One very good reason why smart meters are a bad idea

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When convenience becomes control, which is what I've always thought was the danger with smart meters - in this case, customers being remotely switched to pre-payment:

www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-63554879

Also in our situation our smart meter didn't have the right tariff on. So the company were over charging us.

Not fair for people who don't have the understanding and just pay when the bill comes in, there must be others who's have gone wrong and they just have trust in the system and pay anyway..

I really worried about getting a smart metre. I’ve refused to far from my supplier. Currently on a pay what you use tarrif I pay via the app monthly.

I know some people have had problems with smart meters, but I've had them twice and found them helpful. As far as I'm aware, energy companies have always been able to force people on to prepay - my brother had his meters changed against his will because he built up a debt and couldn't come to an agreement about repayments. His meters were outside, so it was done while he was at work.

Yes, they have always been able to force customers to have pre-pay meters, but before smart meters existed, it was a much more difficult process for the supplier. Now it's easy, and the numbers of people being forced onto pre-payment plans is rising rapidly.

A local gas engineer advised us not to have one fitted, anything provided and installed for free by avaricious energy companies will always be for their benefit.

How hard could it be to figure it out on your own anyway?

Letting a company have remote control over essential supplies to your home is certainly a very good idea.

What could possibly go wrong?

Bugs in software never happen? Ask postmasters about that one.

"No more any need to prove that there are arrears, nor to bother with the red tape of having to obtain permission from courts - just flip some software switch remotely to force customers to pay more and in advance. They can always try to complain once it's done - who cares, we have the heavy legal artillery, they don't"

What's not to love, if you're the energy supplier? So, yes these gadgets are for sure a very smart move.

As for more monitoring your own electricity usage, you can buy online plenty of gadgets that can help you with that, and some can give you far more detailed information than "smart" meters.