Your thoughts on smart meters - feel I'm being forced into having them.

[CrunchyCarrot]

So last Sept we got switched to Octopus energy as our old supplier went bust. The previous supplier (Avro) tried to sell us the idea of smart meters but we refused - had heard about not being able to switch suppliers and were concerned about potential for hacking of the devices and some horror stories. So a few days ago I submitted a meter reading due to prices about to rise, and today I got an email saying we need our meters replacing, as 'they are approaching the end of their operational life' and 'Gas and electricity meters should be replaced periodically, generally every 15 - 20 years, to ensure absolute accuracy and safety.' That's the first I've heard of it!

After reading around on another forum I discoverd one's meter will show when it was last 'certified' (i.e. seems to mean was declared fit to give accurate readings). Ours don't have sticky labels, in fact they are so old they have attached paper tags - so I blew off the dust (!) and discovered the electric meter's was dated 1989! Couldn't read the gas one as the label was partly destroyed but the date began with 19--. So clearly these are pretty old. Yet no-one has mentioned having them 're-certified' or replaced till just after the price rise?

I visited Octopus's smart meter FAQ: 'Do you have to replace my meter?' 'Yes, we’re required to do so under governmental regulation. It is our duty to ensure customers have continuity of safe energy supply that is accurately recorded.'

Honestly I feel this is being pushed very hard at us. It's very hard to argue with 'we have to do so under govt regulation' and 'Just so you know, we can't replace your meters like for like as traditional meters are becoming increasingly difficult to get hold of.' However I fully intend to hold out for the time being. I expect to be forced into it eventually, however.

What have others done? Anyone else had this 'your meters aren't certified' email?

@WingBingo

To improve you need to be able measure it. By being able to measure how much I am using at specific times I can identify what behaviours to change.

Obviously there is more than one way to do this, but by measuring in detail makes it easier to gain reductions.

I can see how much I’m using every 30 minutes. Screenshot attached from the app.

I can see that that makes it easy to see how much you are using. But you have always been able to do this. It might just take a bit more effort to do this with a traditional meter.

I can see that that makes it easy to see how much you are using. But you have always been able to do this. It might just take a bit more effort to do this with a traditional meter.
I agree, you cut back where you can and just check the meter after a week to compare. Takes a minute and it's free. A smart meter may make it a bit easier in the long run but initially it could be hours waiting at home and the loss of a day's pay.

@Wexone

Oh my word - i cant believe this paranoia to a smart meter. Mine was fitted on the 4th Jan - What was a huge box thing is now half the size. Account is updated at midnight and no more estimates ever. To all the people refusing to have it installed, are you the ones who refused to have a computer in your house when they 1st came out in case it listened to you ? :) Do you all have a mobile phone? even a smart mobile phone ??? Smart TV's in your house ?? Alexa etc ?? there are bigger things to be worried about

I'm an oldie, so was around when personal computers first came out, was very keen to have one and eventually persuaded my mother to get me a Commodire 128. I don't recall anyone saying that computers could listen to you!

I've a mobile phone, but it's an old style Nokia and not 'smart'. I just find the smart ones are more difficult to use and I only need something really simple. No smart TV nor Alexa.

I think what's gotten up my nose over the smart meter issue is the marketing and how it's changed from how useful they are to 'control your usage' and save money, to stating that my current meters are probably inefficient and unsafe, and as such 'have' to be replaced. All this barely a few days into the new higher prices and my submitted meter readings. Something's off about that.

I'm not saying I'll never have a smart meter, but now doesn't feel like the right time.

I think the positive side is that now we can get a 2nd Gen smart meter - the original ones reverted to dumbness if you switched supplier, so at least that's an improvement (although I did read a warning to make sure you are actually being fitted with a 2nd Gen as sometimes the company still has 1st Gen meters and will fit those).

Also I noted that you need to give consent for 30 minute readings to be taken, and also to daily readings. You can just have monthly readings done - but you wouldn't have much useful data to show how you use electricity/gas over the course of a day.

@WingBingo

To improve you need to be able measure it. By being able to measure how much I am using at specific times I can identify what behaviours to change.

Obviously there is more than one way to do this, but by measuring in detail makes it easier to gain reductions.

I can see how much I’m using every 30 minutes. Screenshot attached from the app.

So that screen shot looks like you made lunch at 1.30 and started cooking dinner at 5.30 pm using appliances that heat things up.

Yes, that's revolutionary information that no-one would have a clue about being able to work out without the magic of the smart meter.

I think what's gotten up my nose over the smart meter issue is the marketing and how it's changed from how useful they are to 'control your usage' and save money, to stating that my current meters are probably inefficient and unsafe, and as such 'have' to be replaced. All this barely a few days into the new higher prices and my submitted meter readings. Something's off about that.

Both things can be true. Smart meters can save some people money and make them more aware of usage. And also your meter can be old.

British gas opened up their first Smart meter dedicated site coming up on 12 years ago. That was the first one in the UK. In the last 12 years, Thousands of peoples meters will have needed to be replaced in that time, rather than getting a smart one because they specifically wanted one.

My unwired smart meter was a con. It does tell you how much you use in a day but your direct debit is only reviewed six monthly. So when we left I still owed a huge bill.

My energy supplier wants me to have another but I'm ignoring it

I don’t object to the Smart metre we have in our house. It has been an eye opener on how much electric we are using

However the really annoying thing is that we are tied to one company.
We can move around within that company but any much cheaper tariffs are not available which sort of misses the point of a smart metre to save you money.

Although I am not really saving money (bills are 3x the amount we were paying in my last much larger house) I am just being charged over £300 per month (70% increase so now £500 + per month) to sit in a freezing cold house.
If it were the case of I am comfortable and can turn off lights or switches or put a couple of radiators down a few notches to save on bills I think the smart metre would come into its own. Instead all it does is say that even though you are freezing cold you are being charged nearly £1 per hour per radiator if you dare turn the radiator on.

Seriously considering going to live in Mexico as I can’t take another winter being freezing cold.

@BarbaraofSeville I think it may have been a load of washing at 1.30!

Not revolutionary data, I agree. It does make it easier to see where I can cut back.

We have cut back on baths and I’ve turned the temp down on the washing machine.

@user1471538283

My unwired smart meter was a con. It does tell you how much you use in a day but your direct debit is only reviewed six monthly. So when we left I still owed a huge bill.

My energy supplier wants me to have another but I'm ignoring it

The smart meter is not a con. That's the company.

I guess you used it to see that you were using a lot of energy so you saved money to pay the huge bill when it came in?

Bit much for them to say getting a different meter will save you money. What would save you money is them not putting the bloody price up by 54 bloody percent. Pissing around with meters is neither here nor there.