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Original poster

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

153 replies

Sparklingbrook · 06/02/2021 16:00

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.

OP posts:
justanotherneighinparadise · 06/02/2021 18:27

We have a boiler that was original when our 1970,s house was built. My DP is the only one who can fix it, even the boiler man we called out had to ring someone else to come and help and they had no idea. Hence Dp fixing it 🤭 It sounds like a jet engine when it fires up. It scared me so much when we first moved in that I grabbed our baby and ran out the house 🤣

gamerchick · 06/02/2021 18:28

@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.
I don't want one, because the hard sell and the lying, making it sound like it's compulsory pretty much tells me it's not for the customers benefit.
justanotherneighinparadise · 06/02/2021 18:28

This is the beast

Boring but am I the only person left that doesn't have a smart meter?
chomalungma · 06/02/2021 18:29

If you have a smart meter, in times of shortages they can decide which appliances are essential and which are not and supply electric accordingly

They can't turn off individual devices - but maybe they could limit the power going to your house - which might not be such a bad thing for some people who do waste power.

Remember that scene in Apollo 13 when they have to work out how much current they can draw and have to only turn on essential items.

Bye bye power washers, tumble driers....

dementedpixie · 06/02/2021 18:30

@Babdoc

Putting in smart meters is purely for the utility companies’ benefit, so they can sack all their meter readers and cut the wage bill. Think of the environmental cost of manufacturing all those meters and throwing millions of perfectly functioning old meters into landfill. And don’t get me started on SSE. They keep asking me for a meter reading. I have emailed twice and phoned three times to tell them the meter is outside in a locked cabinet to which only their meter reader has a key. I’ve lived here since 1983 and never had access to it. They claim they can’t send a reader “because Covid”. How they think he will catch it from an isolated cabinet in my front garden, which he can open without even ringing my doorbell, let alone speak to me, I have no idea!
Is it the triangular locking mechanism? You can buy replacement keys as I bought some when I fixed the broken lock on my cabinet
dementedpixie · 06/02/2021 18:33

This is the type of key that opens my meter box

Boring but am I the only person left that doesn't have a smart meter?
Original poster
Sparklingbrook · 06/02/2021 18:33

@justanotherneighinparadise

We have a boiler that was original when our 1970,s house was built. My DP is the only one who can fix it, even the boiler man we called out had to ring someone else to come and help and they had no idea. Hence Dp fixing it 🤭 It sounds like a jet engine when it fires up. It scared me so much when we first moved in that I grabbed our baby and ran out the house 🤣
Wow that picture! I thought ours was a period piece but that's impressive. Grin
OP posts:
SwedishEdith · 06/02/2021 18:34

I've ignored the letters for years but have just realised I don't even send a reading (think I set my Eon account up with an old email address). But the meter reader did come before Xmas and my bill hasn't changed.

Original poster
Sparklingbrook · 06/02/2021 18:35

I haven't got a power washer or a tumble drier, I sometimes leave the radio on for the cat.

OP posts:
IdrisElbow · 06/02/2021 18:35

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

Original poster
Sparklingbrook · 06/02/2021 18:37

I am wishing I had posted in AIBU now complete with vote I think the YANBU score would be impressive to 'AIBU to not want a smart meter?' Grin

OP posts:
zigaziga · 06/02/2021 18:37

They won’t though. I bumped into someone changing the metre next door - same issue as us, period property with thick stone walls - they were installing an old style metre and said there was no point installing a smart metre as it wouldn’t work.
I’m not anti smart metre (I think it’s a really weird thing to be anti on principle) but they don’t work in lots and lots of properties.

zigaziga · 06/02/2021 18:40

Sorry that didn’t quote properly, that was in reply to someone saying that eventually only smart metres will be installed and there’s no issue with them.

billyt · 06/02/2021 18:40

@Sparklingbrook

Oh thanks everyone, it really isn't just me then. Smile

What is the advantage of them? I too just send a meter reading every quarter.

SSE are in my area next week apparently.

They are always in the bloody area!

I have had repeated emails from bloody SSE telling me different stories and how I'd only pay for what I used with a smart meter. But you can't reply by email to tell them to fuck off. No, you need to call. Probably so they can nag you into agreeing.

I don't want a smart meter and I'm quite happy to read the meter and input the readings. Because then I'm only paying for what I've used, right?? I'v been with them for forty years (I know, I know I'm too lazy) but if they keep on I'll definitely look elsewhere

Either my meter is out of date and could give faulty readings, or the meter certificate is out of date so might give faulty readings.

I know the companies have been given a target to hit with smart meter installations but really of no benefit to me so sod 'em.

Give an incentive then maybe I'd think about it.

Knittingnanny · 06/02/2021 18:41

Me neither, I do readings every quarter
I don’t have a water meter either. Thought it would be beneficial as there’s only two of us so had one installed. Found I was paying more so had it disconnected

midnightstar66 · 06/02/2021 18:43

I don't - I totally ignore the emails from npower saying they are coming on Monday to fit it and surprise, they've never turned up yet! Like others the hard sell and bluffing is putting me off and lots of people I know have reported bill increases. Having read this thread I do wonder if my boiler will be too old anyway - the engineers are always amazed it's still going and I don't even have a thermostat in the house, just a dial on the actual boiler with a thick to thin line to say how warm you want it and an old clock style timer where you pop the tiny plastic notched out at the tome you want it on

murbblurb · 06/02/2021 18:45

It isn't to sack meter readers. It is for demand pricing. End of.

You don't pay directly but the cost of the whole programme will go on the bills.for the same or less money every house in the UK could have been properly insulated. Horrendous technological wrong turn, but most politicians are arts graduates so to be expected.

cortex10 · 06/02/2021 18:48

Not until there's no guarantee they won't use it for Surge Pricing - www.scottishenergynews.com/scottish-power-chief-leads-utilities-charge-for-surge-pricing-ahead-of-governments-new-energy-cap/

chomalungma · 06/02/2021 18:50

This is quite interesting on energy usage in a house

Boring but am I the only person left that doesn't have a smart meter?
oddworld · 06/02/2021 18:59

@IdrisElbow

We had a smart meter fitted a few years back and went from being £200 in credit to £600 in debit. I wrangled with them for months and months over it, I'm convinced we didnt use £800 of energy in the space of a couple of months and that it was installing the smart meter that caused a problem. We ended up paying it as it got so stressful but I will never have one fitted.

I get my energy through Bulb now and they don't have smart meters - yet.

Idris, Bulb pestered me for months to get smart meters, with both letters and phone calls. Eventually they wore me down. They then didn't turn up to an appointment when I'd taken half a day off work, so I told them I'd changed my mind. A few months later they started pestering me again, and as I was wfh I agreed. They turned up very late, but I was at home anyway so not too inconvenient, but the fitter told me that they overbook appointments so have to cancel a lot.

Now that I've got the smart meters I cannot see any benefit to me at all. It does show how much we're using, but I can't see why that would motivate me to use less - it's not like it can show exactly how much each appliance uses. I don't understand why there's apparently a big government push to get them installed - far better to put the money into replacing inefficient boilers or insulating lofts, etc. In a way smart meters could make people notice their energy use less, because you don't have to send readings or check your bills, and I think they adjust your direct debits more accurately, so I imagine some people notice what they're using less than they might do if they had to give meter readings.

I have changed my energy company since I got smart meters and that was fine, so at least it doesn't seem to cause switching problems.

Babdoc · 06/02/2021 19:19

dementedpixie if it ever stops raining, I will paddle outside and see what the lock looks like! Thanks for that, it would be v handy if I can get a cheap replacement key.
Locksmiths up here quote hundreds to change house locks - I never thought it might be a generic key for all boxes and utility companies, let alone available for the public to buy.

Mmmmdanone · 06/02/2021 19:21

I got them about 3 years ago. they are the older style and now don't work. It's been a pain! These days I think they are supposed to transfer to different suppliers, which mine didn't. I'm getting new ones fitted soon but wish I'd never got them at all.

Beaniecats · 06/02/2021 19:23

I won't have one

LunaHeather · 06/02/2021 19:25

@chomalungma

If you have a smart meter, in times of shortages they can decide which appliances are essential and which are not and supply electric accordingly

They can't turn off individual devices - but maybe they could limit the power going to your house - which might not be such a bad thing for some people who do waste power.

Remember that scene in Apollo 13 when they have to work out how much current they can draw and have to only turn on essential items.

Bye bye power washers, tumble driers....

I will make my own decisions about how I use power, thanks.

I have also heard that for those who want them, it's a good idea to wait because as ever with new tech, it's got lots of glitches.

LittleBoxes · 06/02/2021 19:27

I booked an appointment to get one fitted a year or so ago. Took the day off work and everything. The fitter was in the house for about two minutes, long enough to tell me that the housing of the meter is an old-fashioned type that is a possible asbestos risk if you open it up, so no can do. Hasn't stopped SSE bombarding me with emails asking me to get one though.