Smart meter for electricity

[john87]

9 minutes ago, trigger_andy said:

 

 

I’ve never been keen on getting a Smart Meter. Currently I have a digital readout meter and the missus updates the supplier periodically. If we wished to change our tariff, even with the same supplier I’m told we have to have a Smart Meter installed. I’m now getting letters saying my digital Meter is going out of calibration and I should get a Smart Meter installed.

Any idea what my options are here?

They are simply liars...

 

I have had literally HUNDREDS of letters that read like i HAVE to have one installed, but it is all simply deliberate lies..

 

Here is what "Which" have to say about it..

 

Do I have to accept a smart meter?

WWW.WHICH.CO.UK

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An inaccurate meter reading can have an unwanted impact on your monthly energy bills. Read our guides to help you...

 

[scbk]

I wouldn't have a smart meter, it's of no benefit to me. I'm sure the day will come when it will no longer be optional.

 

I don't think we've had a meter reader call round for a few years now anyway!

[Steven P]

So I am not a fan of having one, purely that that adverts for these (I think by thr Tesco advert lady) are full of -almost- lies. If they are trying to sell me stuff by lies then you have to ask why....

 

My take on them is that the meter reading companies can sack the meter readers, get rid of the cars and their depots and save money... which they might pass on to me, they might pass the saving to the shareholders (shareholders might be who I invest my pension into, they might not)

 

They say that they can bill me an accurate bill, so when you ask the electricity supplier to check and callibrate your existing meter.. because the smart meter adverts suggest your existing meter cannot give you an accurate bill... they kind of back track on that.

 

No more estimated bills.. so you pay for your energy as you use it. In winter you pay a lot, in the summer not a lot. As oppsed to estimated bills where generally the bill is averaged out and you pay the same each month. Imagine a pensioner on limited income seeing a big winter bill happening, the thermostat is being turned down isn't it? This is the biggest drawback to them.

 

I can save money with a smart meter.. err... no I can't. What I can do however is use any meter and work out with that, and with the help of the internet to work out what eats up electicity and to cut down on that (anything that makes heat, or cold costs a lot). My electricity has gone down from £110 to £45 a month, which is purely hot water, lights and stuff like internets and TV. Heating is by stove, and I reckon I can knock another £5 off this if The Boys could wear trousers 2 days in a row and if Mrs would use the dryer or clothes line...

 

They suggest that knowing what each supplies individual use profile is they can upgrade the system efficiently, and again, this is a lie. In each Substation they have or can install metering for each cable leaving it, half hourly metered (or more frequent). The generators know exaclty how much they generate and when and so on. The information is there for them to know exactly what is used and when.

 

Final thought on the adverts is that we can choose to upgrade the meters they say. As a part of their general maintenance they have to callibrate a meter every so many years if the adverts just said "we're upgrading our metering to smart meters, but you can get one early by calling us" and I would give them more credibility.

 

Many people get a smart meter, fiddle with it for a month and then put the display in a drawer, never to be seen again.

 

In the future I can see the economy 7 being changed to economy 24, with an app on the phone to tell you that days hourly prices, perhaps the same app to set everything to run at the most efficient times (big overnight wind = cheap electricity for example, dead calm night and daytime electricity might become cheaper). Maybe all linked up to a smart home hub thing where you can text your smart cooker to boil the veggies. And we are all gong to have one

 

 

 

As for prices.. yes some genertors cost more per unit to run, so these are generally turned on last, and the cheapest are used first. Electricity company would love is to know the true price by hitting us in the pocket so we can change our use and time we use it,maybe to get rid of expensive generation.

 

In the next few years we are going to need a big infrastructure change where coal and gas power stations are decomissioned, nuclear power is still being built and even with new battery storage green energy like wind or solar can't quite keep us going 24 hours a day. The country has cables to Europe to meet any shortfall. Domestically we loose new gas boilers soon, and get electric cars and our electricity use is gong to go up.. the government need to push smart metering and to change our habits to meet their green stuff, electricity companies need us to change our habits to reduce their infrastructure costs (more profits), but the one thing they are not selling and I cannot see is any benefit to us, the consumer.

[Mark J]

 

33 minutes ago, Steven P said:

My take on them is that the meter reading companies can sack the meter readers, get rid of the cars and their depots and save money... which they might pass on to me, they might pass the saving to the shareholders (shareholders might be who I invest my pension into, they might not)

+1

[djbobbins]

Nobody is obligated to do anything. They would LOVE you to believe that you HAD to have one, but go on any of the electricians forums, you will not find many of them that want one..
 
john..

I quote from Ofgem, the energy regulator:

“Energy suppliers are currently obligated to deliver the rollout of smart meters.”

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/sites/default/files/docs/2018/10/10.2018_open_letter_ofgems_advanced_meter_rollout_investigations_and_the_smart_meter_rollout.pdf

And if you want a list of the various licence obligations for different aspects of Smart metering:

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/sites/default/files/docs/2019/02/licence_guide_smart_metering_0.pdf

[woody paul]

It has put a lot of people out of work reading meters, water companies going the same way. 

 

[Woodworks]

10 hours ago, kevinjohnsonmbe said:

What sort of money are folks laying out on leccy?

 

We have. £70/month DD. 

About the same but its an electric house. A few logs in the depths of winter is only energy edition 

[john87]

1 hour ago, djbobbins said:

 

I quote from Ofgem, the energy regulator:

“Energy suppliers are currently obligated to deliver the rollout of smart meters.”

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/sites/default/files/docs/2018/10/10.2018_open_letter_ofgems_advanced_meter_rollout_investigations_and_the_smart_meter_rollout.pdf

And if you want a list of the various licence obligations for different aspects of Smart metering:

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/sites/default/files/docs/2019/02/licence_guide_smart_metering_0.pdf

Once again, that is part of their deliberate lies... They work things VERY VERY carefully to try to make you THINK you have to have one fitted, whilst being very careful not to actually state that this is the case..

 

From ofgems webpage..

[djbobbins]

Once again, that is part of their deliberate lies... They work things VERY VERY carefully to try to make you THINK you have to have one fitted, whilst being very careful not to actually state that this is the case..
 
From ofgems webpage..

You are misinterpreting what I said. I said, clearly, that the energy companies are obligated to install smart meters. That is the wording of the headline from Ofgem.

Actually, in the detail, the obligation is to apply all reasonable endeavours to do the smart meter rollout.

That is not the same as customers being obligated to have a smart meter, but for previous advanced meter rollouts where companies got fined several million pounds for not doing enough (according to Ofgem) then it explains why the companies are pushing.

[dumper]

Can you get three phase smart meters? Going to change house supply over from two phase,