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Original poster

Is there any reason not to get a smart meter?

111 replies

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 01/09/2021 23:24

Just been offered one by our power company, it would be a lot easier than taking meter readings as the current meter is at the back of the garage and I can't get to it at all so I have to get dh to take a reading.

My dad is very anti them, not sure why...Grin

OP posts:
leavingtime · 02/09/2021 11:40

Same here Jaffa I will not get a smart meter. I know how much electricity I use and am very frugal. Reading the meter once a month is no problem at all.

Once they know people's peak times those tariffs will go up.

Horehound · 02/09/2021 11:54

Rwm the peak time tarrifs it seems to be they have all disappeared.
It used to be one rate through the night so I'd run my dishwasher, washing machine, tumble drier then. But now it's just one rate, all the time.
I think they want to get away from peak and bon peak tarriff and just charge the one rate, which we are all doing right now. And it will not be in our favour obviously but we can't do anything about it.
And those of you not wanting a smart meter because you know how much you use and it's not a hassle to do a meter reading ..fair enough but you'll be going into the higher rates anyway 🤷

PattyPan · 02/09/2021 11:59

There are already effectively tariffs for using your electricity during peak time, and unless you’re on Economy 7, that’s your current tariff!

So many objections on this thread based on incorrect info. Yes you can change supplier, no a smart meter won’t break your boiler (Hmm), and they are no more likely to be measuring your usage wrongly than a normal meter.

PositiveLife · 02/09/2021 12:08

I don't see the benefit of it. I know I'm using energy for the things I use - a device telling me that my laptop uses electricity doesn't change the fact I have to work, etc.

I keep ignoring the letters. I really don't think they'll be able to fit mine anyway. My gas meter is in the back of a kitchen cupboard and I reckon they'd have to rip my kitchen out to change it.

Horehound · 02/09/2021 12:09

That's not the point of the device 🤦

TonTonMacoute · 02/09/2021 12:11

DH is working on a contract with a big power company to roll out smart meters.

His boss said to him one day that there is no good reason to get a smart meter and that he would never have one installed.

reprehensibleme · 02/09/2021 12:12

DDad had one installed about 4 mths ago - worthless piece of junk. It rarely gives usage info for electricity and hasn't given any information for gas since it was installed. Thought they were supposed to show usage in an effort to get people to stop wasting power - from that perspective it's been completely useless.

Onestep2021 · 02/09/2021 12:19

Am
I right to think that a smart meter would allow your electricity to be ‘switched off’ much more easily than if you didn’t have one?

Does anyone know?

PattyPan · 02/09/2021 14:08

@Onestep2021 if you’re talking about providers disconnecting customers for unpaid bills then yes and no. Yes they can disconnect you remotely without sending an engineer. But no it isn’t any easier because they still have to follow the same legal process so it’s no more likely to happen than with a standard meter.

Citizens advice says:
If you have a smart energy meter in your home, your supplier could potentially disconnect your supply remotely without needing to access to your meter. However, before they do this, they must have:

contacted you to discuss options for repaying your debt, eg through a repayment plan
visited your home to assess your personal situation and whether this would affect you being disconnected, eg if you’re disabled or elderly
www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/energy/energy-supply/problems-with-your-energy-supply/if-youve-been-told-your-energy-supply-will-be-disconnected/

You can still have a smart meter with pre-payment, so they would move you onto that.

GnomeyGnome · 02/09/2021 15:13

Before I got the smart meter I, of course, knew when I was using electricity but that doesn't mean I knew how much it was costing me. Everything in my home is electric bar the hob. I find the usage monitor extremely useful to keep an eye on how much I've spent already and if I need to put a bit more aside to cover any extra heating etc. Just because you wouldn't find to useful doesn't mean others can't.

GnomeyGnome · 02/09/2021 15:13

^ that was to @Bitofachinwag

Nosferatussidebit · 02/09/2021 16:21

I'm not sure there's any reason to have them. They need to be a certain distance from the meter, and near a plug and because our meters are in the cellar, so is the smart meter. It doesn't send automatic meter readings because it can't connect to the network (being in the cellar) so it's absolutely useless.

grisen · 02/09/2021 16:22

@Horehound yes I'm aware. But the damn smart meter didn't work anyways, as per my post.

Bitofachinwag · 02/09/2021 21:43

[quote PattyPan]@Onestep2021 if you’re talking about providers disconnecting customers for unpaid bills then yes and no. Yes they can disconnect you remotely without sending an engineer. But no it isn’t any easier because they still have to follow the same legal process so it’s no more likely to happen than with a standard meter.

Citizens advice says:
If you have a smart energy meter in your home, your supplier could potentially disconnect your supply remotely without needing to access to your meter. However, before they do this, they must have:

contacted you to discuss options for repaying your debt, eg through a repayment plan
visited your home to assess your personal situation and whether this would affect you being disconnected, eg if you’re disabled or elderly
www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/energy/energy-supply/problems-with-your-energy-supply/if-youve-been-told-your-energy-supply-will-be-disconnected/

You can still have a smart meter with pre-payment, so they would move you onto that.[/quote]
Well, according to the law currently.

FuckPilledLatteplus · 02/09/2021 21:45

Too many bastards stealing my data. I don’t need any more spies in my life

Bitofachinwag · 02/09/2021 21:53

@GnomeyGnome

Before I got the smart meter I, of course, knew when I was using electricity but that doesn't mean I knew how much it was costing me. Everything in my home is electric bar the hob. I find the usage monitor extremely useful to keep an eye on how much I've spent already and if I need to put a bit more aside to cover any extra heating etc. Just because you wouldn't find to useful doesn't mean others can't.
You might find it useful, ans that is fine of course. However, even with a normal meter you do know how much you are using and how much it costs. You can easily work it out from your readings. But it was mainly the silly incorrect advertising I was objecting to, and if they need to resort to incorrect claims just to get people to agree to having a smart meter it doesn't sound like a great deal really.
LadyPoison · 02/09/2021 21:56

Hate them.

Smart pricing is the inevitable result which will penalise working families and those with young children with peak pricing over the late afternoon and early evening.

ChildrenGrowingUpTooFast · 02/09/2021 21:58

They are totally pointless and the only reason to get it is because the cheaper tariffs demand it. I never look at mine.

UnitedRoad · 02/09/2021 22:04

Someone told me (so it might be bollocks) that the energy companies can see a surge in power when your at home, and can use that information to spam you with sales calls.

goingtotown · 02/09/2021 22:09

I’ve got a smart meter, the only reason for having one is that it saves me climbing on the ladder to read the meter every month.
I’ve never plugged it in.

Bitofachinwag · 02/09/2021 22:17

@UnitedRoad

Someone told me (so it might be bollocks) that the energy companies can see a surge in power when your at home, and can use that information to spam you with sales calls.
Not sure about that, but they would be able to tell when you're at home (if you're using electricity!)
PattyPan · 02/09/2021 22:18

@Bitofachinwag if they change the law to make it easier to cut people off (they won’t) why would they only do it for customers on smart meters? Some customers will always need to remain on standard meters due to their properties not being suitable and I can’t see them escaping any change in law.

And one more time for those at the back… we already have prices which differentiate by time of electricity use! it’s just that most people are on the tariff where all your usage is charged at the same (peak) rate.

PattyPan · 02/09/2021 22:24

@UnitedRoad

Someone told me (so it might be bollocks) that the energy companies can see a surge in power when your at home, and can use that information to spam you with sales calls.
Definitely sounds like bollocks as a) the data goes to your energy company not all of them, and why would they do sales calls on their own existing customers? And b) if you are registered on the TPS like any sane person then you have to specifically consent to marketing calls even it is from a company you are a customer of.

More info on data: www.ovoenergy.com/guides/energy-guides/a-guide-to-smart-meter-data

Bitofachinwag · 02/09/2021 22:45

[quote PattyPan]@Bitofachinwag if they change the law to make it easier to cut people off (they won’t) why would they only do it for customers on smart meters? Some customers will always need to remain on standard meters due to their properties not being suitable and I can’t see them escaping any change in law.

And one more time for those at the back… we already have prices which differentiate by time of electricity use! it’s just that most people are on the tariff where all your usage is charged at the same (peak) rate.[/quote]
Yes, at the moment. That's not to say that those customers won't be able to have a smart meter in the future (when broadband/wifi/meters/laws change or improve).

LadyPoison · 02/09/2021 23:50

[quote PattyPan]@Bitofachinwag if they change the law to make it easier to cut people off (they won’t) why would they only do it for customers on smart meters? Some customers will always need to remain on standard meters due to their properties not being suitable and I can’t see them escaping any change in law.

And one more time for those at the back… we already have prices which differentiate by time of electricity use! it’s just that most people are on the tariff where all your usage is charged at the same (peak) rate.[/quote]
Yes. There are already some tariffs that load heavily for early evening with much cheaper electricity overnight.

They would work out much more expensive for my pattern of use than the flat rate tariff I’m on.

At the moment I have a choice. This may not be the case in the future and if we have to have electric heating then many more people will be in fuel poverty

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