Smart Meters

[RAINYDAYS]

Should you turn router off when not using? It says in daily paper you can save 21 pounds a year by doing this. Sounds like a lot.

[Old_Geezer]

Less than 6p a day ? I'd not call it a lot.
Sure anything you switch off saves you the cost.
I couldn't be bothered though, I like my PC to be permanently connected.

[Old_Geezer]

BTW you are aware that a "smart" meter and a router are different things ?

[cupid04]

British gas put in our smart meter then we changed to Ovo because it was cheaper and now we have to get a new smart meter because the old one is not compatible...

[dannyk13]

Cupes,do you really need a smart meter?

[RAINYDAYS]

I'm with ovo to. didn't realise that smart meters were all different. What a pain.

[cupid04]

I've got a BA. Does that answer your question? ;-))

[dannyk13]

Er,no Cupes.

[cupid04]

Can't please everybody all the time, lol!

[dannyk13]

Just wondered why you think that you need a smart meter.

[Old_Geezer]

No one needs a "smart" meter. Depending on circumstances, once the novelty has worn off, it simply gives control to the supplier and may even be hackable.

[Old_Geezer]

An example of how much the suppliers are keen to gain such control, British Gas is to offer a bribe of free electricity for eight hours at weekends to customers who have smart meters installed. Of course it is inevitable that the lost profit will be made up elsewhere. No one is that naive.

[EDDIE51]

Smart meters charge a very high rate to discourage use at peak times, Lunch hour when everyone is cooking lunch and 5pm to 6 or 7pm when people are getting home from work and cooking dinner. The rate then can be up to 10x the normal rate. They hide that in the small print of course.

[hc4361]

That is a possibility for the future, Eddie, but at the moment no electricity supplier charges more at peak times, with the exception of the Economy 7 type plans which are nothing to do with smart meters.

[EDDIE51]

Look here
http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/bills/article-3322658/The-great-smart-meter-rip-UK-energy-giants-use-devices-DOUBLE-cost-power-need-most.html

[hc4361]

From your article it is clear that is happening at the moment. BG trialled it, others are thinking about it, there is a lot of opposition to it.
If and when it does happen, the costs will have to be very clear.

[Sipowicz]

I read your link Eddie, it says they "can" charge higher rates, not do. (that's not to say they wont in the future.)

[KARL]

The British Gas scheme mentioned in the article does not necessarily guarantee it will be copied by all others - in fact that is unlikely. However, it is probable that every supplier will continue to look for ways to make more money, as they do and have done already and somebody has to pay for the new meters (although normal replacement of old meters must be taken into account - smart or old fashioned makes little difference).

Everything depends on regulatory controls and there the government's record in this area is not good: They led to the near total disappearance of tariffs which are based only on what you consume (gas or electricity) - this greatly inconveniences those who consume little energy.

On the privacy side, in addition to a full spending record via the use of cards, people happily put practically their every move and emotion on the internet via Facebook, etc. so there is not a lot in addition to discover through Smart Meters.

[hc4361]

Correction of my post at 15:15. Should read:


From your article it is clear that is NOT happening at the moment

[Mamyalynne]

I never turn my router off, I fear it would take a while to resettle itself so am happy with it left on.

[EDDIE51]

Ok so not charging extra at the moment, but smart meters give the energy company the opportunity to monitor your usage so they can charge extra at peak times.