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Original poster

Can ScottishPower FORCE me to have a SmartMeter ?

29 replies

54isanopendoor · 06/09/2022 08:34

I am with Scottish Power for both gas & electric.
Have been with them for 15 years, paying quarterly.
Last year my H walked out. So the bills are now in my sole name.
They tipped me off quarterly 'new customer' & I now pay monthly in arrears.
I read my meter the last day of each month & pay that day in full.
1 adult, 2 older teens. No insulation so it costs me an ave of £225 dual /month.
We were cold last winter (Scotland) so scared of this one (SP doesnt' offer any insulation help & local council dont either. I'm a Carer so no extra ££ to spend)

I just had a text saying my meters are over 15 years old & 'unsafe' so must be replaced with a SmartMeter. I had the engineer out 2 years ago who said the meters coudn't be changed as over 2 floors of an old victorian house (I think that was re smartmeters but couldn't vouch for it tbh). So, maybe I 'escape' it? But having 1 meter in the basement & 1 high up on landing isnt' the easiest for me.

Are SmartMeters generally a good thing though?

OP posts:
lomoko · 06/09/2022 08:38

They are really useful. You can see exactly what you are spending day by day and you don't need to read the meter or be surprised by bills.

Original poster
54isanopendoor · 06/09/2022 12:21

@lomoko do you pay the same amount though ?
(I am perhaps getting them confused with pre payment meters?)

OP posts:
MarshaMelrose · 06/09/2022 12:25

Instead of you sending in the reading every month, the reading is taken automatically. So whether you read it or the company reads it remotely, it'll be exactly the same reading. And so you'll pay exactly the same amount.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Cost of living
hedgehoglurker · 06/09/2022 12:26

I saw something online recently where an energy company got in trouble for exactly this. They had to send out apology letters, possibly compensation too. The meters were not unsafe, but they need replacing as they are only certified (for accuracy) for a certain period. Have a search online.

You shouldn't be forced into a smart meter, but might have to wait longer for a standard meter.

MarshaMelrose · 06/09/2022 12:31

The govt had set the target that everyone be on a smart meter by 2025. I don't know if the energy companies get rewarded for meeting the target or punished if they don't meet it, but they're certainly motivated to get them fitted.
There was lots of bad publicity after the first generation smart meters but those problems seem to be rectified and eventually everyone will be on one unless there's a proper reason why they can't be.

Baldieheid · 06/09/2022 12:37

We're in a village in Scotland and they've come 3 times to fit a smart meter, only to turn round and go away as there is no bloody signal here. Every house in the village is the same, the engineer knows it every time the poor sod comes back to try again. So no, they can't force you to have a smart meter if it won't work. What are your reservations, assuming connection isn't an issue?

GingerFigs · 06/09/2022 12:37

OP I'm in a similar position re Scottish Power and the texts and phonecalls constantly telling me that I need to have a smart meter fitted as current meter is more than 15 years old. I pay monthly direct debit and submit a meter reading every month. I also have an electricity monitor which lets me see how much power I'm using so in my mind I don't need a smart meter. Having read loads of bad press I'm worried that my bills will sky rocket (ignoring the actual real costs sky rocketing!!) so I share your concerns.

Starting to think I need to bite the bullet though and get it fitted as I feel really harassed with the barrage of daily texts and calls.

Elieza · 06/09/2022 13:00

Smart meters show you how much you’re spending per day. This included your standing charge.

They reset overnight. They also apparently show red if you’re in the red. Then you know to cut back if you are concerned! So no tumble dryer today or whatever! Presumably this is worked out by average consumption.

Paying by direct debit is cheaper especially if dual fuel, ie gas and leccy both from the same company. I get a £20 discount per year I think.

They apparently look at last years annual usage and divide by 12 months to work out how much you should pay pay per month summer or winter (and they’ll include the increased costs nowadays per unit). So you don’t need to find more money in winter as you pay the same all year round.

Ive been against them for years but I think I will get one now. Preferably asap as the heating and lighting etc will need to be off all day and it’s getting autumnal!!

Original poster
54isanopendoor · 06/09/2022 13:25

Im paying an average of £225 per month atm.
I asked about a direct debit & they quoted me £550 per month.

That's simply not possible: I get £68 p/w Carers allowance (topped up by income support of £400 per month). So, it's food or heat ...

OP posts:
ParvuliThankYouDebbie · 06/09/2022 13:37

54isanopendoor · 06/09/2022 12:21

@lomoko do you pay the same amount though ?
(I am perhaps getting them confused with pre payment meters?)

Smart meters don’t save you money, no.
They may act as a catalyst to make you change your habits though, as you can see what you’re using/spending. The flip side of that is, you get ‘Smart Meter Anxiety’ and start not using energy for things when you really should (heating cooking etc).

To answer your original question, no, they can’t force you. They can insist in changing a ‘faulty or otherwise not fit for purpose’ which explains their wording, whether it’s true or not is anyones guess I suppose.

The government have set a deadline for everyone to switch but it is t compulsory. I’ve ignored or refused each time precisely for the reason PP said - internet signal being way to patchy where I am which will cause problems.

Munchyseeds2 · 06/09/2022 13:39

The price should be the same - smart meter or old fashioned
If the ones you currently have really do need replacing they will be swapped out with the same if smart meters won't work due to lack of signal or building type

pumpkinpie01 · 06/09/2022 13:42

I get messages from them a lot too . N power came out years ago to fit one , had a look at my electric meter and said there was no chance they were going to start messing with it , too old and too much of a risk of something going wrong . Lots of things ho wrong in my house on a monthly basis so I'm not having one !

RaraRachael · 06/09/2022 13:46

I used to get these messages very regularly and just ignored them and they seem to have stopped. I don't see how having a smart meter will make any difference - I use what I use and pay quarterly.

Elieza · 06/09/2022 13:48

Was there not something in martins money tips website about power companies upping the amount people were to pay astronomically and they were fined for this crap?

have a look. I’m sure they got into trouble for this. So should be giving better quotes for monthly costs now?

TwoLeftSocksWithHoles · 06/09/2022 14:11

Search this and it links to an article in the Daily Telegraph dated 8 February 2022

Smart meter overhaul to open gates for ‘surge pricing'

It's behind a a paywall but the summary states;

'Smart meters are to automatically send energy suppliers half-hourly updates on their customers' power use in a revolutionary move that will allow "surge pricing" in millions of households' bills.'

Or you may be able to read it here;

notalotofpeopleknowthat.wordpress.com/2022/02/09/smart-meter-overhaul-to-open-gates-for-surge-pricing/

user1583920194858592910103848559201 · 06/09/2022 14:23

Don't bother because of the display doesn't work properly they won't replace it.

I had one fitted, it's never worked properly. Had estimated bills constantly since it got fitted, display still doesn't work. The meters now send readings but the display doesn't work and they won't replace it even though it's never worked properly.

I've went to the ombudsman.

toooldtocarewhoknows · 06/09/2022 14:58

If you are a carer, do you care for someone in the household living at your address?

If so, get them on the vulnerable person register at the gas/electric company.

You get protection. I believe they are not allowed to put in a smart meter to claw back debt or make your terms less favourable.

MsAdoraBelleDearheartVonLipwig · 06/09/2022 15:13

SSE sent us a smart meter but it doesn’t work. Despite repeatedly telling us it was a glitch their end and they’ve connected it now. Still says no connection. No idea what we’re supposed to do with it.

MagpiePi · 06/09/2022 15:29

I've just had my gas meter changed but this was organised by the gas company, not my energy suppliers, and it is not a smart meter one.

I send readings in every month but im on a fixed rate so it doesn't make a difference to my monthly bills atm.

My energy suppliers (octopus) are dead keen on me getting a smart meter, and I can see that if you have an electric car you can take advantage of cheap rates for charging, or if you have solar panels you get different rates depending on demand, so it could be worth it if it is relevant to you.

Moomoo2o22 · 06/09/2022 16:23

Op if you think you may struggle to pay your future bills I would avoid a smart meter as I read an article recently that said they can be switched from credit to payment meter by your energy supplier without any warning. I'm happy to be corrected if I'm wrong in this though. They are so pushy about these smart meters and I doubt it's for the customers benefit! Do they ever do anything that is? As for them being compulsory they aren't but they will lead you to believe they are. I personally would not have one.

thegcatsmother · 06/09/2022 17:51

Have a look at the SmartDCC website and read some of what is proposed with your data. I will not be having one until I am forced to, and if I can pay to have a non smart meter fitted, then I will.

saraclara · 06/09/2022 17:58

Oddly enough, since my smart meter was installed, my energy costs have gone right down.
I've done nothing different and I don't even look at the thing. So I can only assume that the old meter that I had before was very inaccurate.

So I'm all for smart meters, frankly.

NCHammer2022 · 06/09/2022 18:02

No they can’t force you. We’re with Scottish Power too and they’ve sent engineers twice to try and install one, for some complicated reason we can’t have one unless we get something changed with regard to the gas pipes which we’ve got no intention of doing because cost/hassle. But they still contact us every few months trying to get us to get a smart meter again, despite their own engineers saying it can’t currently be done.

QuebecBagnet · 06/09/2022 18:07

saraclara · 06/09/2022 17:58

Oddly enough, since my smart meter was installed, my energy costs have gone right down.
I've done nothing different and I don't even look at the thing. So I can only assume that the old meter that I had before was very inaccurate.

So I'm all for smart meters, frankly.

I’ve had the opposite result sadly l

TroublesomeLuck · 06/09/2022 18:17

When we moved into our new house, we got a crazy high electricity bill and asked our provider at the time to review. They said they'd change the meter on the condition we got a smart meter - the bill went down from £300 electricity per month to about £100 (which they then backdated over the time we'd lived there) so I'm like a pp and would strongly recommend.

The bit in your post I do have a problem with though is Scottish Power. They are singularly the worst company I have ever dealt with and had me in tears on several occasions. We were with them briefly before the ombudsman agreed we'd been totally missold a product and we were allowed to go back to our previous provider.

So my advice is change provider, then think about the smart meter