Smart Meters

accybeme

accybeme

Nori Brick
Tackler
I’ve been inundated with messages from my energy supplier about having a smart meter, I have now received an email telling me that if I refuse to have one fitted I will be put on a higher tariff costing me over £100 more a year plus a £60 fined for switching tariffs, looks like the energy companies are under pressure from the government to get these meters installed, the next step will be to charge users more for energy that is used at peak times on the lines of the economy 7 package, looks like we are being forced to have one installed, my initial objection to having one was the problems in switching supplier thus keeping my energy bills down, looks like the second generation meter (smets2) is compatible for switching suppliers, I would be interested to see others points of view on smart meters
 
I have always refused point blank to have one installed, never had a letter like that though, perhaps its cos we are not with one of the so called "Big6"? i dumped them many years ago and are reasonably happy with the one we are now with.
 
It is not compulsory to have a smart meter....I will not have one either.
If your meter needs changing (and this has to be done every so often) you can ask for a dumb meter....it is like a smart meter in looks, but does not transmit any information to the power company.
I would be telling your energy supplier that you will change suppliers if they insist on changing you to a more expensive tariff.

I no longer get the letters or the e-mails as I notified them right at the start that I would not have a smart meter at any price.

They are not being installed for the customers benefit, but for the supplier....and come the day that there is a shortage of energy....if you have a smart meter they can disconnect you.
 
I recently changed supplier and when I was searching for the lowest cost supplier British Gas came out as "best buy" but after reading the offer I found hidden, amongst the terms and conditions, "soon after transfer date a smart meter will replace your current meter"
So I went with the second lowest cost.
 
No chance of me having one either, my mate had one fitted and six month down the line he was still going to look at it every few minutes or after he put a light on to check how much he was spending. They don't save a penny. All you need to do is turn off lights etc when they are not in use, same result.
 
It is a big con....if you already turn off the stuff you aren't using then you are already doing what a smart meter encourages you to do.
The only real advantage is NOT to the customer, but to the supplier.
It allows them to get rid of meter readers, it allows them to see what your energy use patterns are(this is important should the company want to charge extra at certain time of the day/week/year) a bit like holiday firms who charge more when the children have school holidays.

It gives the energy company the power to turn off your supply remotely......no....I will not have one....I am not sucked in by their misleading adverts.
It is NOT the meter that saves you money, it is your habits....and I am known as frugal Freda/put a cardigan on.

Oh....and another thing...they are NOT free....we are all paying extra on our power bills for this hare brained, I'll conceived plan.
 
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We had them installed last year, helped me get my gas usage down (among other things), changed supplier in the summer and now they just works as normal meters.
 
So, did the change of supplier mean that your smart meter went dumb?

I do not need a meter to get my energy usage down.
When things are not in use, they are turned off....I do not leave anything on standby.....the only thing that are permanently connected are the fridge and freezer....and the phone.
Everything else is switched off.

It has to be very cold for the heating to go on.....I tell my other half to put another layer on.
 
Margaret Pilkington said:
So, did the change of supplier mean that your smart meter went dumb?
Click to expand...
I guess so, we`ve just been asked for a meter reading and the monitor no longer works.
The smart meter helped me set up the boiler to be a bit more efficient after re-routing some pipes and adding pipe insulation, I could have done the boiler without the smart meters but seeing the usage in real time made it much easier & quicker.
 
Yes, think I have seen that somewhere....but I still will not be having one....my yearly bill is under £1000.... but only because I am frugal.
Even if it hit the figure quoted for those who refuse a smart meter....I still would not have one!
 
gpick24 said:
I guess so, we`ve just been asked for a meter reading and the monitor no longer works.
The smart meter helped me set up the boiler to be a bit more efficient after re-routing some pipes and adding pipe insulation, I could have done the boiler without the smart meters but seeing the usage in real time made it much easier & quicker.
Click to expand...

We had a new A rated boiler and our bills have fallen.

If we needed a new meter it would be one without the SIM card that send info to the supplier.

It seems crazy that changing provider makes these meters obsolete(if you were in favour of them that is).
As I say, it is an ill thought out system.
 
how do your bills compare:
my electric unit charge rate 13.28p per kwh with a standing charge of 18.90p a day
my gas unit charge rate 2.703per kwh with a standing charge of 18.90 a day
 
accybeme said:
how do your bills compare:
my electric unit charge rate 13.28p per kwh with a standing charge of 18.90p a day
my gas unit charge rate 2.703per kwh with a standing charge of 18.90 a day
Click to expand...

If that question is directed at me....I couldn't tell you right now.....I haven't got a bill I can check on(I don't keep bills anymore)
I am due a bill soon....watch this space.
 
Margaret Pilkington said:
If that question is directed at me....I couldn't tell you right now.....I haven't got a bill I can check on(I don't keep bills anymore)
I am due a bill soon....watch this space.
Click to expand...

no Margaret it was not directed at you, it was an open ? just to compare bills in general the complex system of understanding our bill or indeed the contracts we sign up too, who can be bothered to read 30 pages of small print when signing up to any contract anyway
 
accybeme said:
how do your bills compare:
my electric unit charge rate 13.28p per kwh with a standing charge of 18.90p a day
my gas unit charge rate 2.703per kwh with a standing charge of 18.90 a day
Click to expand...

With or without a "smart meter" your bills can be the same.
All it can do is enable you to check your usage in real time, so that you can turn something on and see the increase.

You can of course do this with an old fashioned meter and just see how fast the dial moves or get an electricity monitor.
 
this smart meter scheme has been a great whacking failure....and that is why energy companies are coming the strong arm tactics.

They are well behind the targets that were set....and over budget.
 
I must admit my gas/electricity usage is pretty much the same compared to the same time the previous year. I did use less gas this this quarter, mainly due to it being very mild. The only time I saw a drop in electricity usage was when I swapped all the incandescent light bulbs in the house for LED ones.

I've had smart meters for about 3 years and the only time I've found them useful is seeing real time costs per day/week/month/year.
 
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