Your meter is 'out of date'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So we've been jumped around with suppliers recently and now told our meter is out of date.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

From 25'years ago? I find that hardccto beleive

You can just…not plug it in?

unless you’re referring to the actual meter and that isn’t connected to the internet. Meters use a WAN signal.

You don't have to have a device in your house.

Yes. But op is asking if the new meter she gets will work, and it will, because it will be new that statement is talking about an old meter not being able to be adopted by the DCC, which won’t be an issue in this case. So yes. You’re wrong.

And today's prize for the most patronising post goes to .......

Which device are you taking about? Smart meters aren't connected to the internet

Me too. I've had several emails, all of which I've ignored.

Well, whether it's the internet or magic moonbeams, it's still something that can be remotely monitored and controlled by organisations that often screw up, and it's also something that can potentially be hacked. Some people have had no end of problems with smart meters, and I can't be bothered with the hassle.

None of that applies to the rather dumb meters currently installed in my house, and I'd like it to stay that way. My house is only 9 years old anyway, so the meters are well within their lifespans.

Wasn't there some strange old system that broadcast a changeover signal on the old Radio 4 long wave frequency? I might be mis-remembering that.

@Esmetempscire Smart meters do not lead to higher bills/higher consumption. Your unit prices remain the same. What is does mean is your bills become more accurate and are not based on estimates.

1. Smart meters run on electricity, how is it possible that they don’t lead to at least a small increase in your power consumption?
2. Why would your bill need to be estimated if you provide meter readings?

Further to this how does it benefit the householder to have something that works swapped out?

@DreamW3aver 😂😂😂

And you didn't read my posts properly either. Good lord.

@Pebbles16 Simply put this is the latest tactic to change to a smart meter in order to meet quotas. Do not fall for it if you do not want a smart meter, to which there is nothing wrong if you do not.

No, I've very occasionally been offered one but have chosen to ignore all the messages about it. Thankfully no-one seems to be particularly hassling me.

The electricity supply to your meter is supplier side, before it begins being metered (and you'll notice that modern non-smart meters have a digital display too that uses electricity, and same goes for them). The misconception here might be that the little in-home display units are smart meters. They are not. The smart meter is the actual meter in the cupboard. The little screens are an optional customer device that have no impact on the operation of a smart meter.

Your smart meter does not tie you to a certain supplier. If you switched suppliers, they would be able to connect to it as it would be a second generation smart meter (there are some issues with the first generation smart meters) - these are not installed anymore.

Your old meter has a certification period, and when that runs out - the meter can have some issues like not clocking usage correctly.

Yes and I believe it’s March 2025 they will stop communicating so then all energy will be recorded and charged on the more expensive day rate.

As to benefit, I've saved around £800 from being on a smart tariff, where my unit price is far less than any available on traditional meters. But saving money isn't for everyone

There's no obligation to have a smart meter if your current meter is within certification date. If it's not, your supplier is obliged to replace it and suppliers generally only supply smart meters now as traditional meters aren't supplied as standard. Some suppliers may allow you to pay for a traditional meter to be fitted but that is very unlikely now.

Meters are necessarily brand new when they are installed. It’s quite possible to find a house built in 2015 that has a meter that has already been used at one or more property before being installed.

RTS meters rely on radio signals to activate the different time of use periods on a meter for people with some forms of electric heating. It was meant to be switched off this year but they've been given another year as they were well behind with replacing the old meters. It's important you get your meter changed as otherwise your heating system may either not work at all or you'll be charged peak rate for all use.

Second this.

That’s interesting. How much electricity is it using nationwide for suppliers to run a meter in every house? It seems a colossal waste of energy and when you add the impact of a whole new meter, the cost of installation, the environmental impact of all those home visits, not to mention the hours of work hours wasted for every household to facilitate the process it isn’t really something I could get on board with.

1. they have a battery in them. Unless you mean the in home displays and they do use a small amount of electricity but aren’t compulsory.
2. perhaps you don’t submit readings on the day of price changes or when changing tariffs.

If the existing meter is out of date, as the OP’s is, then it’s possible it’s no longer recording correctly. The energy supplier is responsible for the accuracy of its equipment and it owns the meter.

All those people saying that the OP’s new meter will work because it’s going to be a SMETS2 meter have no idea whether or not the DCC has coverage or the distance between meters (the comms box for the gas to report to is built into the electricity meter) and thickness of walls. There are no guarantees that the meter will communicate.