Are there any dowsides to having a smart meter?

[areyoureadytobestrong]

I've got a letter offering a free upgrade to a smart meter and I wonder if there's a catch at all.
The old meter is in a high cupboard which is inconvenient for taking meter readings so it might be good to swap.
But someone said to me that if you get a smart meter then you can't switch suppliers afterwards as easily. Does anyone know if that's true?

Yes that has been my experience

Money saving expert emailed about moving to Bulb which was cheaper than utilia who I'm now stuck with who were suspiciously eager to put in the smart meter

Turns out I can't move to Bulb because due to my smart meter they would only be able to DD the bill and I have prepayment cards for both gas and electric to avoid racketeering connected to bills

So essentially although utility claimed they didn't lock me in due to the small print of the smart meter that's what happened

Also they are a complete ballache to use

Avoid until the very last minute if them going national

Ever since we've had one I've had monthly reminders asking me to read the meter so I can't see any advantage to having it. Also they fitted it facing away from the door in the understairs cupboard so you have to clamber in with a series of mirrors to read the bloody thing.

The thing you plug in that tells you what power you're using surely must be using extra electricity as well?

I don't want one because I already know how much electricity I use, I live alone so if the kettle is boiling or the washing machine is on it's because I need them to be! I'm not going to think that I 'won't wash my clothes today' simply because I can see a meter reading going up...

Plus I want to be able to switch when I feel like it and don't particularly want any company to be able to tell when I use most electricity (because I wouldn't put it past them to put the prices up during those 'peak hours' of eleven pm to midnight...)

I have smart meters fitted in my new house because the previous owners opted for them. So far Im not a fan. They just seem like other meters BUT they only show a reading when you press two particular buttons and then the reading only stays for a short while and is black on a green background.

I like to photograph my readings so I have a record of them but by the time I have lifted and focussed my smartphone camera, the display has changed. When I did eventually get the timing right the photo does not show the reading clearly because of the black on green display.

I don't have anything to monitor usage with (the meters are in the cellar) and they dont seem very smart as I still had to ring the energy company with a reading when I moved in and still need to provide monthly readings.

I would not choose them if I moved again.

We have a first gen meter. It didn’t work when it was installed by Ovo. It didn’t work when Ovo installed a booster. That was four years ago. It has never worked and we have switched providers several times since then, so there’s absolutely no chance of it working now or in the future. It just sits in th under stairs cupboard being useless.

I want to slap Maxine Peacock every time I see the advert extolling the virtues of smart meters. There are no virtues.

We haven't long moved house and new house had one in, it's the first time we've had one. So far the most annoying thing is my husband saying "that washing machine cycle cost (however much)" or "you just spent 50p in the shower!" He's not a penny pincher, he's just obsessed with watching it go up to see what everything is costing. Our monthly bills are so far a lot cheaper than in our old house.

When they are universal watch out for the "smart pricing". Boiling the kettle during the adverts of any popular TV programme will suddenly get much more expensive.

I used to work for a company that fit meters around the company (Utility warehouse, Npower and Scottish Power) I'm not sure they have those contracts now but I can tell you one thing.

If your a thrifty person and has a good buffer for budget then a smart meter can help.

If your a realistic type of person who knows they spend more in the winter than summer then do not.

Callers are using old people as a quick grab to achieve their targets. I have never not once told an old person their smart meter is essential. Because the older generation will go without heat because it's not a necessity to them. It is dangerous. Tell your parents and grandparents DO NOT get a smart meter.

Other things to note

If you have different suppliers they'll need different meters. But your Gas won't be smart as they just piggyback on the electric.

You can do the same job as your smart meter by physically looking at your meters and submitting the reading for billing. It's just what the smart meters do. It takes 5 minutes.

If you have an old style electric meter (I'm talking black box on a stick) the distribution network operator or the DNO will have to come and FIT a new backboard as smart meters require the tails going in to be on a backboard. (To be fair it's because they aren't safe so don't let kids play with the wires if you have an old style meter)

If your Gas meter is too far from your electric meter it won't connect.

If you live in an area of poor mobile signal (vodaphone specifically) you won't get any signal for them to connect so pointless.

If you have a prepayment meter then it's useful, don't have the stick the key in just one easy card.

If you swap suppliers you can't swap the meters it's all different.

And lastly they are known to cause arcing and sparking which again fire hazard, it's rare but when it happens its terrifying.

Sometimes the old meters are best.

So unless you are truly lazy and can't commit 5 minutes to reading your meter if you want proper bills. Get a smart meter.

If you are on a prepayment meter get a smart meter, the monitor is rather useful as it lets you know how much you have remaining.

If you are old and pay extra in the summer for the winter DO NOT get a smart meter! Don't fall into their ploys!

If you don't like surprise bills around Christmas probably don't get a smart meter, their estimate will be lower than the actual usage if we have a harsh winter and have the heating on 24/7 but you'll pay that back through summer etc...

I wish I could say the meters are great but I cannot they are flawed and realistically everyone being on a smart meter by 2020 is a horrible idea, a smarter Britain is a great idea it's just smart meters are not the answer to it.

If your bill is expensive please try looking at swapping suppliers, it's listed on every bill you get. Money supermarket, Compare the market, Confused to name a few comparison sites.

I was with British gas and we swapped to bulb, 100% renewable electricity and we save around £70 To £80 pm even on estimated bills.

Loyalty isn't rewarded with the big 6 and swap overs are so easy. If you are using estimated bills swap now because you'll be overpaying in the summer so should get some money back

One supplier insisted we had to have one. I pointed out lack of mobile signal. No problem they said we have ways.
Guy spent hours fitting new meter, special mobile booster

Posted too soon....
Then he had to take the new one out and refit the old one. Because we have no mobile signal.....

My new house had a smart meter installed when we moved in but I had no issues with changing suppliers. Not all suppliers send price data to the smart meter though so once you switch you can see your usage but not the cost.
I had to unplug my receiver and put it in a drawer, it was making me so stressed everytime someone turned something on and the figures went shooting up. I was going round the house like a mad woman shouting ‘who switched something on!’.

P.s. I switched from EDF to Bulb pretty much as soon as I moved in. Much cheaper and green energy.

I haven't got one because when they tried to fit it they couldn't get a signal so it wouldn't work so I've stayed with the old ones. They said they'd be in touch when something changes. My parents tried to get one but their's is in a high cupboard and despite saying this on the phone when booking the appointment the man who came said he couldn't do it because it was too high up.

The biggest downside is something called surge pricing they are doing it in Canada now, power costs double from 0700 to 0900 and again 1600 to 1800 as an example, Canada is making millions extra every month from consumers for supplying the same power as before but they can only do it when a certain percentage of meters are installed.

There was a report on You and Yours about them catching fire. I don't know if the problem has been resolved but it certainly put me off getting one.

Just to put the record straight / pre government regulation some smart meters were incorrectly fitted and one or two caused fires, this negative media has been rehashed by many sources.
Everybody pays a small percentage in their current bills for the maintenance of their existing meters and that remains the same for smart meters.
The installation cost etc is covered by Government funding.
No cost to the customer.
2nd Generation Smart meters allow you to change supplier without your smart meter going dumb.
If your current meter is inaccessible and puts you at risk of overpaying on estimated bills a smart meter is a God send.
I have a smart meter and have had one for nearly two years.
Hope this helps

Everyone pays for the energy they use. If you have a normal meter and pay too much on a direct debit you get your money back!

If you are able to tell if the lights are on or know if you've switched an appliance on you don't need a smart meter to tell you you are using electricity......

Thanks. Honestly, I don’t think I’ll bother!

I had a smets1 fitted and I have been told there is a fix coming so smets1 meters will move with the supplier, its to do with the way the data is sent down the phone line.
I think they convert the smets 1 data into ip protocol and affix an ip address then it will move suppliers but the fix has yet to come

I always source my utility suppliers on the Martin Lewis money saving website and and they are cheap suppliers, compared to the big players, and no one has ever heard of them.
They are cheap for a reason, they don't advertise much and they don't supply second generation smart meters. Most don't supply smart meters at all.
I would like a second generation smart meter but I would rather have cheaper bills so I will stick with the cheaper suppliers.
But personally I don't see any downsides to having one. It gives you focus on your usage and motivates you to turn electrical items off whereas before you might not have bothered.
This might sound cynical but I would assume that a fair percentage of the people who are mistrustful of smart meters are probably the same people who are mistrustful of online banking etc. It's just a trait, ultra safeness.

Downsides? Erm yes,plenty.

If you want to be paying more then yes that's one. These meters benefit the power companies more than anyone. That's been proven.

Not to mention the issues that could arise over the possibility of your power usage being controlled remotely or being used to spy on people as in who comes and goes in your household and what times.
The personal data issue is huge with them and it cannot be understated.

Safety and health issues also. One pp has already mentioned theirs catching fire.

I wouldn't trust them as far as I could throw them and if anyone wants to put one in this house, they'd have to break in and do it.

I'll proudly wear my tin foil hat, thanks.

@Vivianebrookskoviak
If you're paying more then how are these charges passed on to the user?
If it has been proven then how do the meters benefit the power companies more? Do they not have to send meter readers to your house anymore? If that's the case then that's a win win situation for both the user and the power company.
The issues that "could" arise over the possibility of your power usage being controlled remotely or being used to spy on people as in who comes and goes in your household and what times.
So it hasn't happened yet but it could?
If everyone lived their lives not doing things because of things that could happen then society wouldn't progress. You could go out in your car and be involved in a road traffic accident but you still go out in your car don't you?
One person has had theirs catch fire.
One in how many millions? Good grief that's hardly a risk. Sounds like you've got more chance of winning the lottery
Your post and your groundless opinions smack of paranoia and of someone who doesn't look further than Facebook or the Sun newspaper for an informed opinion, and what's even worse is that people will read your post, believe it, and base their decisions on it.
Take a leap of faith sometimes, it can be refreshing and rewarding.

Goodness, some people are paranoid! They only measure the total amount of power you're using, this isn't an episode of Dr Who!
Anyway, get one if you like. Ours stopped working when we switched internet supplier and I've never been added to reconnect it.

The issues that "could" arise over the possibility of your power usage being controlled remotely or being used to spy on people as in who comes and goes in your household and what times.
So it hasn't happened yet but it could?

But of course it will. If you don't pay your bills or are in dispute then they could very easily cut you off remotely. Accidently or not as the case may be.

They will be building up huge and valuable data bases of when power is used and when it's not. It'll be linked to individual addresses too.

They'll know when a house is routinely empty every day and when it looks like you're away.

The data may not be a security risk within the firms ( unless they have a rogue IT employee) but there have been enough data breaches from major companies for me also not to be confident in their security.

Mine hasn’t worked from the day they put it in.
Blank screen.and yes, it’s plugged in.