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Original poster

Is it really illegal to refuse to have a smart meter?

287 replies

ALongHardWinter · 31/12/2023 21:53

This is what a friend of a friend told me yesterday. Is it true? My electric company have been sending me letters every few months for the last couple of years urging me to have one installed. So far I've dug my heels in,mainly due to all the horror stories I've heard about them - not working initially,or working initially then suddenly not working. I know at least 6 people who've had them installed that have had problems. Now I get told this!

OP posts:
Thread gallery
12
OneMoreTime23 · 31/12/2023 21:54

Of course it isn’t.

Yirk · 31/12/2023 21:55

No company can force you to have one if you don't want it, its not a legal requirement.

BlackAmericanoNoSugar · 31/12/2023 21:56

The reason they keep sending you letters is because that's all they can do. If it was illegal to refuse then they would be threatening you with legal action.

DustyLee123 · 31/12/2023 21:57

If they turn up on your doorstep do not let them in, even just to ‘have a look’.

DontListenToWhatYouveConsumed · 31/12/2023 21:58

They face government penalties for missed targets.
I ignore the letters too.

AutumnFroglets · 31/12/2023 21:58

Gas and Electric smart meters - not illegal to refuse to have either.

Water smart meters - depends if you are in a designated water stressed area.
https://www.thameswater.co.uk/help/water-meters/compulsory-meters-in-our-region

Switcher · 31/12/2023 21:58

Nope. I've had no issues though and since they're apparently charging all customers the extra it costs install them, might as well. Bit pointless though as I just get to watch the money stack up.

Original poster
ALongHardWinter · 31/12/2023 21:58

BlackAmericanoNoSugar · 31/12/2023 21:56

The reason they keep sending you letters is because that's all they can do. If it was illegal to refuse then they would be threatening you with legal action.

That's what I actually thought! But this person wouldn't have it. Kept insisting that although they might not be threatening you with legal action,you still MUST agree. I was 🤔

OP posts:
Delassalle · 31/12/2023 21:59

No. We won't be having one and have we have told British Gas that we do not want any emails or letters or any communication regarding the installation of one as it will constitute being harassment, after we received an email saying they had booked an important for one! They have agreed never to contact us about having a smart meter.

They said it was a mistake but I wonder how many people they have tried to railroad into having one in this manner?

Original poster
ALongHardWinter · 31/12/2023 21:59

DustyLee123 · 31/12/2023 21:57

If they turn up on your doorstep do not let them in, even just to ‘have a look’.

Why? Would they surreptitiously start trying to install the meter?!

OP posts:
DustyLee123 · 31/12/2023 22:00

ALongHardWinter · 31/12/2023 21:59

Why? Would they surreptitiously start trying to install the meter?!

Show quote history

That’s what I’ve heard, but do you trust anything you read on the internet 🤔

MrsDanversGlidesAgain · 31/12/2023 22:01

ALongHardWinter · 31/12/2023 21:58

That's what I actually thought! But this person wouldn't have it. Kept insisting that although they might not be threatening you with legal action,you still MUST agree. I was 🤔

Show quote history

I think this person might be slightly confused. Some tariffs have agreeing to the installation of a smart meter as a condition of acceptance.

FictionalCharacter · 31/12/2023 22:02

Of course it isn’t illegal. Ask her what law she thinks you’re breaking if you say no. And then ask her for proof.

quarrelmerchant · 31/12/2023 22:03

Delassalle · 31/12/2023 21:59

No. We won't be having one and have we have told British Gas that we do not want any emails or letters or any communication regarding the installation of one as it will constitute being harassment, after we received an email saying they had booked an important for one! They have agreed never to contact us about having a smart meter.

They said it was a mistake but I wonder how many people they have tried to railroad into having one in this manner?

I just put the letters in the shredder and delete the emails. Less hassle than trying to persuade them to stop sending them.

My neighbours and other people I know have spent hours on the phone trying to persuade them to leave them alone. Not wasting my time.

They can't force it, so they can put whatever "nudge" phrasing they like in the letters. Straight in the shredder. Bye bye.

BanjoMango · 31/12/2023 22:07

Just out of interest whats so bad about a smart meter? We have one that was reading We were spending 100k a day and then broke and we didn't really care but they were meant to come just before Christmas and sort it and didn't.

I feel like I'm uninformed because it seems loads don't want them

MrsDanversGlidesAgain · 31/12/2023 22:08

Told EoN to stop contacting me about a smart meter and was told 'OK we'll ring back in six months.' When the answer will be the same. No.

DoormatBob · 31/12/2023 22:09

We live rurally and ignore the letters. Mainly because we have a generator switch and I have no idea who installed it but I don't want them disconnecting it!

MrsDanversGlidesAgain · 31/12/2023 22:10

BanjoMango · 31/12/2023 22:07

Just out of interest whats so bad about a smart meter? We have one that was reading We were spending 100k a day and then broke and we didn't really care but they were meant to come just before Christmas and sort it and didn't.

I feel like I'm uninformed because it seems loads don't want them

Can't see any advantage to me. If something is on, it's using power. If I'm not using a device I switch it off. And reading the meter takes 5 minutes a month. Plus my cynical conviction that something being pushed this hard probably is in someone's best interests, but that won't be mine.

BobnLen · 31/12/2023 22:11

I think only if it's old, our gas meter is from the early 80s, I am expecting that we may have to have a smart one sometime, we have a smart electric meter.

We have a smart water meter, I don't recall there being a choice, we just got a letter saying they were changing them all to smart meters, we did have a meter anyway.

greengreengrass25 · 31/12/2023 22:12

I don't have one

Apparently our meter is obsolete and no longer get works😂

Works perfectly fine

TheDogsMother · 31/12/2023 22:15

greengreengrass25 · 31/12/2023 22:12

I don't have one

Apparently our meter is obsolete and no longer get works😂

Works perfectly fine

I was told this by a very pushy EON Next employee who phoned me. I explained to her that it wasn't a good time to speak and she just ploughed on. I receive regular emails and texts too.

BobnLen · 31/12/2023 22:15

They can't surreptitiously just change a meter, it takes a little while and the electric is turned off, I think you would notice

BunnyBunnyJabberJabber · 31/12/2023 22:16

I get constant messages saying my meters are extinct. They are not. My landlord hasn't given consent for them to be changed to smart meters and nothing has changed for the worse. I just send in readings as always.

sliceofapple · 31/12/2023 22:17

The local area geographic electricty company own the meter and at some point in the future the meters will have to be replaced when they reach the end of their life span, at that point they may insist they are smart meters. If they want to force an issue they can; we used to obtain warrants to break into properties to change the meters to prepayment meters when there was a debt to be paid and bill the customer for that warrant charge. I did used to work for an electricity company before and after the market opened up.

As it stands most people have their supply with a different company to the one who owns the meter and there is an extra hoop to jump through for them for anything to do with changing a meter etc. But, I think this is coming at some point in the future.

It allows electricity companies to see real time usage which in turn helps them with supply etc and better deals for them which they should pass on to the customer which is why companies like Octopus (who I am with) ask you to reduce your electricity consumption between X time and Y time on some random day. You can opt in which I do, it is not compulsory and they reward me with money. If you don't use less then no problem you just don't get the money. It just means I don't turn my oven on until 6.30pm.