Smart Meters

[Less]

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

I have been looking for the article....but can't locate it...but when I do I will post it.

The energy firms have us all by the short and curlies and they know this!

Not many short and curlies left on my body , I've been plucked off by the attitude of most 'big businesses' these days they all want that extra pound of flesh, which is why I try to go for those that don't grab you by the bollocks.

[Margaret Pilkington]

Know the feeling well Less....and worse still as you get more mature(or old if you want to be blunt) the short and curlies drop off on their own.

[kestrelx]

Smart meters enable them to know exactly when you are making cups of tea, having a bath etc etc and they can cut your energy off without your say, for example if you can't pay the bill or the direct debit amount they want you to pay, or force you to have tariffs and so on and so forth.

There was a documentary on a few years ago that said that the tech companies of Silicone Valley (Microsoft, Facebook, Google et al) are dictating behind the scenes what governments will do, because they own all this new technology that is being brought in via the Internet and so on. Which the governments are now demanding we adopt, like smart meters. This is happening while genuine shops on the high street are going out of business because people are now using on line shops like Amazon. Also in the next 10 years Millions of jobs will be lost to robots or A.I.

Another one is the tech companies want to get rid of cash (coins and notes) and have us all using smart cards, this probably will happen once this generation of oldies who still like and use cash die out. Notice most young folk use smart cards everywhere and hardly ever use cash now.

[Less]

Originally Posted by kestrelx

Another one is the tech companies want to get rid of cash (coins and notes) and have us all using smart cards, this probably will happen once this generation of oldies who still like and use cash die out. Notice most young folk use smart cards everywhere and hardly ever use cash now.

Yet again you come on with common knowledge, trying your best to seem informed but, offering us nothing we didn't already know.
Fortunately I can still get hold of real money otherwise I wouldn't be able to drink in old fashioned pubs even though I carry my plastic for the so called modern versions, it used to be called putting it on the slate.

[RainbowSix]

Your not exactly going to put a plastic card on the edge of a pool table to indicate that your next on are you now

[shillelagh]

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

I have been looking for the article....but can't locate it...but when I do I will post it.

The energy firms have us all by the short and curlies and they know this!

this it Margaret?

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/bi...-pay-MORE.html

[Margaret Pilkington]

Yes Jen.....I didn't think I had read in in the mail though....it was an online source....but Thank you.
It has all the information that I had read.

[Less]

Well back in March I switched to smart meters had absolutely no problems, much more convenient for prepaying both gas and electric.
However a case of left hand not knowing what right hand is doing has occurred with British gas my supplier.
I got a letter today saying that they had paid my warm home discount to me twice last year, once by voucher and once direct to my meter. I had received only a voucher nothing to my meter.
After three attempts to contact them I was shifted from pillar to post given different online sites that i was assured would deal with this, 'wrong' none of them were the right department.
I eventually used an old fashioned telephone number and spoke to a young lady and explained my problem, at first she assured me nothing could go wrong and the details were correct. I asked her to check the date that the overpayment went to my meter, (put on hold at least 5 minutes) when she finally got back to me she said, ' you didn't have a smart meter last year did you, so we couldn't have credited your meter, terribly sorry for the mistake we won't charge you the extra, is there anything else I can do?'.

Yes, I replied, you can put that in a letter and send it to me if I have to waste another hour and a half of my life on your companies inefficiencies I want proof that I owe you nothing and that I'm up to date.

[Less]

I forgot to add, that before she left she asked if I would care to answer some customer satisfaction questions, biting my tongue to resist a four letter answer I declined and hung up.

[monkey hanger]

think the word smart should actually be dropped for anything called smart. survailance would be a far better description of all of them.

[Less]

Originally Posted by monkey hanger

think the word smart should actually be dropped for anything called smart. survailance would be a far better description of all of them.

If this is a standard of their surveillance, then there is nothing to fear, they can't even keep track of when or where their meters were fitted.

I think big brother IS blind,

[RainbowSix]

Don't hold your breath for the letter.

[monkey hanger]

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

These meters are NOT for the benefit of the consumer, they are for the benefit and convenience of the supplier.
If I need a new meter(they do have to be replaced from time to time) I will be asking for one which has no SIM card in it....does not communicate with the supplier.
One which does not allow the power to be switched off at source....should supplies be limited.

agree. however in todays world you have to look far to find anything that benefits the consumer over extra profits. as i,ve always said, if its called smart avoid at all costs. even if i made a small saving with one i,d still not have one for all the reasons previously stated.

[DaveinGermany]

Originally Posted by Less

before she left she asked if I would care to answer some customer satisfaction questions,

Had something similar from a Ford workshop, after screwing up a job 3 times, giving me a courtesy car that was in no way equivalent to my own vehicle & its capabilities (I own a Transit custom, they gave me a 2 door Fiesta ... ) & having it in their workshop over 5 days including a week-end.


The cheery lass in reception asked would I like to fill out a "Customer satisfaction" questionaire, after giving her a good long hard bemused raised eyebrow look, I asked her "considering your companys monumental cock up, do you really think that's the best idea of the day?" Needless to say, she replaced the form back in the cubby hole & wished me a pleasant day.

[monkey hanger]

dave, i,ve always found if a workshop has a receptionist its best to avoid main agent or not. someone you have to pay for in the overpriced bill you receive for usually poor work that somehow seems to take longer than the lad on the street corner takes.