smart meters - should I or shouldn't I?

[toffeepumpkins]

I've had an email from my energy supplier to say that the style of gas and electric meter that I have (the normal ones) are being phased out and that they are in my area replacing them with smart meters and to make an appointment.

Do I have to agree? Both meters are outside so presumably they can just turn up and do it without my agreement? I don't want a new meter, the ones I have got are fine as in they both work and so don't need replacing.

Museum you can buy simple meters that will tell you what a smart meters does pretty cheaply.

I've got one, it was in the house when I moved in. I must admit I like it. I know my bills are totally accurate and it's made me more aware of where I'm wasting money.

I wouldn't bother myself. We had one after being told we 'needed' a smart meter. Its beyond crap and does absolutely nothing to help save any fuel.

The box/viewer I have is inaccurate because its too far away from the actual meter and its giving the reading for next doors usage instead as their meter is closer to our reader than ours is. Theres nothing we can do about it either, its down to the position of the meter and the shape of the house.

You wont actually know whos reading you are getting either without trying it. We only noticed when the house was empty of children and we were sat reading on a bright warm sunny day and it suddenly showed red for high usage. There was nothing switched on in my house but I could hear my neighbour hovering. When they stopped hovering it went back down to green.

Also the cost of running your little smart box which tells you how much you have used is around 2p a week. OK so 2p isn't going to break the bank but its still not free to use it.

The cost of the smart meter is added on to your usual utility bills and spread over a number of years. So again theyre not free.

If you change suppliers many new suppliers cant use the smart meter you have installed so they will need to change it again. If you are keen to save money and like to switch suppliers frequently for the best deal then that's an awful lot of wasted smart meters being installed then removed.

The only good thing about them is that since having the new smart meter installed our bills have fallen by 40% because the old meter was faulty and they refused to fix it before.

Funny enough they cut off our electricity and gas to find out why our bills had dropped so dramatically (they thought we had hot wired it and bypassed their meters) , then they asked for us to continue with the old direct debit monthly figure until they could sort out why its such a huge reduction in cost. It should only drop between 2 and 5% according to them.

Museum you can buy simple meters that will tell you what a smart meters does pretty cheaply.

Really? How does that work? I would have though the data doesn't exist in the absence of such a meter?

Don't want one for loads of different reasons, we are also very aware of what we are using so doubt we would save any money at all
You do not have to have one and if you really do need new metres ask that the replace like with like

This has been a useful thread for me. I got a letter from my supplier about getting one fitted and was going to go for it. But I read the Telegraph article posted by Mxyzptlk and see that if there is poor mobile signal it won't work.

We have no mobile signal in our house, so I won't be rushing to do this.

I don’t want one and I’m not changing until I legally have to , it would make no difference to us as I wouldn’t change my behaviour on the basis of numbers whizzing by on a machine .

The box/viewer I have is inaccurate because its too far away from the actual meter and its giving the reading for next doors usage instead as their meter is closer to our reader than ours is.

Either that or your neighbour is stealing your electricity...

Museum have a read of this
www.which.co.uk/reviews/energy-monitors/article/energy-monitors-explained

Just go to Amazon, MuseumOfCurry, and search for "electricity monitors."

You can get clip-on ones which measure whole-house usage and plug-ins for monitoring individual appliances. There's a huge range.

Eg Energenie Power Meter
"Simply plug it into a powered mains socket and then plug your appliance into it."
geo Minim Electricity Energy Monitor "The CT Clip simply connects around the main cable to your electricity meter."

I moved house back in February and was issued with a £4k bill from our electricity supplier (3 bedroom bungalow). After lots of back and fore and arguing and the Ombudsman stepping in it was reduced to £2.4k
No one can explain why the usage was so incredibly high for 18 months. The meter was incredibly old with 5 wheel cogs on it a total nightmare to reach and read, the door was broken and due to banging continually it was screwed shut so we weren't diligent with reading and submitting the numbers.
There is absolutely no way I'd be without our smart meter now, and ironically our electricity use is coming in at £45 a month on average in a 5 bedroom bungalow. Personally I'd say everyone should have one

Thanks everyone, this is a huge help, I had no idea! I'd have never googled it.

I wanted one until I read that all the ones that were fitted were effectively obsolete already. I think the problem is that they don't have the right networking technology to send meter readings regardless of supplier. So I'm another person waiting for the new generation of meters and rejecting the current ones.

I nearly had one installed, before I realised the problem with the current technology, but luckily after hearing that my gas meter might be outside the range of my wifi, my supplier decided to deprioritise me.

The suppliers were trying to install as many meters as possible because of government target, but I think the target has been relaxed now, as government has realised that it doesn't make sense to install meters that have inadequate network ability.

How do they work in flats? We have own electric box but gas meters are on each landing in a great big cupboard. With no electric or ability to link to individual WiFi. Guess that means not do able?

Fire it was actually GCHQ who mage the government reconsider the security and standards.

There is absolutely no way I'd be without our smart meter now, and ironically our electricity use is coming in at £45 a month on average in a 5 bedroom bungalow. Personally I'd say everyone should have one

How is this even possible? Presumably your house is new....?

I won't be having one anytime soon, I'm happy paying one rate, and inputting my own meter readings when required. When enough are in service it won't be long before surge pricing is introduced.

I'm torn. Last year we were told we were eligible cor a.cree one because our meters are indoors. They're in an awkward place for being read so smart meters would be easier from that p.o.v

But they're not going to.leave us money. We will still use the same amount!

Well I will certainly not be having one until they become compulsory. There are too many risks with them. Not just the false readings that others have reported, but the danger that the signals might be hacked.

The early fitted meters may well have to be replaced anyway, and until then you may not be able to change supplier. This is why companies are so keen for you to get one now.

They have also been cases where the new meters have been badly fitted, leading to a dangerous situation.

And unless you are particularly extravagant with energy use, and actually use the meter to change your habits, it will not save you any money anyway. If you have your heating set to the minimum comfortable level, and turn off lights and appliances when not in use, then seeing the meter display will do nothing for you.

With these things, I always make a point of waiting until the idea is well-established, in particular there are always niggles they don't tell us when these things are in their infancy. Also, they didn't tell us prominently enough about needing a new one if you change supplier - something the government is always telling us we should be doing.

Just the like the government once told us we should be using diesel.

So they will have to be offering me significant discounts before I consider a smart meter.

I was told there is a charge daily to have them which put me off. Not sure if that is true but i’m suspicious that it is ‘free’. Surely they are recouping that somehow. Does anyone know if that’s true, also my friend lost all her power for 4 days when they tried to fit hers!!

My OH works for an energy supplier. The 1st ones that are out at the moment aren't worth having, they can be hacked through your Wi-Fi so others can tell when you use your energy and can tell when you're in/out. They also prevent you from being able to change supplier.

It's not a legal requirement and most likely won't ever be (despite what your provider tells you!), the reason they're pushing them is to get rid of the 1st gen before the 2nd gen comes out!

My OH works for an energy supplier. The 1st ones that are out at the moment aren't worth having, they can be hacked through your Wi-Fi so others can tell when you use your energy and can tell when you're in/out. They also prevent you from being able to change supplier.

Surely it's as secure as your wifi - i.e. if your wifi security is weak, so is everything else?