Smart Meters

[queenofmean]

Dad and I are thinking about getting a Smart Meter for the house.

How do they work? Are they reliable and do you find them useful?

Any feedback would be greatly received.

Thanks
Q

[ivor4781]

i cant see the point of watching a piece of equipment telling you how much power your using, if you want to keep a check on that you just note the meter reading over a period of time you choose

[EDDIE51]

Lots of information on this thread
http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Home-and-Garden/Question1520161.html

[hc4361]

Advantages:
You know exactly how much your bill is because the monitor shows the usage in pounds and pence for both gas and electricity;
You will never have a meter reader at your door or need to read the meters again.

Disadvantages:
Your supplier will know exactly how much you are using and when;
Supplier could cut you off in supply emergency, instead of shutting a whole substation down;
Risk of hacking.

[baza]

I had smart meters installed by British Gas as I can no longer do the readings myself. When I changed suppliers and asked about smart meters I found that they were not compatible so needed new ones, awaiting installation ( tomorrow). No need for meter readers or getting into the cupboard under the stairs.

[ivor4781]

my meter is read by a meter reader whit a wireless device from the road never calls here but for once a year check if the meters ok

[queenofmean]

Thank you for your feed back, will mention it to dad and we will discuss it and see where we plan to go from here.

[RATTER15]

How much are they and do you have to pay to have them installed, who installs them?

[Dodger666]

Smart Meters are fitted free of charge by your supplier. The reason being they are more useful to the energy providers than they are to the consumer.

[pastafreak]

Aren't they going to be required?

[johnny37]

watched it for a few weeks. Oh how interesting, the consumption went up when i boiled a kettle! popped it in a drawer and forgot about it. About the only benefit is that you done have to read the meters.

[hc4361]

They are not compulsory and there has been no decision by the government to make them compulsory.

[Old_Geezer]

I think there is some confusion among folks as to what a "smart" meter is.
A "smart" meter replaces the normal kind on the wall. They are not compulsory, I have had a faulty meter replaced this week with a normal one that doesn't allow the company to control my supply from their office, and is therefore not possible to "hack" by malicious people. They will be a five minute wonder for the geeky curious. They will not save you any energy. They can be a danger to older folk who obsess over the bills and may choose to turn off heating they need to stay healthy. Despite claiming to be free everyone will inevitably cover the cost in early and higher price rises since the company and it's shareholders don't want to be the losers.