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Original poster

Feeling a bit harassed by meter installation people

103 replies

Nuggett · 03/10/2023 21:10

Can I stop the text messages from EON? It’s getting a bit annoying.

I pay by DD, take my own meter reads, never had an issue. It ain’t broke, I don’t see why I need a meter.

OP posts:
MariaVT65 · 03/10/2023 21:27

teacher45646 · 03/10/2023 21:25

So they work by.. having the power cut off? In a domestic residence? Whatever the reason, it does happen.

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Lol that’s not the same thing is it. It’s technically a change of payment method, where the customer has to pay for something before they use it.

The example of where the company really can stop a domestic property accessing power is when the resident has been illegally tampering with the meter, and so it has to be removed for safety.

Beezknees · 03/10/2023 21:27

teacher45646 · 03/10/2023 21:25

So they work by.. having the power cut off? In a domestic residence? Whatever the reason, it does happen.

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It's not being cut off, you just have to pay upfront for your usage.

Louise303 · 03/10/2023 21:27

Same here emails, texts and letters saying your electricity meter is coming to the end of its life and we have a legal obligation to change it. My next door neighbour who is not with eon has not had this and our houses were done at the same time.

cymraes12 · 03/10/2023 21:28

We’re also in the loop of receive a text, receive a letter, receive a phone call, then get told we’re actually not eligible for a smart meter, then a week goes by, then it starts again. It’s been going on for about two years now. I’ve complained to EON four times and each time been told yes we can see you can’t have a new meter, we’ll stop contacting you, and that usually lasts for a fortnight at most before the messaging starts again. I just ignore it now.

Ladyj84 · 03/10/2023 21:29

Smart meter we have one didn't make a difference to dd

MariaVT65 · 03/10/2023 21:29

gamerchick · 03/10/2023 21:25

Not allowed and able to cut off the power are 2 different things. No company should have that ability.

No.

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They aren’t ‘able’ to cut off your power via a meter either, unless they physically remove the meter.

MariaVT65 · 03/10/2023 21:32

Beezknees · 03/10/2023 21:19

That actually can't be enforced either now.

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Really? Not even if it’s a non-vulnerable customer who is in debt? Have all energy companies stopped seeking warrants from the courts?

OhmygodDont · 03/10/2023 21:33

We are suddenly getting bombarded but there is no incentive let’s face it.

Now if it offered me a fantastic tariff or earn £20 by not using electric between 1-6pm on Wednesdays. I’d be in but for just the chance of a few pence maybe on a turn off your power nah thanks.

Beenaboutabit · 03/10/2023 21:34

I lost interest in getting smart meters installed when I had to take the morning off for the gas meter and the afternoon off for the electric one. No installations done at weekend. Nah, jog on.

Beezknees · 03/10/2023 21:37

MariaVT65 · 03/10/2023 21:32

Really? Not even if it’s a non-vulnerable customer who is in debt? Have all energy companies stopped seeking warrants from the courts?

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In very exceptional circumstances I believe it can still be done but the rules around it are extremely strict now. Obviously debt will be chased and referred to debt collectors. I've seen people in tens of thousands pounds of debt and not had a payment meter enforced.

Jellykat · 03/10/2023 21:38

Louise303 · 03/10/2023 21:27

Same here emails, texts and letters saying your electricity meter is coming to the end of its life and we have a legal obligation to change it. My next door neighbour who is not with eon has not had this and our houses were done at the same time.

I'm getting the same with OVO, apparently the certification for my meter is 'running out soon' (but they wont tell me when Hmm ) .. ive told them i dont want a smart meter so many times now, but they still bombard me.

MariaVT65 · 03/10/2023 21:38

Oh there is no need for them really, unless you really want to know much you use each day or what an appliance uses. But i think most of us are doing our best to use less anyway.

I worked in an energy company for 10 years and still refuse to have them installed as I was aware of so many complaints about them not working properly.

I was also told that other countries (think one of them was Germany) actually refused the rollout because they knew it wouldn’t be worth the cost.

975zyx · 03/10/2023 21:39

Last time my supplier phoned about smart meters I told them we were moving to a competitor and they lost interest for a while. Have now blocked several of their sales numbers but it’s like playing whack a mole.

MariaVT65 · 03/10/2023 21:40

Jellykat · 03/10/2023 21:38

I'm getting the same with OVO, apparently the certification for my meter is 'running out soon' (but they wont tell me when Hmm ) .. ive told them i dont want a smart meter so many times now, but they still bombard me.

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If it’s actually an ‘end of life’ meter then yes it needs to be exhanged, but you can definitely arrange with them to have another ‘dumb’ meter installed instead of a smart one :)

NoNoHellaNoNoHellaNoNo · 03/10/2023 21:40

I agree that the texts, emails and letters are annoying but my experience of smart meters seems to be different to most on this thread. I did eventually give in and booked for them install a smart meter. Took a couple of hours, and I actually really like it. Good for monitoring our spend and means I don’t have to do meter readings. It’s not changed my life but I’m glad I got it.

Everley · 03/10/2023 21:41

British Gas have twice made an appointment for me to have a smart meter installed. Without my permission and without me showing interest in one. Both times I have cancelled. If I want one (which I don’t) I’ll make the appointment, thank you very much

Fandangoes · 03/10/2023 21:42

I’m getting bombarded too. They send texts with appointment details - which I ignore. Now they’ve taken to phoning g 3 or 4 times a day. There is one thing for sure - they don’t want to install this smart meter for my benefit!!

LongBoi · 03/10/2023 21:43

I live in a block of flats where the individual meters are in boxes that cannot, literally CANNOT, accommodate new smart meters. I've been telling eon that it's a physical impossibility for at least five years now. it doesn't stop the texts and messages.

gamerchick · 03/10/2023 21:43

MariaVT65 · 03/10/2023 21:29

They aren’t ‘able’ to cut off your power via a meter either, unless they physically remove the meter.

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Jolly good, I must have misunderstood. So they can't switch a smart meter to pre payment remotely then?

Jellykat · 03/10/2023 21:46

MariaVT65 · 03/10/2023 21:40

If it’s actually an ‘end of life’ meter then yes it needs to be exhanged, but you can definitely arrange with them to have another ‘dumb’ meter installed instead of a smart one :)

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Its not actually that old, all digital not the old wheel type! No they have said i cant get anything other then a smart meter.. they defo wont put in anything else (ive asked)!

OhmygodDont · 03/10/2023 21:46

NoNoHellaNoNoHellaNoNo · 03/10/2023 21:40

I agree that the texts, emails and letters are annoying but my experience of smart meters seems to be different to most on this thread. I did eventually give in and booked for them install a smart meter. Took a couple of hours, and I actually really like it. Good for monitoring our spend and means I don’t have to do meter readings. It’s not changed my life but I’m glad I got it.

See I hate to be tin foil hat but we got them installed in the old house and our bills just kept going up and up and up. Got rid of the hot tub, no drop, got rid of the dish washer, no drop. All smart bulbs hive for heating etc just up and up and up.

This house stupid meters and I send readings monthly and we are paying still today less than what the smart meters at the old house where saying we needed to pay despite all the increases and this being a bigger house, same supplier and it wasn’t just us my next door was having bulls just as high even though they where basically never there or when in didn’t really have much in the way of electrical items.

So faulty meter’s or dodgy something but it put me right off tbh.

Beezknees · 03/10/2023 21:47

gamerchick · 03/10/2023 21:43

Jolly good, I must have misunderstood. So they can't switch a smart meter to pre payment remotely then?

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No. Pre payment meters need to be installed at your property.

Turtles4543 · 03/10/2023 21:52

I caved and got one. It stopped working and I didn’t realise. I was confused by the estimated readings, logged in and there is a small ! at the top of the page where it says the smart meter has stopped working…
So I’m back to reading the meter.

gamerchick · 03/10/2023 21:53

Beezknees · 03/10/2023 21:47

No. Pre payment meters need to be installed at your property.

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So they would come and physically take out the smart meters and install pre payment meters?

OhmygodDont · 03/10/2023 21:54

I’m pretty sure it was all in the papers this year that they can switch remotely they don’t change the actual meter.