Your meter is 'out of date'

[Pebbles16]

So we've been jumped around with suppliers recently and now told our meter is out of date. It probably is as it's likely 25 years old. But is this just a tactic to get a smart meter put in which then ties me to the supplier?
Possibly paranoid

I’m not sure, as we had someone come to fit a smart meter but was then told when he got here that our meter was too old to be able to fit one.

What's wrong with a smart meter? Were getting our smart meter updated.

Nothing wrong with it but heard that this ties you into one supplier for a looong time

Yes. We had the same thing. A functioning meter is not out of date. Ignore that if you want to carry on as usual.

A quick Google shows having a smart meter doesn't tie you to a provider at all. And you can take your meter with you etc. Don't worry about that!

Not everyone wants one. Especially when it means the supplier gets to change things at a flick of a switch their end without your permission. It has happened too often.

OP - a smart meter will only be smart with that supplier. It will turn into a regular meter if you go to another supplier despite the promises it should work so you don't need to be tied in for years.

The only thing that could possibly happen with the meter is that the dials (if it is an ancient one) stop turning or start slipping OR if its imperial measurements and they are billing you on metric measurements.

It won't be out of date .

Just continue with the one you have. Smart meters do not benefit householders.

wtf? A meter stays with the property otherwise if you take the gas meter, for example, you'll blow the whole street up 😮

You don't want to believe every thing you hear and meters do have finite lives

It's up to you whether you get a smart meter but do your research so you know the facts

If course you can't take meters with you, dont be daft 😁

Not doesn’t….my mum has just had a new meter fitted as the old one was deemed obsolete….she told the fitter she didn’t want a smart meter as she doesn’t trust them! ….he said they all have the potential to be smart meters but you can set them up not to be….so she chose this option….she can Shante her mind at a later date if she wants ….she’s with EDF

I don’t think the poster meant physically take it with you to your new house 😂

just that they are portable (metaphorically) to new providers.

I’ve never heard of a meter becoming obsolete. How does that happen?

I've had a smart meter for years now and I change supplier every 1-2 years, never been a problem.

It doesn't. Once upon a time, the very first smart meters didn't always work 'smartly' for all suppliers. But they still worked like an unsmart meter. Modern smart meters don't have this issue.

We’ve also had that message, which I’m choosing to ignore.

I'm not an expert but I believe that like any mechanical device it degrades over time and become less accurate. So it will still measure but not necessarily be accurate.

How many of your appliances are still working as well as they did when they were new?

All of them

Wrong. You can change suppliers with a smart meter. I have done so in two different properties.

I work for an energy company, I won't say which one obviously. A smart meter is 1) Utterly free to you (although I'm sure the engineer would love the offer of a brew!) and 2) The responsibility of the supplier you're with. So supplier A can fit one, you can still move to supplier B or C whenever you like, and then if the smart meter has an issue the new supplier fixes it. You're not tied in to a supplier because they've fitted you a smart meter, I promise

How old are you? You are still using your first kettle, toaster, hairdryer, vacuum, oven, fridge, washing machine?

Smart meter resisters are tinfoil hat conspiracy theorists.