Smart Meters - to think ALL energy companies should print this on their websites

[evrybuddy]

And in the letters they send telling you they WILL install a meter ...

Well done British Gas! (and I'm not with them or working for them)

www.britishgas.co.uk/help-and-advice/Meters-meter-readings/Smart-Meters/the-smart-meter-revolution/Do-I-have-to-have-a-smart-meter.html

Do I have to have a smart meter?

No. The Government requires suppliers to roll out smart meters as standard to homes and small businesses across Britain by 2020 but there is no legal obligation on individuals to have one. At British Gas we’re committed to upgrading all our customers by taking steps to reach everyone.

What if I don’t want smart meters?

Just let us know about it. If one of our customers informs us that they’re opposed to having smart meters installed, we’ll simply take them off our roll-out list. This might mean missing out on the benefits of having smart meters – being able to see the energy you use at a glance and its cost in pounds and pence (which Oxford Economics estimate could save an average 5% off annual bills - equivalent to £65), no more estimated bills, not having to submit meter readings, and personalised insight into your energy use.

British Gas has rolled out over one million smart meters and we get really positive feedback from customers about the control they have been able to take over their energy.

If you’re a British Gas customer and want to be removed from the roll-out, or want the smart meters that are already in your property removed, you can get in touch with the Smart Homes Customer Service team on 0800 980 6121, and our advisors will be able to help with this. Lines are open Monday - Friday 8am to 8pm, Saturday 8am to 6pm.

I was told that smart meters are a security risk because they can be wirelessly hacked and allow people to track your energy usage - allowing them to see things like if you are one holiday (and so your electricity usage has dropped significantly)

Might just be an urban myth but kinda makes sense!

My thread on Smart Meters: Anyone having a gas/leccy meter replaced with a Smart Meter? Something you need to know

The links to government documents are out of date now, but the basics don't seem to have changed. The security problems still haven't been solved, and the main purpose is still to allow peak-hour tariffs.

Some people will be cool with all this, of course. Horses for courses.

There's no way I'm having a smart meter put in, the aggressive roll out KPIs on the contract mean that they will incentivise it at some point.

I'm also not wholly convinced that at some point in the mid term future they will utilise them for allocating space on the electricity network (which they can do). Ie rolling brown outs when usage at peak for certain areas. There's no way I'm risking national grid shutting down my supply on a whim.

The plan for the long term is to put water and gas on smart meters too, it's all very big brother.

One of the questions sometimes asked about security is: "Why would anyone bother to attack that?"

Happened to be reading just today about the 2007 cyber attacks on Estonian infrastructure, which forced banks to stop all but essential operations.

Connecting your critical national infrastructure to the internet creates an immense new vulnerability that just didn't use to be there. Lovely big attack surface for whoever doesn't like you. Be it China or Jeffrey.

A clip on meter from the library for a few weeks would help the tiny amount of people that would cut down.

They are a big fat con. Hate all these adverts saying to get your free meter, it's not free they will be putting up the bills to pay for it!