Smart meters - they're a bit crap aren't they ?

[SerendipityJane]

To no ones surprise

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cq52382zd1no

That may be but ours does not use the mobile signal because we have no mobile signal. Not for any network.

Same here!

I'm confused, do you currently have a radio teleswitch meter? These have never used the mobile signal, they were invented long before that would have been possible. If you do, it needs to be replaced by early next year. Even in areas which seemingly have no mobile reception, there are solutions available or being developed.

Does anyone know which side of the divide Manchester is?

My smart meter is great. Allows us to have a tariff for my EV which means it only cost 7pKWH to charge overnight, saves me a fortune.

There’s a programme about it tonight at 8pm on ch 4. My friend is on it. Hers was faulty and racked up thousands in error. It was so hard getting them to believe her or rectify it.

I'm very happy with mine and the information it's provided has saved me a fair chunk of money.

Our smart meter is great and allows us an overnight EV tariff with Ecotricity. Has saved us loads so far.

We’re in Wales so it works fine. I wasn’t aware of the tech divide. Just read the BBC article - got half way down and I see Crapita are implicated. That’ll explain a lot.

The same thing could happen with a traditional meter. In fact, smart meters basically are traditional digital meters, with a bit on top that sends in the readings. Thankfully, genuine faults in both types (traditional and smart) are very rare.

Never had an issue with mine.

I'm confused now as well!
Several years ago they tried to install a smart meter despite me saying we have no mobile signal. The guy who came said it wasn't a problem because he had lots of ways round that. 5 hours later he admitted defeat and put the old meter back in.
Then three years ago Octopus fitted one, they said it didn't use the mobile network and it works. I've looked in the meter box and the transmitter has two lights which the BBC article, extract below, says denotes the Northern type.

As a rule of thumb, smart meters in the northern region designed to connect to the radio signal have two small indicator lights on the communications hub, fitted to the top of the smart meter. The hubs fitted to smart meters in central and southern regions, receiving the cellular signal, usually have five of these indicator lights.

If they switch it off we will be unable to use our smart tariff unless they can link it to wifi.

Ah, ok. You’re confusing the radio signal for radio teleswitch meters (a special, obsolete type of meter), which is being switched off, with the radio signal for smart meters, which is definitely not being switched off. So, since you have a smart meter, nothing will change for you.

I loath the fact I have to have a water meter

How come we can't changes suppliers, life with gas, electric and telecoms ? I thought privatising the water companies was all about consumer choice ?

My water companies have ' merged' and managed to put it up by 19 pounds a month for the privilege! ( sorry to detail about water)
Still, it's not as bad as Thames water

I'm with Ovo and they are saying my meter has expired and I HAVE to have one. I don't want one. Particularly after my friend's one caught fire in the middle of the night and she was only alerted by her dog. I'm not sure what to do!

If smart meters hadn’t been invented, OVO would still have to replace your meter, as required by law, because meters lose accuracy with age. Smart meters have been standard for a long time now, so that’s what they’ll fit. The chances of any meter catching fire are vanishingly small, so I wouldn’t be concerned about that.

I've had my gas and electricity meters changed over the years ( the gas one was two years ago)
They seem fairly accurate. I've resisted the smart meters , but I suppose it'll be mandatory eventually ( like the water meter is if you move home )

ignore them.
meters tend to last at least 20 to 30 years or longer.
They are lying as meters do not " expire".
The lies are because they have targets to meet installing the new smart meters but you are under NO obligation to have one and legally they must not force you to have one.

Wrong. All meters have a certification period. When it expires, the meter is no longer considered to be accurate, and must be replaced, by law. This is prescribed in the Gas and Electricity Acts, which predate smart meters by over 20 years.

Yeah it's just a massive coincidence that energy companies are telling people their meters have expired when they've tried every other way to get into your house to install a smart meter.

There are over 50 million meters in the UK. Given that they all have certification periods, it follows that many hundreds of thousands will come due for replacement every year. COVID introduced significant delays. It may well be that government targets have focussed suppliers’ minds, but they should be replacing ‘expired’ meters as a matter of course regardless, as per their legal obligation.

What if you ignore them. Weve been hassled from eon for ages and yes I gather certification is 20 years on our elec meter.

Theoretically, they can force entry to gain access to their equipment and replace it. You can’t really blame them for hassling you when they’re just trying to comply with the law. As I mentioned, meters lose accuracy with age, potentially in the supplier’s favour, which you may prefer to avoid.

They just want to force smart meters on people. Offer a dumb meter if they want to comply with the law.

We had one put in a couple of years ago. I was a bit nervous but all seems fine so far (fortunately).