Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask why the hell energy companies keep desperately trying to push SMART METERS?

244 replies

Peekaboo3 · 02/03/2018 20:51

Just that.

Why?

Hell will freeze over before I have them.

My energy provider has sent me a letter saying ...

'We are now ready to install your smart meters. Just one phone call, and we will install the meters at your convenience yada yada.'

With the way they've worded it, it sounds almost like you have no choice.

We do have a choice of course. And my choice is no.

It is NOT compulsory. So they can piss off bugging me.

But WHY do they keep pushing these bloody things?

WHY?

OP posts:
Bunbunbunny · 02/03/2018 20:54

Because there is no universal smart meter. You get a smart meter if you to switch you’ll need to get your meter changed again... best to wait till there is a universal meter so it’s easy to switch

Overrunwithlego · 02/03/2018 20:57

Well they automatically send your meter readings to the company. So the company gets accurate readings and doesn’t have to rely on estimates or send round someone e to read the meter. Accurate data, more efficiently.

PippinOrange · 02/03/2018 20:58

I wondered this too. Like many (seemingly) inexplicable and random things in modern life, there is a reason, but people don't want to tell you ...

Overrunwithlego · 02/03/2018 20:58

Out of curiosity- why don’t you want want?

wheresmyphone · 02/03/2018 20:59

The headline is long term its better so they and you get accurate readings without need for people to come out. However, most energy companies are holding a massive stock of the old style meters. They need to get rid of them before (I think October 2018) when new style meters come in. They are pushing them madly at the moment to get rid of the old stock which will soon be obsolete. New stock meters can be read by any company, old style are company specific.

SnowiestMountain · 02/03/2018 21:00

Because they then tie you to that provider and it's more difficult to switch as you'll sometimes need to switch smart meter too

NatashaRomanov · 02/03/2018 21:00

Some company kept promoting them in our village.
Until they realised the poor 4G signal meant that non of the data was being sent to them. They had to uninstall quite a few.

wheresmyphone · 02/03/2018 21:00

sorry, obsolete is the wrong word, they will still work, but are being replaced by better meters.

WhollyFather · 02/03/2018 21:01
  1. They can save money by sacking their meter readers;
  2. They will be able to change their prices in real time, i.e. put the price up at times of maximum demand 6-10pm and down midnight-5am;
  3. Some people believe when there is a mismatch between supply and demand (i.e. when we become too reliant on unpredictable 'renewables' and they can't balance the grid) it will allow the power companies to cut off individual consumers who are using too much - or at least those who haven't paid over the odds for 'uninterruptible' supplies; and last but not least
  4. They were pushed on us by the EU.
leccybill · 02/03/2018 21:02

I had 4 texts from Scottish Power yesterday, telling me they were 'in my area' installing smart meters.
Wish they'd stop pestering me, for the reasons mentioned above.

MycatsaPirate · 02/03/2018 21:02

We got ours fitted on Thursday. It meant we had to have the gas and electric off for an hour on probably the day of the worst weather in years! (I booked it weeks ago).

I actually like it. It's made me extremely aware of how much power things like the tumble drier use and I'm definitely going to use it much less.

Basically you can see how much power you are using as you use it. The meter is sat in the living room and it has a dial which sits on green, once you start using more power than your budget (which you set yourself) it goes into red. It doesn't cut your power off, just lets you know that you are using a lot.

Yesterday we used 78p worth of electricity. Today we are already up to £1.90 and still have three loads of washing to get through.

ChalkItDown · 02/03/2018 21:05

In Australia, it’s so that they can selectively choose who to cut off in the event of a power shortage.

HolyMerlot · 02/03/2018 21:08

A relative of mine worked on a scheme testing "smart meters" before they were rolled out nationally and apparently they're a waste of time, at least at the moment.

Twice my energy provider booked a date and time to come and install a smart meter without asking us first. My provider only does smart meter installations Mon-Fri 9-5, the exact times me and DP work 🤔 twice I explained this to them over the phone and that no, we wouldn't be taking time off work to be at home and no, we had nobody free to house sit for us. Yet again, they made a third appointment without consulting us so I just thought, fuck it this time, let them turn up on that date and time and see that nobody is home. They can turn up between Mon-Fri 9-5 every week and find an empty house for all I care Grin

Haffiana · 02/03/2018 21:10

If you do actually want one, then do NOT get one of the current offering. If you change providers (and you should be doing so annually after shopping around for the best deal) the your smart meter will become dumb.

Wait until they roll out the Gen 2 smart meters, probably early next year.

Original poster
Peekaboo3 · 02/03/2018 21:11

The headline is long term its better so they and you get accurate readings without need for people to come out

So it's basically about saving money.

Basically you can see how much power you are using as you use it.

Not being funny, but I really don't give a shit how many pennies it costs me to boil the kettle. And I don't really see how it will be any more accurate than what I have now.

They were pushed on us by the EU.

That'e ONE reason to never ever have one. I'm not being told what to do by those c*nts. Grin

A relative of mine worked on a scheme testing "smart meters" before they were rolled out nationally and apparently they're a waste of time, at least at the moment.

Yep, I agree. I won't be having one.

OP posts:
Original poster
Peekaboo3 · 02/03/2018 21:12

@Haffiana

NO. I don't want one.........

OP posts:
AnnieAnoniMouse · 02/03/2018 21:12

The Government was everyone to have one by 2020, allegedly so that people are being billed accurately and the companies aren’t owing people money.

The old ones mostly work with alternative suppliers, but if they don’t, it just means the meters are read manually until the new technology comes in or the new company swaps your meter over, it’s really not a big deal.

I like it, it definitely shows which appliances are guzzling the gas or electricity.

They only feed back what you have used, they’re not instruments of black magic.

Garmadonsmum · 02/03/2018 21:14

I don't mind mine. Unless it's videoing me or something.

orangesticker · 02/03/2018 21:14

Because they don't have a choice, it's legal obligation.

MaceWindu · 02/03/2018 21:15

I love mine. DP works away from home a lot, I visit family abroad a lot. I can turn on the heating when we land back in the UK and by the time I get home the house isn't an igloo Grin

ScrommidgeClaryAndSpunt · 02/03/2018 21:17

The thing the energy companies don't go out of their way to publicise is that smart meters give them the ability to disconnect the supply remotely, and to turn the meter into a prepayment meter, if they like.

I will not be having them. Giving meter readings is no especial hardship for me.

specialsubject · 02/03/2018 21:17

The energy companies have a financial incentive. Have a look at UK gridwatch, we are right on the edge of power capability. So yes, the idea is flexible pricing. Either that or build more power stations - nuclear would be good. We have lost too many power stations, partly due to EU one size fits all policies but mostly due to lack of forward planning for our huge population rise.

Thats the reason but the great British public are not good at reality.

Don't have one yet, they don't work if you change supplier. Or if you have no mobile signal.

InsomniacAnonymous · 02/03/2018 21:17

I don't understand your objection. I'd rather pay for what I have actually used. Btw, since we have had a water meter our water bills have plummeted.

cakesandphotos · 02/03/2018 21:19

I have never heard anyone sound so gobsmaxked as the SE man did when he rang and asked when we would be convenient to install our smart metre and I said never. He just didn’t get why I didn’t want one.
Then he tried the whole “I know some suppliers are having trouble with them but ours are the best” sure thing 🙄

Roystonv · 02/03/2018 21:20

They are trying to meet the Government's objectives so don't blame your supplier.