Smart meters for electricity - yes or no

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I live alone in an old, hard-to-heat house and am looking at ways to save on bills & waste less (of everything). Would a smart meter be a good idea?

yes

We recently got a smart meter. It's brilliant but v depressing seeing how much the tumble dryer uses (love my tumble dryer)

I've got one of those old-fashioned dolly dryers (it's only me so I'm not overwhelmed with washing/drying) and no dish-washer so my main usage is probably heating + boiling the kettle for my zillion daily cups of tea.
Daft question but where does the meter go and how big is it? Is it a hassle having it fitted?

I asked on MN and the general consensus was no way, I can't remember the reasons but if you do a search you might well be able to find the thread.

I won't have one because my energy supplier for well stroppy with me for not wanting one yet. Puts you off when they insist, lie telling you it's compulsory and setting up appointments to have it installed when I hadn't made one.

Weirded me out a smite, why are they being so forceful?

No. It won’t be of any benefit to you. It will probably allow the electricity company to find out the peak time you use power and it will enable them raise their prices accordingly. I believe that if you change suppliers, the smart meter won’t necessarily be compatible with the new software and may not work.

If it's a SMETS 2 meter, it'll still work if you change supplier, and nothing to lose. Don't bother getting one of the older smart meters.
Have to admit I'm not convinced they save much money as most people know what uses most electric - anything that generates heat and motion, usually. Timers so you only heat the house for when people are in, and insulation, and alternatives to dryers are usually where people can invest to save.

Yes, but only if its the version that can switch between suppliers

It will only be good, if you take other measures to reduce your consumption, extra insulation, more efficient appliances, turning things down/off/using them less. On their own they do nothing apart from tell you how much it is all costing. You can also do all the energy saving measures without a smart meter.

I'm currently being hounded by Eon who are at the stage of sending me letters telling me they will come and install the smart meter on X date and I have to contact them to tell them not to as I refuse to have one until they work when you switch supplier as it's just a pointless waste of resources.

My contract is up with them in a few weeks so it's highly unlikely that I will stay with them as I have better things to do than argue with energy companies who ignore your requests and lie about smart meters.

It is a SMETS 2 option so that aspect is fine.
I'll have a hunt for the previous thread Brizzle - thanks.

gamerchick
I was the same I had a call from my supplier, they said I should have one fitted when I explained that I am happy with my card meter and do not want to change she all but called me stupid for not taking there 'wonderful' offer .
Although I still would not of changed there and then if she has been more civil and professional I may of done if my circumstances changed.

I read recently that the smart meters that are being installed now are almost all SMETS1 and the few that are SMETS2 don't work very well.

In addition, you can't have one if your mobile phone signal isn't very good, which applies to us for EE and O2 at least due to local geography, but I don't know which network they run on.

I won’t do it simply because EDF are doing my head in with letters, emails, calls etc telling me that I need one.
I’m being stubborn. I don’t need it and don’t want it.

New smart meters can change supplier no problem.

The benefit to you in cash terms will be negligible, but it may influence your useage (see education above re tumble dryers).

What it will do is help build a more secure network and give us stable energy for years to come as the suppliers learn to deliver for supply and demand and use less coal fired methods , so I think it is for the greater good, rather than your own.

Exactly Angie, no need for it. Even if they have targets, getting heavy handed never wins people over.

I don't need a smart meter to tell me that tumble dryers, electric showers, ovens etc use more electricity than TVs and radios.

I don't see how the type of metering influences the stability of the supply and the network or the type of fuel used for power generation.

They already have a pretty good handle on peaks and troughs in demand, eg effects of the weather, everyone putting their ovens on Christmas Day to cook a turkey, heavy industry that only runs during the working week, effect of everyone getting up to put the kettle on during breaks in major sporting events/the X factor etc.

And how would smart meters influence use of coal/sun/wind/tidal etc to generate energy?

Thanks for all the responses. I've now tracked down the previous threads on the subject and discovered that if you have a rubbish mobile signal (I do) then you'll have problems. So that decides it really.

I was told by a previous supplier that they had made an appointment to fit one and how I didn't need to be in because the meter was outside my house. I wrote back and told them that the meter might be outside but it was still in my garden and they did not have permission to come into my garden for the any other purpose than reading the meter unless I was present.

No reply but no new meter either.

No, you know how much energy you are using as you are the person who has turnes the appliance or light on! The advertising is sayimg that with a smart meter you will "be in control of your usage", but you already are in control of that!

This thread is useful
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/3183028-To-ask-why-the-hell-energy-companies-keep-desperately-trying-to-push-SMART-METERS

It may make the grid more "stable" in the sense that in the future if people buy more "smart" appliances they will be able to turn off your appliances during peaks,

Smart meters aren't just put in for your benefit. I mean, they're OK, but don't exactly transform your life - after a few weeks of being able to track your energy usage, you get bored and chuck the gadget in a drawer.

They are however, very good for the country as a whole, and so we should all be installing them. The trick is explaining why. It's not just this country - they're going in world-wide.

Not a chance, if suppliers have to lie through their teeth implying they are mandatory that tells me enough to know I probably don't want one.

That and the number of people know who have had issues changing suppliers when they have one. And issues in general.

At the moment I quite enjoy my suppliers increasingly threatening letters and making appointments for mine to be installed on my behalf, must be annoying that they always knock on a door that remains unanswered.

I receive regular 'invitations' from Eon to have a free smart meter fitted too.

Am holding out until I really have to - as have read about the pita when it comes to changing suppliers etc.

Also I know how much power we use. I go around switching off all the appliances and DH puts them back on

I prefer to be in charge of my own meter readings.

The older ones don’t transfer to other energy companies. Ours never worked, even when a booster signal was fitted. It just sits in the understairs cupboard, doing nothing.

We’ve changed companies several times since the original. So it’s just a nuisance at the moment.