circuit breaker control) is common. Other meter structures can therefore be considered.

[0060] Device 1 also includes non-volatile memory containing software code. When the software code is executed by processor 102, it causes device 100 to implement one of the methods described.

[0061] Figure 2 is a graph representing an example of a subscriber's load curves as recorded by their meter for domestic consumption. In the example in Figure 2, no control is implemented for the electric vehicle's charge – this charge can be continuous.

[0062] The load curves in kWh are represented over a period of 24 hours, divided into 96 periods of 15 minutes.

[0063] The load curves shown are: - the domestic load curve alone 201, excluding the electric vehicle load; - the charging curve of the electric vehicle 202; - the total load curve 203 (total of the two previous curves);

[0064] Three thresholds are also represented: - a threshold 204 representing the equivalent of the power subscribed by the subscriber (12kVA in the illustrated example), i.e. a consumption of 3kWh over fifteen minutes, under the assumption of operation with cosip- 1; - a first threshold 205, called 'High_Threshold', this threshold being a threshold above which the power relay is reopened; - a second threshold 206, called 'Lower_Threshold', below which the power relay is closed.

[0065] It should be noted that the two thresholds 205 and 206 are given as an indication in [Fig.2], since they do not intervene in the operation shown by this figure.

[0066] A clear exceedance of the equivalent of the subscribed power 204 is observed over certain time intervals of the day, indicated by two arrows A and B in [Fig.2],

[0067] It should also be noted that the duration of a period may differ from the fifteen-minute duration given as an example. The duration of the period will be chosen so that it is less than the duration Tl beyond which the circuit breaker is activated. If this duration Tl is, for example, 20 minutes, a period of 5, 10, or 15 minutes can be chosen.

[0068] The purpose of this disclosure is to avoid such overruns, or at least to limit them to a duration that does not trigger the meter's circuit breaker. Figure 3 is a graph representing an example of a subscriber's load curves as recorded by that subscriber's meter when the method described in this disclosure is applied.

[0069] According to a first example of an embodiment of an electric vehicle charging control method, the electric vehicle's charging is interrupted as soon as the consumption over a considered time period exceeds this upper threshold (205). The vehicle's charging resumes as soon as the consumption over a considered time period falls below the lower threshold (206). This is a hysteresis-based operation. The upper threshold is chosen below, but close to, the consumption threshold corresponding to the subscribed power (204). For example, it is a few percent below this threshold corresponding to the subscribed power, for example, on the order of 3 to 7% below. The margin used can also be adjusted empirically and helps to limit the impact of noise in the consumption measurements. The closer the upper threshold is to the consumption threshold equivalent to the subscribed power, the lower the frequency at which the power relay will open.

[0070] The lower threshold is chosen to be close to, but above, a minimum consumption per time period over a day. The margin by which the lower threshold lies above this minimum consumption can be of the same order of magnitude as the margin between the upper threshold and the consumption threshold corresponding to the subscribed power, in order to limit the impact of noise.

[0071] The lower and upper thresholds are likely to vary, one depending on the subscribed power, the other depending on changes in the consumption habits of the subscriber and where applicable of devices operating autonomously during the day (refrigerators, telecommunications equipment, devices in standby mode for example).

[0072] In [Fig.3], exceeding the consumption threshold 204 corresponding to the subscribed power is then limited to a single exceedance (arrow 'C'), and limited in time so that the duration of exceedance Tl of the maximum power is not reached.

[0073] A second example of an embodiment of an electric vehicle charging control method takes up the first example of embodiment, except that the level of the upper threshold is a function of the time of day.

[0074] According to one embodiment, the upper threshold level depends on the applicable hourly rate, with the upper threshold level being set lower during peak periods compared to its level during off-peak periods. This has the advantage of allowing vehicle charging while reducing the subscriber's bill, as it encourages charging during the least expensive hours.

[0075] For example, if there is a day rate and a night rate, the upper threshold will be set to a first value for the time when the day rate applies and to a second value for the time when the night rate applies. The first value is set to be lower than the second value, which has the effect of interrupting the charging of the electric vehicle at a lower threshold during the day than at night. The upper level of the upper threshold can be set as described above. The lower level of the upper threshold can be set to be triggered every other period. This can be achieved by adding the minimum consumption recorded over all time periods and the nominal consumption due to a significant percentage (e.g., 90%) of nominal consumption during the charging of the electric vehicle.In fact, the charging of the electric car is then interrupted at the end of one period and resumed at the end of the next, resulting in charging 50% of the time when consumption other than that due to vehicle charging is at its minimum level per period.

[0076] This behavior is illustrated by the graph in [Fig. 4]. The upper threshold 205 varies between two levels, one during the night (9:30 p.m. to 6:45 a.m., i.e., periods 1 to 27 and 87 to 96) and the other during the day (6:45 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., i.e., periods 28 to 86). The daytime level is significantly lower than the nighttime level, resulting in much more frequent interruptions in vehicle charging (curve 203) during the most expensive hours, and in the illustrated case, vehicle charging 50% of the time between periods 37 and 72.

[0077] It should be noted that although [Fig.4] illustrates two levels for the upper threshold, it is quite possible in other implementations to provide for more than two levels.

[0078] Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating the first embodiment. According to this embodiment: - In 501, the power relay is closed. - In 502, the end of the current period is expected. - In 503, following the end of the period, called the previous period, the consumption over this period is compared to the lower threshold. • If the consumption during the previous period is below the lower threshold, then the power relay is closed at 504, if it is not already closed. The current period at 507 is then awaited, and the process returns to 503. • If the consumption during the previous period is greater than or equal to the lower threshold, it is checked in step 505 whether this consumption is greater than the upper threshold. If so, the power relay is opened in step 506, if it is not already open, then the current period ends in step 507, and then the process returns to step 503. If not, the current period ends in step 507, and then the process returns to step 503 to evaluate the most recently completed period.

[0079] In the example of [Fig. 5], the device either does not have shunt 105, or it does have it but is not used. According to an alternative embodiment, shunt 105 is used to learn the maximum value, Imax, of the current drawn by the vehicle during charging and to determine the lower and upper thresholds based on this. Imax and the knowledge of the impedance of shunt 105 allow the maximum power Pmax to be determined. The lower and upper thresholds can then be chosen as follows:

[0080] [Math.l] Upper Threshold - Lower Threshold (ls > Emax)

[0081] where Emax = Pmax * period duration, which corresponds to the maximum energy demanded by the electric vehicle during charging over a period. For example, the upper threshold can be determined based on the equivalent consumption threshold for consumption over a period (15 minutes in the non-limiting examples shown) at the subscribed power, taking into account a margin that includes potential measurement noise, and then the above relationship can be used to define the lower threshold. The lower threshold must, of course, also be greater than the minimum consumption of the installation.

[0082] Figure 6 is a flowchart illustrating the second embodiment. Phases 601 to 607 of this figure are identical to phases 501 to 507 of Figure 5. A modulation of the upper threshold based on the time of day is added. In the case of the example in Figure 6, after phase 602, a determination is inserted in step 609 to determine whether the preceding period is during the day or the night. In the first case, the upper threshold is set in step 609 to its daytime value ('Day_Threshold'), and in the second case, the upper threshold is set to its nighttime value ('Night_Threshold'), as explained previously. The comparison of consumption with the lower threshold is then carried out in step 603. Note that it is sufficient for the value of the upper threshold to be adjusted before the comparison of consumption with this threshold in step 605.

[0083] The embodiment variant with shunt 105 is also applicable in the case of the second embodiment.

[0084] Those skilled in the art will understand that all the functional diagrams presented here represent conceptual views, given by way of example, of circuits incorporating the principles of disclosure.

[0085] Each function, block, and step described can be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, middleware, microcode, or any suitable combination thereof. If implemented in software, the functions or blocks of the functional diagrams and flowcharts can be implemented by computer program instructions / software code, which can be stored or transmitted on a computer-readable medium, or loaded onto a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable processing device and / or system, such that the computer program instructions or software code that execute on the computer or other programmable processing device create the means for implementing the functions described herein.

[0086] Although aspects of this disclosure have been described with reference to particular embodiments, it should be understood that these embodiments only illustrate the principles and applications of this disclosure. It is therefore understood that many modifications may be made to the illustrative embodiments and that other arrangements may be devised without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as determined on the basis of the claims and their equivalents.

[0087] The advantages and solutions to problems have been described above with respect to specific embodiments of the invention. However, the advantages, benefits, solutions to problems, and any element that may cause or result in such advantages, benefits or solutions, or cause such advantages, benefits or solutions to become more pronounced, shall not be construed as a critical, required, or essential feature or element of any or all of the claims. List of reference signs

[0088] 100 - Counter

[0089] 101 - Metrology Processor

[0090] 102 - Application Processor

[0091] 103 - Circuit breaker

[0092] 104 - Power relay

[0093] 105 - Shunt

[0094]

[0095]

[0096]

[0097] 106 - Shunt 107 - Circuit breaker control signal 108 - Power relay control signal 109 - Electrical outlet

Claims

Demands

1. Method for controlling the power supply of a second group of devices comprising at least one device (110), the method being implemented by a device (100) comprising a first processor (101) adapted to perform power consumption measurements, a second processor (102) and a switching element (104) controlled by the second processor to start or stop the power supply of the second group, the method comprising: - obtaining by the second processor, the total power consumption (203) of a first group of devices and of the second group of devices during a period of time, the total power consumption being determined by the first processor; the duration of the period of time being less than a maximum duration during which the power demanded by the two groups may be greater than a maximum power to be respected;- Determining whether the total consumption is below a second threshold (206), and if so, closing (504, 604) the shut-off device to allow the supply to the second group; - Determining (505, 605) whether the total consumption is above a first threshold (205) and if so, opening (506, 606) the shut-off device 104 to suspend the supply to the second group; - the first threshold being below a maximum consumption threshold (205) to be respected for the total electrical consumption; the second threshold being below the first threshold, the second threshold being above a minimum consumption per period over a time interval including a plurality of consecutive periods of the same duration; - the repetition of the preceding steps over successive time periods.

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein the maximum consumption is a function of the maximum power to be respected.

3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first threshold has a unique value.

4. Method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first threshold is a function of the time of day.

5. Method according to claim 4, comprising assigning to the first threshold a first value (609) for a first electricity tariff based on the time and a second value (610) for a second electricity tariff based on the time, the first tariff being higher than the second tariff and the first value being lower than the second value.

6. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, comprising determining the maximum power, Pmax, required by the second group over said duration, the first threshold and the second threshold being chosen to respect the relationship First Threshold - Second Threshold > Pmax * duration of a period

7. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the time interval is one day.

8. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the second group of devices comprises an electric car charger.

9. Device (100) for controlling the power supply of a second group of devices comprising at least one device (110), the device comprising a first processor (101) adapted to perform power consumption measurements, a second processor (102) and a switching element (104) controlled by the second processor to start or stop the power supply to the second group, allowing the total power consumption (203) of the first group of devices and a second group of devices to be obtained over a period of time, the duration of the period of time being less than a maximum duration during which the power demanded by the two groups may exceed a maximum power to be respected, the second processor being configured to cause the device to perform: the determination whether the total consumption is less than a second threshold (206), and if so, the closure (504,604) of the shut-off device to allow the supply of the second group; the determination (505, 605) if the total consumption is greater than a first threshold (205) and if so, the opening (506, 606), of the switching device to suspend the supply of the second group; the first threshold being less than a maximum consumption threshold (204) to be respected for the total electrical consumption; the second threshold being less than the first threshold, the second threshold being greater than a minimum consumption per period over a time interval including a plurality of consecutive periods of the same duration; the reiteration of the previous steps over successive periods of time.

10. Method according to claim 9, wherein the maximum consumption (204) is a function of the maximum power to be respected.

11. Device according to claim 9 or 10, the device being an electric meter comprising a circuit breaker (103) controlled by the second processor (102), the circuit breaker being disposed between a phase input (P) of an electricity supply network and the breaking element, the supply of the first group being made via a phase (P') taken between the circuit breaker and the breaking element, and the supply of the second group being made via a phase (P”) at the output of the breaking element.

12. Device according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein the switching member (104) is a power relay.

13. Device according to any one of claims 9 to 12, wherein the switching member is connected to the circuit breaker via a measuring shunt (105).

14. Device according to any one of claims 9 to 13, wherein the output of the switching element is configured to be connected to an electrical socket suitable for connecting the second group of devices.

15. Device according to any one of claims 9 to 14, configured to carry out the steps of claims 2 to 8.

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