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Original poster

Smart meter installation.

57 replies

ALongHardWinter · 16/03/2019 16:34

A few days ago I received a letter from my electricity supplier,Scottish and Southern Electric (SSE),asking me to phone them to make an appointment to have a new meter installed. The words 'Smart Meter' were not mentioned in the letter,it merely said they needed to install 'a new,up-to-date meter'. For various reasons,I am not at all keen to have a Smart Meter. Is this a ploy on their part to fit one in my house? I've been reliably informed that it a not compulsory,or a legal requirement to have one,that I am entitled to refuse one. But I've heard and read numerous stories about people being told they 'must have one',or even having one installed without their knowledge (i.e. being told it is a non-smart meter,and only finding out afterwards that it is not). Has anyone had any experience of this?

OP posts:

Tinty · 18/03/2019 12:35

@SmartEnergyGB

So a smart meter won't save me money but will cost me money?

And what about the jobs for meter readers? You didn't mention what will happen to their jobs when we all have smart meters?

Tinty · 18/03/2019 12:41

There might even be instances where you could get paid to use energy when the power system needs us to use more power. This often happens when there is too much renewable energy on the system, like a windy winters night; it's difficult to turn wind farms off, but easy to turn washing machines on...

Ha ha ha ha ha, of course they will.

Presumably this has been happening for a long time as wind farms have been around for years now. I haven't had any phone calls from my electric company asking me to turn on my washing machine and they will pay me! It has been particularly windy the last few weeks where I am, but no one has called.

Tinty · 18/03/2019 12:59

Alex Henney also believes the introduction of smart meters is a waste of money. He is a former government adviser on energy privatisation and ex-director of London Electricity.

"A dog's breakfast... misconceived and astonishingly expensive."
Gordon Hughes, Professor of Economics
In a written statement to the Parliamentary Energy and Climate Change Committee four years ago – a year before smart meters started to be installed – he wrote: 'The British roll-out of smart meters is one of the most incompetent, one of the most expensive, and definitely the most complex."

'The project is likely to be a shambles with negligible consumer benefit.'

Henney stated civil servants 'cooked the books' to give meters a net benefit of almost £5billion – but independent analysis found it would end up costing the nation at least £4billion.

Even the Government's own savings projections look poor value for money. It claims meters may provide households with initial savings of £23 a year.

But £13 of this annual saving is expected to come from the money that energy companies will pocket by no longer having to send meter reader workers out to come and visit.

All found with a quick google.

whitehalleve · 18/03/2019 12:59

They're not universal so I definitely won't get one. Who wants the hassle of having to get a new meter put in if you change supplier.

Foxyloxy1plus1 · 18/03/2019 13:05

@SmartEnergyGB. They don’t work. Ours sits in the understairs cupboard and does absolutely nothing and it’s been the same for four years. We’re being encouraged to switch utility suppliers to get the best deal, so what is the point of having a meter that doesn’t work with a different company.

Ours never worked, even with the company that installed it. No point in encouraging people until you sort the technology.

Tinty · 18/03/2019 13:07

Just googled and it will cost me about £1 a year to run a smart meter. It will also cost me £1.23 to leave my TV on standby.

I am going with leaving the TV on standby and not having a smart meter. So the £1 running costs of a smart meter saved, means it only costs me £0.23 per year to leave my TV on standby, so it's all good. .

SmartMetersAreShit · 18/03/2019 13:12

Am I the only person here who feels a little uncomfortable that what appears to be a commercial operation is being allowed to post on Mumsnet with no clear explanation as to their sponsors or agenda ?

DGRossetti · 18/03/2019 13:13

That's before you start totting up all the plastic that would be used in making smart meters ...

itbemay1 · 18/03/2019 13:21

Just refuse. We set an installation date and the engineer came and would have had to drill a hole in our Victorian electric box cupboard so we refused. He left. No smart meter. Secretly pleased as DH is a stickler for 'its like Blackpool illuminations in here' comments and switching off lights, I suspect he would have been watching it constantly and moaning!

WombatChocolate · 18/03/2019 13:35

A key disadvantage is them not currently being transferable between suppliers. Those who are money savvy regularly switch energy suppliers for the best deal - a smart meter will delay or make this more difficult.
Until they can be used with any supplier (apparently coming) I would avoid to maintain supplier flexibility.

And yes to outrageous use of tactics and misinformation to ‘encourage’ people to take a smart meter.

DGRossetti · 18/03/2019 13:45

And yes to outrageous use of tactics and misinformation to ‘encourage’ people to take a smart meter.

Which immediate suggest an ulterior motive - which is reason alone to refuse.

chickenalapesh · 18/03/2019 13:47

@SmartMetersAreShit 😂 your name

ItsAllGone19 · 18/03/2019 14:14

If smart electricity meters can "save energy" then why aren't there smart water meters and smart gas meters (would be the question to respond with ...)

There are smart gas meters and water companies are running trials with water versions.

Aside from the government telling companies to get these installed they increase the amount of online self serve that customers can do which reduces costs and loses people jobs so companies have a vested interest in rolling them out.

Ultimately you'll get to a point where not having a smart meter will substantially disadvantage you in terms of tariffs so you'll have to pay more for your electricity and gas because you don't qualify for a smart tariff. This has already started, most of the big companies offer their lowest rates to fully online customers with smart meters.

I refuse to have one installed personally, but I know I'm just delaying the inevitable.

DGRossetti · 18/03/2019 14:18

I refuse to have one installed personally, but I know I'm just delaying the inevitable.

Alternatively, you're waiting for the kinks to be ironed out ...

WombatChocolate · 18/03/2019 14:32

You’re right though - in time, not having one will be unusual and mean they need to send the meter reader adding to costs and pushing up prices.

We will be like the direct debit refusers - faced with higher bills!

Hopefully before we reach that stage they will be universal. It’s the lack of that, so tying you more to one supplier which I think is restricting competition that I most object to.

DGRossetti · 18/03/2019 14:37

It’s the lack of that, so tying you more to one supplier which I think is restricting competition that I most object to.

I object to the bullshit being used to push them. If they were honest, and said "Hey guys, thanks to your being hoodwinked (greenwinked ?) by the Green brigade, it's economically impossible to increase electricity generation; the next best thing is to fool people into having meters that will allow us to reduce consumption. Sign here". I would be a little less . I still wouldn't sign, mind you, but at least there's some honesty.

The DAB radio farce was a precursor - and a warning ....

LemonBreeland · 18/03/2019 14:38

OP I had calls about this recently. I told them I don't want one until they can at least move with suppliers, as I change energy supplier fairly regularly. They took me off their list for now.

Fluffyears · 18/03/2019 15:16

How will it save me money. I use what I need. We sit at night with the tv on and two lamps. I turn off lights and appliances not in use....i’m not suddenly going to not wash my pants in case it costs me 5pence or not charge my phone because it costs 1 pence....I really don’t understand why I need one. If you wander around leaving appliances and lights on then wonder why your bill is high you are an idiot and a smart meter won’t solve that!

DGRossetti · 18/03/2019 15:26

How will it save me money.

If electricity is more expensive (say) 06:00-18:00 and cheaper 18:00-06;00 (well this week anyway) you could set your washing machine to go overnight and use cheaper electricity.

Or something like that.

Fluffyears · 18/03/2019 16:00

@DGrosetti I don’t use my machine overnight as the spin would wake my neighbours and washing machines csn be a fire risk so i prefer to be awake when it’s on. Also how much would I save? 3pence?

DGRossetti · 18/03/2019 16:08

Fluffyears

I don't think you have the right attitude

Teenagedream · 18/03/2019 16:15

Wouldn't be without our smart meter. Really makes us think about what we are using and we have already reduced our electric and gas bills.

Princessdebthe1st · 18/03/2019 16:30

As well as issues of smart meter failure and the inability of the 1st generation meters being unable to switch between suppliers, even if these issues are resolved I won't have one in our house. My husband has OCD and money is something that triggers his anxiety. Having the smart meter would become another thing he obsesses over and I would bed up killing him! That would not save me money!

DGRossetti · 18/03/2019 16:33

Really makes us think about what we are using and we have already reduced our electric and gas bills.

How did your smart electricity meter save you gas ?

Teenagedream · 18/03/2019 17:29

We have dual fuel from EDF so it records gas and electricity.

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