Smart Meters
 

I’ve been inundated with messages from my energy supplier about having a smart meter, I have now received an email telling me that if I refuse to have one fitted I will be put on a higher tariff costing me over £100 more a year plus a £60 fined for switching tariffs, looks like the energy companies are under pressure from the government to get these meters installed, the next step will be to charge users more for energy that is used at peak times on the lines of the economy 7 package, looks like we are being forced to have one installed, my initial objection to having one was the problems in switching supplier thus keeping my energy bills down, looks like the second generation meter (smets2) is compatible for switching suppliers, I would be interested to see others points of view on smart meters

Re: Smart Meters
 

I have always refused point blank to have one installed, never had a letter like that though, perhaps its cos we are not with one of the so called "Big6"? i dumped them many years ago and are reasonably happy with the one we are now with.

Re: Smart Meters
 

It is not compulsory to have a smart meter....I will not have one either.
If your meter needs changing (and this has to be done every so often) you can ask for a dumb meter....it is like a smart meter in looks, but does not transmit any information to the power company.
I would be telling your energy supplier that you will change suppliers if they insist on changing you to a more expensive tariff.

I no longer get the letters or the e-mails as I notified them right at the start that I would not have a smart meter at any price.

They are not being installed for the customers benefit, but for the supplier....and come the day that there is a shortage of energy....if you have a smart meter they can disconnect you.

Re: Smart Meters
 

I recently changed supplier and when I was searching for the lowest cost supplier British Gas came out as "best buy" but after reading the offer I found hidden, amongst the terms and conditions, "soon after transfer date a smart meter will replace your current meter"
So I went with the second lowest cost.

Re: Smart Meters
 

No chance of me having one either, my mate had one fitted and six month down the line he was still going to look at it every few minutes or after he put a light on to check how much he was spending. They don't save a penny. All you need to do is turn off lights etc when they are not in use, same result.

Re: Smart Meters
 

It is a big con....if you already turn off the stuff you aren't using then you are already doing what a smart meter encourages you to do.
The only real advantage is NOT to the customer, but to the supplier.
It allows them to get rid of meter readers, it allows them to see what your energy use patterns are(this is important should the company want to charge extra at certain time of the day/week/year) a bit like holiday firms who charge more when the children have school holidays.

It gives the energy company the power to turn off your supply remotely......no....I will not have one....I am not sucked in by their misleading adverts.
It is NOT the meter that saves you money, it is your habits....and I am known as frugal Freda/put a cardigan on.

Oh....and another thing...they are NOT free....we are all paying extra on our power bills for this hare brained, I'll conceived plan.

Re: Smart Meters
 

We had them installed last year, helped me get my gas usage down (among other things), changed supplier in the summer and now they just works as normal meters.

Re: Smart Meters
 

So, did the change of supplier mean that your smart meter went dumb?

I do not need a meter to get my energy usage down.
When things are not in use, they are turned off....I do not leave anything on standby.....the only thing that are permanently connected are the fridge and freezer....and the phone.
Everything else is switched off.

It has to be very cold for the heating to go on.....I tell my other half to put another layer on.

Re: Smart Meters
 

I guess so, we`ve just been asked for a meter reading and the monitor no longer works.
The smart meter helped me set up the boiler to be a bit more efficient after re-routing some pipes and adding pipe insulation, I could have done the boiler without the smart meters but seeing the usage in real time made it much easier & quicker.

Re: Smart Meters
 

this is a link to what is happening
https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/...art-meter.html

Re: Smart Meters
 

Yes, think I have seen that somewhere....but I still will not be having one....my yearly bill is under £1000.... but only because I am frugal.
Even if it hit the figure quoted for those who refuse a smart meter....I still would not have one!

Re: Smart Meters
 

We had a new A rated boiler and our bills have fallen.

If we needed a new meter it would be one without the SIM card that send info to the supplier.

It seems crazy that changing provider makes these meters obsolete(if you were in favour of them that is).
As I say, it is an ill thought out system.

Re: Smart Meters
 

This only applies to the first generation of Smart Meters (SMETS1), the second gen (SMETS2) will work with any supplier.

Re: Smart Meters
 

how do your bills compare:
my electric unit charge rate 13.28p per kwh with a standing charge of 18.90p a day
my gas unit charge rate 2.703per kwh with a standing charge of 18.90 a day

Re: Smart Meters
 

I still won't be having one.

Re: Smart Meters
 

If that question is directed at me....I couldn't tell you right now.....I haven't got a bill I can check on(I don't keep bills anymore)
I am due a bill soon....watch this space.

Re: Smart Meters
 

no Margaret it was not directed at you, it was an open ? just to compare bills in general the complex system of understanding our bill or indeed the contracts we sign up too, who can be bothered to read 30 pages of small print when signing up to any contract anyway

Re: Smart Meters
 

With or without a "smart meter" your bills can be the same.
All it can do is enable you to check your usage in real time, so that you can turn something on and see the increase.

You can of course do this with an old fashioned meter and just see how fast the dial moves or get an electricity monitor.

Re: Smart Meters
 

this smart meter scheme has been a great whacking failure....and that is why energy companies are coming the strong arm tactics.

They are well behind the targets that were set....and over budget.

Re: Smart Meters
 

I must admit my gas/electricity usage is pretty much the same compared to the same time the previous year. I did use less gas this this quarter, mainly due to it being very mild. The only time I saw a drop in electricity usage was when I swapped all the incandescent light bulbs in the house for LED ones.

I've had smart meters for about 3 years and the only time I've found them useful is seeing real time costs per day/week/month/year.

Re: Smart Meters
 

They keep asking me to have a meter upgrade, I've no problem to upgrade really, but I keep refusing because they offer me no real savings.
Whenever they get in touch I tell them, I'll allow you to change my meter when you offer me a free days electric per week like you did at the beginning otherwise thank you but no thank you.

Re: Smart Meters
 

You stick at it Less.
Maybe they will weaken.

Re: Smart Meters
 

and maybe I'll be able to walk on the wine my body changed to water?

Re: Smart Meters
 

Yes Less, let me know if that happens and I will get it recognised as the Miracle of St Less.

Re: Smart Meters
 

Be careful what you wish for, to become a saint I would first have to be dead!

Re: Smart Meters
 

May you live long and prosper Less.
Your chances of doing those things is a snowflakes in the hot place....and you KNOW that.
So you can rest easy.

Re: Smart Meters
 

I didn't want a smart meter but my contract is coming to an end, looking for a deal without a smart meter I soon realised none of the energy companies are offering a deal without taking a smart meter so had to relent and take an offer with a smart meter, just to show you what your up against please view this link. https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/...ergy-deal.html

Re: Smart Meters
 

My company aint listed on yon, may be worth checking em out?

Re: Smart Meters
 

Some of those suppliers call this blackmail 'being invited' to install a smart meter.
There is no saving to be had by getting one of these( these tariffs will soon go up once the majority are on one of these things and there is nothing to be gained by the supplier)...you will only save money if you use less of the product....and there are moves afoot which will change the way the standing charge is calculated....and it works out that those who use less....are frugal, will pay mote on the standing charge.

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.

Re: Smart Meters
 

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!

Re: Smart Meters
 

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.

Re: Smart Meters
 

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. :)

Re: Smart Meters
 

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.

Re: Smart Meters
 

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.

Re: Smart Meters
 

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 :)

Re: Smart Meters
 

this it Margaret?

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

Re: Smart Meters
 

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.

Re: Smart Meters
 

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.

Re: Smart Meters
 

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.

Re: Smart Meters
 

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

Re: Smart Meters
 

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.

Re: Smart Meters
 

Don't hold your breath for the letter.

Re: Smart Meters
 

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.

Re: Smart Meters
 

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.

Re: Smart Meters
 

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.

Re: Smart Meters
 

Didn't really have a choice MH, it was the A/C that had gone, tried my local backstreet garage where I know the lads & them me, been going there for years, but as the van was a 2014/15 model, eu laws decreed it must use a specific polar bear (norm) friendly coolant in the system.


All nice & green like, but as there are only 2 Workshops in the Osnabrück area that have the kit to fill this particular, treehugger moist making juice, into said vehicle & both of them are major Ford Wkshps, see the dilemma?

Re: Smart Meters
 

[QUOTE=DaveinGermany;


All nice & green like, but as there are only 2 Workshops in the Osnabrück area that have the kit to fill this particular, treehugger moist making juice, into said vehicle & both of them are major Ford Wkshps, see the dilemma?[/QUOTE]

yes, i understand now. it just annoys me when you have to do this when the vast majority of vehicle owners have no interest in all this rubbish being foistered on us. taking this a step further a garage near me sells second hand cars and does cheap repairs. was talking to the owner when i took my car in for a new window regulator fitted. do not like taking door cards off as i never can get them back right. the immisions word came up and he said he,s waiting for his first customer to ask him what they are in any vehicle they came to look at.

Re: Smart Meters
 

The industrial revolution would never have started if all this 'green' and health and safety palaver had existed back in the day, good grief, Stevenson's Rocket didn't even have brakes and yet it was considered the best loco to have been built back then.

Re: Smart Meters
 

The man was the Clarkson of his day "Yeass ...... Speed!" :D

Re: Smart Meters
 

good job facebook and twitter didn,t exist then as stevenson and his rocket would have been cancelled in favour of wind power.

Re: Smart Meters
 

And so the saga continues, my smart meters are still working fine and behaving themselves, nothing hacking my finances or checking up on my comings and goings just sitting there and performing as smart meters (in fact they look a little bit smug rather than just smart).

No, the problem is British Gas not knowing left hand from right testical and causing me pain. It started Friday Morning a letter arrived from them with this years home heating allowance and telling me to go the Post Office to put the allowance on my meter.
Well, no, British Gas you don't seem to have got the hang of it yet do you? With a smart meter I do nothing and someone in your central office tells a computer to credit my meter AUTOMATICALLY!

I grabbed my mobile and rang their helpline displayed in the letter,

in a queue...

...

...finally through to machine informing my that landlines are only to be used at moment by new customers because of some other company going bust and could I go online and use the chat helpline?

This I did, logged into my British Gas account, was then asked by a machine what my enquiry was about:-

It went a bit like this:-

I typed heating allowance.
Was sent to a site to apply for warm heating allowance.
Struggled to tell machine I had heating allowance already just wanted to get it put on my smart meter.

One moment I'll transfer you. (another automatic machine)

Good morning, please enter the address that you would like us to fit new smart meters.

struggled to tell machine I had smart meters already could I talk to a person (finally got that choice).
Operators busy You are 28 in queue
this message repeated decreasing the number until 20 minutes later in touch with person.
Went through it all again from being asked if I wanted to apply for heating allowance to having my meters upgraded!
Finally I had the person at the other end realise what I wanted unfortunately I had been put through to wrong department they would transfer me.

Operators busy You are 33 in queue

this message repeated decreasing the number until 35 minutes later in touch with person.

This person knew what I wanted told me I had smart meters and that it was a clerical error they would fix immediately thank you for calling goodbye
I was then directed to a questionnaire about BG's help team and my experiences They even had a section where I could tell them in my own words!
I didn't swear, but I did enjoy telling them some home truths which will no doubt be used to ensure my next visit is even worse, was very complimentary about the last operator after all he/she actually was capable of doing their job under what must be horrific circumstances.

I then headed to the pub for some calm down juice.

Re: Smart Meters
 

Less, I feel for you.
I don’t think there is anything more irritating than number crunching or not being able to speak to a human(without a long wait…or the blah blah about their website which invariably solves nothing)
I got a phone call from my energy supplier on Friday….telling me my energy readings were due.
I had read the meters that morning(I have it on reminder)….submitted my reading and paid the bill within, oh less than five minutes.
Nae bother!

Re: Smart Meters
 

Been there, done that, Less, a few times. Very frustrating, listening to the same messages, same music, hanging on to the phone for ages while waiting to be answered and then no satisfaction at the end of it.

I have a further problem and that is even though I have lived over here many years I still have an accent, have never tried to change it. When the automated voice asks me to ‘say in a few words…..’ whatever I say either can’t be recognised or is interpreted incorrectly. ‘Do you mean….’ the voice says, saying something completely different to what I have said. Even after several attempts to make ‘it’ understand, the suggestions it makes are still not what I am asking about. I am then told the voice doesn’t understand my request and to phone again. Good manners though as it always says ‘thank you for calling’.

I wonder how people with really strong foreign accents get on - or is just my Lancashire one. I wish they would bring back real people, preferably without accents that I can’t understand.

Re: Smart Meters
 

well the call centres i use seem to all have accents from anywhere but great britain. all accents sound much stronger on the phone than they do face to face which just adds to the problem we all face.