Boring but am I the only person left that doesn't have a smart meter?

[Sparklingbrook]

SSE are bombarding me with letters and phone calls about getting someone around to fit one.
What's in it for me? And what does it entail to have one fitted? We currently have the two cupboards with doors with a little key for Gas and Electricity and the meters are inside.

I have little interest in seeing exactly what we're using, it's always the same and we do everything we can to not waste energy.

I always say no too. I had one sneaky letter telling me my old meter was old and had to be replaced with a smart meter but I knew that was false as I had a new (standard) meter fitted a couple of years ago.

@fairynick

Hi, work in the industry. Don’t understand at all why people are so AGAINST smart meters. They only difference is that you don’t have to send your meter reading off every month, because the SM does it automatically. The first version of the SM became dumb meters when you switched supplier, but they are no longer being offered. The generation SMETS2 have been rolled out, so they are universal and still work when you switch- again can make switching easier because you don’t need to worry about a closing or opening reading. For prepayment customers smartmeters come with more convenience, instead of having to go to the shop with a key and card, you can top up using a mobile app or online. This isn’t an advert for smartmeters, just genuinely puzzled why so many people seem really reluctant about having them fitted.

Two reasons for me.

1 - I don't respond well to the hard sell and for making it seem like you are required to have one. The more they push, telling you they are coming and acting like they decide, the more my response is fuck off.

2 - how does it benefit me? I already supply regular meter readings and I use the energy I need. So for what reason do I need a smart meter?

We seem to have one of those houses that whenever any sort or repair is required or something needs replacing then there's lots of sucking of teeth by the tradesperson. Lots of 'Mmm not seen this before' or something is a little bit different to what they expect. I can't see having one fitted going well even if I wanted one.

Very grateful for all this confirmation it's not worth it.

We only recently got ours installed. The process somehow fucked our fire/smoke alarms. It's something about an electricity surge, I think- other people have reported their boilers breaking down after their meters were fitted too.

If they offer me a 50% discount, or more, then maybe.

But meanwhile, NO. Just no. And the fewer devices spying on me in my home, the better. I'm sure Saint Boris would love everyone to have a smart meter: it would make the lockdown rool-breakerz easier to spot.

@bestbitsbetter

We only recently got ours installed. The process somehow fucked our fire/smoke alarms. It's something about an electricity surge, I think- other people have reported their boilers breaking down after their meters were fitted too.

I had them installed a few years ago, but have recently changed the suppliers and it is now no different to the normal meter. It’s a bit of a pain giving gas readings again but that’s just because it’s in a cupboard where I keep shoes, hoover, etc. so I have to move everything.

The electric one is in a kitchen cupboard, so easily accessible but each month I forget which numbers on the display are the actual readings. I have to google which ones are the day and night reading (no idea what the rest of them mean). But that’s just me!

Apart from that not much difference. I’m sure they have been marketed as being more accurate too but I’m not sure why that would be the case unless your current display is faulty?

Installation wasn’t a much of an issue, from what I can remember but again that probably depends in the location of your current ones.

We haven't got one either but I did notice that last time I moved suppliers that some cheaper tariffs were only available if you had one.

@Sparklingbrook

I only want one if there's some advantage to me. I am not seeing there being one yet.

I don't understand why this makes the difference? Eventually they will all be smart anyway. When your meters come to the end of their lifespan it will be changed for smart. The bigger vision for smart is to have energy efficient ergonomic homes and businesses. A grid that can provide cleaner energy more efficiently (by being better able to predict peaks times of consumption)

There is absolutely no advantage in having one. I'm not getting one.

I have one, the tariff my electric car runs off uses a smart meter 🤷🏻‍♀️.

I don't understand why this makes the difference?

Why don't you understand @Nancylovesthecock? I am not wanting to take a day off work to have something installed that I don't want and gives me no advantage and may even cause me a shed load of problems reading some of the replies I've had.

If a time comes when they are all smart then I'll have to have one but at this moment in time I'm not seeing why it's necessary.

Are you the lady that rang me earlier?

Haven’t got one and don’t want one

No, I don't want one

Two experiences:
Mine - power company never asked me if I wanted one, but kept sending appointments to have one fitted. No-one ever turned up. 🤔

DM's - moved into a place with one (now supplied by SSE incidentally).
Display stopped working about a month ago. All calls fruitless until today's calls.
Call number 5: got put through to someone, who asked lots of questions then put me on hold. Next thing you know, I'm back in the main queue, then through to a person who put the phone down on me.
Call number 6: 30 mins into the conversation they tell me the meter isn't working - and that's been the problem all along. No-one else had bothered to check if they were still getting readings.
Needless to say, I've made a complaint.

It's confirmed my resolve that I don't want or need one.

We "have" one, but it ceased to be smart after about 6 months when we switched providers. It was a condition of a fixed tariff. The 1st generation "smart bit" is now unplugged and we simply read the metres monthly for our utility provider.

Our old meters could have featured on Antiques Roadshow. It took 3 man days to replace them and the replacements are smaller. On the plus side we did get a gas safety check and now have a bit more cupboard space.

I don't have one. I won't have one.

I've told my supplier two years ago that I won't have one and to stop contacting me about it. All credit to them, they stopped contacting me! I am perfectly capable of reading my own meters thanks.

I don't I get an email reminding me once a week.
Don't want one tbh

I haven't got one. Both my electric and gas are prepay so I know exactly what I'm spending. Why waste time and money installing something that serves absolutely no purpose.

@fairynick I'm not against smart meters, but not getting one for two reasons. Firstly, there's too much hard sell and the more I get told I MUST HAVE something or NEED something, the more I don't want that something. Secondly, if all it does is means you don't have to do a job that takes seconds every so often then I really don't see why that's so much easier. Seems like a faff for nowt really.

I change suppliers regularly to stick with the cheapest at that time. The last time was only fairly recently. Quick compare of tariffs on the internet, pick the cheapest. When it came to the time took a meter reading and told only new company. Then old company sent me a new bill using this meter reading which I then paid. Simple.

Rather stick to what I know than to make a risk of getting one just to have any issues.

So there's no advantage to the consumer but they REALLY want us all to have one so they reach a target?

We got one. It doesn't work. Gas and electricity company now seem to have no idea how much we have used, so are coming up with ridiculous figures based on what they think we should be using, far more than previous years. I'd say our meter is far from smart.

I keep refusing because,
A, I hate the way they phone up as though I've already agreed to get one and just need to confirm an installation appointment
B, I think DH and DS3 (Class Eco committee rep three years running) will be even worse for turning things off,
C, I'm not happy with my current supplier and can't wait until my contract is up so don't want them to get the 'credit'.

There is no benefit for the consumer except a chance of holding up our underpowered grid. Smart meters are there to allow demand pricing, because there are too many of us for the supply. As we get more and more down the wind dead end , the grid will become less reliable ( think typical UK winter of cold and no wind). So demand will be managed with price.

Smart meters are not reliable, especially in poor signal 2g areas, and the gas ones have a battery with around a ten year life. When the battery goes the gas is cut off.

Electricity in greenie Germany is 32p a unit. Get ready.

Obviously they don't help you save money unless you a real fool who doesn't understand what uses energy.