Smart Meters

[gramps85]

I am being pestered by my Energy Company to have a smart meter installed, and for both gas and meters to be changed as they have, according to them, reached the end of their lives. 

I have no wish to have as smart meter installed, and they say that the new gas and electric meters incorporate smart meters.

Can I ask AB's if they have experienced such a ploy, and what are views on smart meters.

[andres]

I don't want one until I am no longer able to open the cupboard and bend down to read my meters. It makes me get up off the chair and do something . The more we are being urged into technology  in a few years there will be nothing to do only push a few buttons.   

[ToraToraTora]

10cs " I don't fancy allowing them to use my internet." - they don't use the internet. Interesting that you have your own internet though. 😀

[davebro3]

//"Some smart tariffs could be cheaper." Because the company is using that as a bribe, the same way that worked when they wanted access to your worldly wealth via direct debit.//

Yeah just toddle on down to their office with your meter reading scrawled on a bit of parchment & hand over a bag of groats.🤣

//I don't fancy allowing them to use my internet.//

They don't - smart meters use the mobile phone network.

[barry1010]

I had massive bills due to my faulty electric dumb meter during lockdown.  They refused to come out and inspect it due to covid restrictions.  It was ongoing for 18 months and it took getting the Ombudsman involved to sort it out.  They have refunded some of the money but I am still hundreds of pounds out of pocket.   

If I had a smart meter at the time, I would have very quickly realised something was wrong with my meter but the estimated bills of course didn't show any discrepancy. 

I've had my smart meter for a few years now and it has saved me money, so I'm happy with it.  In addition, most of the best energy deals require you to have a smart meter.

[barry1010]

andres, you can bend down and look in your cupboard whenever you want.  You don't have to wait for the order from your energy company

[davebro3]

//The more we are being urged into technology  in a few years there will be nothing to do only push a few buttons. //

Heaven!

[andres]

barry^^^I don't live in the cupboard. Just read the meters once a month. 

[barry1010]

Read them once a week, just because you can :)  

[nicebloke1]

I dare day the new generation of SM are ok, who knows. But the fact is at the moment they have a bad record. They have been fitting them in areas that have very poor mobile signals, so that dont help.

Any new technology then the guinea pig is always the customer and its the customer that normally loses out before that tec improves.

[davebro3]

I have mock-up meters in a quite inaccessible cupboard just so I can the exercise reading them.🤣

[davebro3]

//But the fact is at the moment they have a bad record//

There have been some problems but I would say that they are an overwhelming success (unless you're unfortunate).

[New Judge]

“Energy companies have to push them a s they have government targets to meet.”

That is not a problem with which gramps needs to concern himself. Car manufacturers also have government targets to sell electric cars and some of them are considering their position in the UK. Boiler manufacturers are also to be set similar targets to make heat pumps and they are doing likewise. It doesn’t follow that because the government sets a target to achieve something which will be of benefit to nobody at all, that customers or consumers should go along with the nonsense.

“The best thing with smart meters is that you can monitor your own usage and manage your use and bills accordingly.”

You can do that with a conventional meter. I have my energy consumption records going back around twenty years. I know exactly how much I have used each month in KW hours (because I read the meter and did so long before the energy companies asked me to). I know whether that consumption is reasonable (by comparing with previous consumption). And I know exactly how much it should cost (by doing a few simple sums).

There is nothing a smart meter can do for me that that I cannot do myself.

[davebro3]

//Any new technology then the guinea pig is always the customer//

The roll out started in 2011 so it's hardly new tech (computers go out of date after a couple of years).

[davebro3]

//There is nothing a smart meter can do for me that that I cannot do myself.//

But why bother if it can be done for you?

[gingejbee]

^because we're not all lazy s*ds.

[nicebloke1]

Since 2011 they've bought out 2 different generations of SM since and they are still having problems especially were mobile sinals are poor. A pencil and paper works every time. Even a new pencil.

[Peter Pedant]

I am baffled as to why people are so against them.

because at present 30% mslfunction - and it is a gamble whether you will or lose.

erp if you churn, baby churn -  change supplier - or are a rate-t+rt ( change supplier)

and what ever you do do NOT churn to scots power - you will spend the winter shivering

[Peter Pedant]

“The best thing with smart meters is that you can monitor your own usage and manage your use and bills accordingly.”

the best thing you can do with smart meters is throw them away ( your bills wont go down)

[ladybirder]

Am I the only person who has ever been refused a Smart Meter on here?  I have an electric one but not a gas one.

[Canary42]

I'm with NJ on this one. I've been monitoring my weekly usage for over 20 years now, with my own manual readings.  Powerful data when energy companies go mad on "estimated" readings.