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Original poster

Smart Meters

60 replies

StarfishDish · 05/08/2021 13:59

What are your experiences with them? Pros and Cons? 😊

OP posts:
Proudboomer · 05/08/2021 14:15

I have one. The pro is I never have to read my meters and phone the readings through. I can monitor my usage so no unexpected bills and it just sits quietly in a corner of the utility doing its own thing.
Cons if I change my supplier then it won’t work and I will need to get it replace.

ChainJane · 05/08/2021 14:22

Pros:
Easy to keep track of readings.
I don't have to go outside to check gas meter.
Readings are automatically sent to supplier.

Cons:
There's only one place in my home that is close enough to connect to gas and electricity meters simultaneously. Range is shocking.
Whilst the electricity usage is updated every few seconds, the gas is only every half an hour. So you can monitor electricity usage live, but the gas usage shoots from zero despite the oven and heating being on to a ridiculously high value even though you've now turned everything off.

Massive Con that might just be me: it turns out my old gas meter was under-recording my usage. It was an ancient mechanical thing that had been exposed to the elements for a few decades and the counter wasn't counting all my gas. I always thought my usage was inexplicably low... now it's a new meter it's recording properly and I am using four times what I thought I was!

ChainJane · 05/08/2021 14:23

On the range, I should add I live in a one bedroom flat! That's how shocking the range is.

reprehensibleme · 05/08/2021 14:27

Pros - no meter readings to submit.

Cons - the data display is absolutely useless - it's on 'waiting for data' approx 95% of the time for electricity and we've never had any data available for gas at all, so the story that it will help monitor usage and thereby help you reduce your usage is rubbish.

CuriousaboutSamphire · 05/08/2021 14:29

I have to read the bloody things multiple times a day and some of them are shocking. It can be very, very hard to get/find an actual usage reading.

I end up reading the bloody meters anyway!

Squiggymoms · 05/08/2021 14:31

We're holding off getting one installed until they are multi vendor. At the moment every time you switch supplier you need a new one.

bellabasset · 05/08/2021 14:33

I have smart meters fitted by BG. I had always submitted regular meter readings and my account was up to date. While the engineer was here I put in online the meter readings on the old account. 2 days after they were fitted my online account showed me my usage since the last bill, the payments to date and the amount I was in credit. I get a combined bill every six months. BG repay any excess at the end of the year and review payments routinely. I can check daily the state of my account

A neighbour has had a meter installed by Avro which is still not online after a few months. She has built up a large credit, which were their system functioning properly she should have had refunded.

As a business when smart meters work you know your customers bills and indebtedness are correct and it protects the company from bad debts.

I would say if it works it's a good thing but clearly it doesn't always.

User27569 · 05/08/2021 14:38

To be honest we are still asked for meter readings which confuses me.

2nd generation smart meters aren't affiliated to particular companies so do check before they install one!

Amdone123 · 05/08/2021 14:43

We had one fitted a few years ago. It was a disaster from start to finish. For some reason it affected our electricity flow so the power was going off all the time. It went off one day whilst we were both out and the freezer defrosted. They reimbursed us but it was a veritable nightmare. We told them to take it out. They sent round numerous electricians ( had to take time off work) and they were baffled. The electricity went off even when they were here. One announced proudly that it was fixed and before he was out the door, it blew again. They took it out.
I still get hassled now. Well, I did until I decided to inform the salesperson of the litany of problems we experienced. I could tell she felt sorry for me and they've not bothered us since.

Lochroy · 05/08/2021 14:46

My aunt ended up with damp in her house corresponding exactly inside the house with where the meter was in the meter box outside and which appeared shortly after her smart meter was fitted. Despite her having not the slightest hint of damp in the 30 years they claimed it was nothing to do with them and must have 'just happened'.

So there is no bloody way I'm letting anyone come and interfere with my house because if they cause problems, you're stuffed.

Akire · 05/08/2021 14:48

Pro you don’t have to do a reading. That’s about it. Sold as a this will save you so much money lark but if you don’t leave all lights on for or run the heating with all windows open then don’t save anything.

I suppose if you are really counting pennies and only have a set amount for the week and run around turning off everything off when down to last pound…

Elsa30 · 05/08/2021 14:52

I'm not one for conspiracy theories and am not sure I believe this one, but here goes... I was told by someone quite senior in a utilities provider that long term the energy supply isn't that well planned out. If the worst happened and supply ever had to be limited smart meters could be used to temporarily cut supply to certain businesses or homes. This, and the hassle of having it fitted have always put me off the idea.

Burnt0utMum · 05/08/2021 14:53

For me there's only cons but I might have been unlucky. It was installed a couple of months ago and has never worked properly. Can't get in touch with the supplier to complain as they don't have a phone number and haven't responded to my emails.

budgun · 05/08/2021 14:56

@Squiggymoms

We're holding off getting one installed until they are multi vendor. At the moment every time you switch supplier you need a new one.

The second gen meters have been out for 2 years already.

dementedpixie · 05/08/2021 14:59

Don't have one and don't particularly want one. I dont find reading the meters an onerous task and that's about the only useful thing they do.

caughtinanet · 05/08/2021 15:06

@Squiggymoms

We're holding off getting one installed until they are multi vendor. At the moment every time you switch supplier you need a new one.
That's not the case assuming are in England they have been installing 2nd generation meters for ages, at least a couple of years so if you're being told otherwise I'd be looking for a new energy supplier
Mmmmdanone · 05/08/2021 15:06

My first smart meters stopped working when I changed supplier. Had new ones recently but my electricity one always displays the same amount so don't even know if its working. Hate them!

Bigassbeebuzzbuzz · 05/08/2021 15:11

@Elsa30

I'm not one for conspiracy theories and am not sure I believe this one, but here goes... I was told by someone quite senior in a utilities provider that long term the energy supply isn't that well planned out. If the worst happened and supply ever had to be limited smart meters could be used to temporarily cut supply to certain businesses or homes. This, and the hassle of having it fitted have always put me off the idea.
I heard the same thing so they can piss off with their smart meters.
Hekatestorch · 05/08/2021 15:15

@Elsa30

I'm not one for conspiracy theories and am not sure I believe this one, but here goes... I was told by someone quite senior in a utilities provider that long term the energy supply isn't that well planned out. If the worst happened and supply ever had to be limited smart meters could be used to temporarily cut supply to certain businesses or homes. This, and the hassle of having it fitted have always put me off the idea.
I recently left the industry

As usual, there is some truth in that, but not quite. They are concerned. But its mainly about the electricity grid not being able to cope. Not the power itself.

It wouldnt be your energy supplier that would cut you off.

We did do and review a 'disaster plan' every year, Purley because everytime someone electricity went off they would call us before the distributor. But also profits.

Though to be honest, one of 'what if' was 'what happens in a pandemic, if most people are at home all day' they did have rolling power cuts in the plan that was needed. But again, that wasn't controlled by the supplier but the distributor.

We got through that. I also believe that distributors are doing alot of work to to upgrade.

Energy providers are mainly worried because if large portions of the country are cut off for 4 hours at a time, usage will drop and so will their revenue.

Ohdeariedear · 05/08/2021 15:16

@Elsa30

I'm not one for conspiracy theories and am not sure I believe this one, but here goes... I was told by someone quite senior in a utilities provider that long term the energy supply isn't that well planned out. If the worst happened and supply ever had to be limited smart meters could be used to temporarily cut supply to certain businesses or homes. This, and the hassle of having it fitted have always put me off the idea.
Someone in my family works for a major utility provider and won’t have one for this reason.
wonkylegs · 05/08/2021 15:21

The main point of smart meters isn't for your direct benefit it's more of an indirect benefit. They allow the usage to be monitored and the grid supply to be managed better. This is ultimately to consumers benefit but it's less tangible than most people can grasp.
Grid management is more difficult with greater demand and changes in electricity generation.
A direct benefit that is tangible is that you don't have to do meter readings.

CuriousaboutSamphire · 05/08/2021 15:33

The main point of smart meters isn't for your direct benefit So all that 'help reduce your bills' has all been a case of false advertising then??

Grin
AngryWhompingWillow · 05/08/2021 15:38

@Burnt0utMum

For me there's only cons but I might have been unlucky. It was installed a couple of months ago and has never worked properly. Can't get in touch with the supplier to complain as they don't have a phone number and haven't responded to my emails.
I would be changing suppliers if I were you. What kind of company has no phone number? Confused Sounds well dodgy. If you contact a new (bona fide) supplier, they should be able to sort it for you.
LarryTheLurker · 05/08/2021 15:53

It's not a conspiracy theory. Smart meters were mandated by the EU as part of their campaign to push members to move to unreliable, unpredictable 'renewables' (except Germany, which is still building coal fired generators, and France, which gets 70% of its electricity from nuclear, of course).

Forget getting consumers to turn appliances off when they see how much electricity they are using, the real purpose of smart meters is to benefit the suppliers, by letting them manage the grid and supply problems which will inevitably happen when we become over-reliant on wind power. Smart meters allow for real-time tariff changes, increases when suppliers are forced to buy in extra power at short notice to meet demand (the less notice the suppliers give the generators, the more it costs them, i.e. you) and to make it cheaper when they need to offload surplus electricity, which does happen. They are also to permit instant, remote disconnection if the grid becomes unstable, which will be a common occurrence if we end up relying on the wind.

It's not as though reading a couple of meters once a month and entering the figures on a website is exactly onerous. I suggest we all just say 'no thanks'.

AngryWhompingWillow · 05/08/2021 15:58

@StarfishDish

I have never had a smart meter and never will. I have seen and heard nothing but negative things about them. Mainly about them not giving correct readings, the internet connection being poor, (so people end up all over the place with the bills,) the supplier having full control over your gas/electric supply, (and being able to disconnect it at any point,) and the meters being useless anyway, if you change supplier.

As for the 'they can switch you on and off remotely' worry; that is a concern, although I don't know if they ever would. Switching it off when people are at work (to save the country power,) seems pretty daft. What about your fridge and freezer? Confused All your food would thaw out!

I have had my supplier - British Gas - send me a letter roughly once a month for about 2 years now, CONSTANTLY badgering me to switch to smart meters. It started with 'we're in your area, if you want us to fit your smart meters,' and has now been upgraded to YOU ARE DUE TO HAVE YOUR SMART METERS FITTED! Book your appointment NOW!

The latter implies that I am meant to have them, and they are telling me I NEED to book the appointment NOW. It's tantamount to bullying really. Telling me I need to have them.

They can fuck off. I'm not being bullied by them, into having smart meters.

WHY there is SUCH a desperation to make everyone have smart meters just baffles me. As has been said, they don't benefit the customer in any way, and seem to have caused a lot of problems for people. Why the F do these energy companies think people will be daft enough to switch to them?

Hell will freeze over before I 'switch' to smart meters!