Smart meter government scheme

[eyeswideshit]

Just had (another) knock at my door from a guy trying to get me to change over to a smart meter.

He stated he was a representative from the government and council and that with a government scheme I could get a smart meter fitted and be given £200 a year along with reduced bills, whilst still being with my current supplier.

I asked for the name of this government scheme, which he couldn't give me, and again asked who he worked for. He showed me his lanyard very quickly, said he was a government representative and then showed me a logo on his coat briefly. I belive it was o-something energy. (really annoyed with myself that I can't remember it!)

I told him that he wasn't the first to come to my door with fantastic offers surrounding smart meter installation and that I'd rather search for this government scheme myself if it is available. Alas, it can only be done through him. So I said thanks but no thanks.

I've had a look online and can't find a government scheme or anything remotely similar to what he tried to sell me.

So anyone knows of this scheme please enlighten me! I really don't want a smart meter, but if you're going to pay me £200 quid a year to have one then I could be persuaded to change my mind.

[GertrudeCB]

Why dont you want one ?

[FuzzyPuffling]

I don't want a smart meter because

1. I know how to reduce my electricity consumption (I'm very frugal as it is)
   
2. They are not transferrable from one company to another
   
3. I don't want a little flashy thing taking up space anywhere in my house
   4)They actually use electricity to operate (ok, only a tiny amount, but nevertheless)
   
4. I hate being forced into anything like this that I do not see as being a benefit to me.
   
   And no, OP I know of no Government scheme like this

[eyeswideshit]

I agree fuzzy. I hardly put any money on as it is, they always tell me I'm lying when I say how much I actually spend on gas and electric. One company told me I could save £400 a year, I don't put that much on in the first place.

[UserUndone]

Search Mark Steele on YouTube. He's a weapons expert. See what he has to say about smart meters and 5G. You seriously do not want a smart meter!

[namechangedforourprivacy]

They'll tell you anything to get you to agree because they're on commission. It's all bullshit.

Self and neighbors got told SH landlord had signed up to it and they were here to fit them and we where going to all be given £200 credit on our bills as compensation for our time while they fitted them.

I stood my ground refused, and contacted landlord. They knew nothing, but neighbor had it fitted and thought little of it.
I also contacted the supplier. The 'compensation' wasn't credit, it was the amount you where expected to be better off per anum, which compensated your time! (in my case it would save me nothing anyway)

Then neighbors bills came in.
The price per unit was the same, but effectively the amount of power in a unit had been reduced twice without them having any knowledge. Supplier claimed they would have been sent letters after each reduction informing them.
In debt they now can't change supplier and are being held hostage by a system they never asked for, where lied to about, and has left them with fewer choices.

The only government scheme is them trying to get us all to have one for their convenience and profit, and in fairness, power management.

[Rememberallball]

The other lie is that it is a requirement that every household has them fitted by XX date (in different calls/letters I’ve been told 2020 and 2023) however, the truth is that the energy suppliers have to make them available to all consumers but we are under no obligation to take them up on their offers. Not only do the smart meters use a small amount of electricity they also require connection via you internet - and a lot of people find they don’t actually stay connected to the internet so consumption is guessed at rather than being accurately calculated.

[FuzzyPuffling]

I switch my internet off if I'm out for any length of time. And overnight. And the mobile signal in my house is rubbish downstairs. I think they'd have some difficulty with me!

[Wombleish]

Every few months I get a text from DH saying the energy company had texted him to arrange to have a smart meter fitted. I always tell him to tell them to fuck off He doesn't do that, spoilsport, but does tell them we're not interested.

Twice we've had an engineer just turn up at the door saying they've come to change the meter and when I said we didn't want one, both have said they wouldn't have them themselves either as there are too many drawbacks right now and they were waiting for the next gen before doing so.

[BiBabbles]

The scheme sounds like bullshit and there are a few scam groups going around about smart meters so I'd avoid any that came to the door.

The 1st generation smart meters are not transferable (and really should not have been rolled out as they were), the newer 2nd generation one are and don't require constant internet connection, they just update once they have one so switching off isn't really an issue. I'm not entirely convinced of their benefits yet and they were definitely hyped up too soon with the first ones mostly because tech solutions are very popular, but some of the conspiracy theories on them aren't exactly any more convincing.

[YeOldeTrout]

We just got a SM (free). DH loves it. It's kind of interesting, seeing what's using how much. We have solar panels so nice to see exporting as it happens, too.

[donkey86]

DH works in smart metering... we don’t have one ourselves. He says they will be good, but they’re not there yet, so wait until the technology gets better.