Smart meter calls. Anyone else?

[PassingStranger]

Happening to anyone else?
Keep getting calls from electric company asking if we want a smart meter.
How to get rid?
Are they on commission or something?
It's like harrassment!
No is a complete word.
Am I alone?🙄😫

1. Millions of smart meters don't report "fake high usage". The supplier receives the correct readings, or none at all. The high bills come from people not realising the supplier isn't receiving readings, and the supplier relying on estimates, or, receiving a catch-up bill after having a new meter fitted.
2. The government and other authorities couldn't care less about when you put the kettle on, or anything else.
3. Suppliers can remotely swtich meters to prepayment mode, under certain circumstances. They will not disconnect the supply remotely.
4. Smart meters phone home once per day to transmit a few dozen meter readings. Household occupants are exposed to far, far more EMF from other devices such as mobile phones, tablets, computers, Wi-Fi routers, televisions, microwaves etc.

I have no idea why your supplier won't take a telling. I'm simply responding to the oft-repeated myth that meter certification periods are a recently-invented ruse to force people to accept a smart meter.

Gas isn't considered "essential" in the same way electricity is. The country as a whole is trying to move away from using gas. I believe there is an upcoming ban on installing gas appliances in any new builds, not sure when it's due to start though.

The best gas boilers are around 95% efficient. Resistive electric heaters are 100% efficient, and heat pumps are 300-400% efficient. Gas is miles cheaper than electricity, but dirtier and more dangerous.

As of March 2024, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) estimates that 4.31 million smart meters in Great Britain are not working as they should. This is an increase from the 2.7 million figure reported in June 2023, which was revised due to reporting errors from some suppliers.
Faulty meters can lead to customers paying too much or too little, which can result in debt.

The Government are keenly interested in the ability to track what we do. How often we cook and eat/ how much sleep we get, whether disabled people are more active and mobile than they stated, how many people living in a household, lots more. This is gold dust to sell to insurance companies, and aid harassment re benefits.

1. Suppliers can remotely swtich meters to prepayment mode, under certain circumstances. They will not disconnect the supply remotely.

I think on these threads this has to always be the most irritating reply from those who defend smart meters.

It's not about that they 'only do it when allowed and other bunch of company rules bollocks' it's because they can do it at all no company should have that kind of power. Whether they can use that power or not

The future isn't certain. Law changes can and do happen and can be expanded to include another group and the fact these things are being pushed so aggressively. They're not for our benefit.

Energy companies are repeatedly hounding people to the point people are blocking the number. It's fucking sinister.

The vast majority of those meters are not in communication with the supplier, meaning they behave like traditional meters, and can be read manually in the same fashion. They're no more likely to generate incorrect readings than the previous generation of meter.

I don't believe for a moment the government would be remotely interested in doing this. For a start, smart meters don't measure which appliances are used, only how much energy is used during half hour segments. So, did someone have a 5 minute shower, or turn on the oven? Or maybe an electric heater? The smart meter doesn't know!

Gas has definitely been cheaper for a long time, but heat pumps are fast catching up, and are cheaper on some tariffs. Have you looked inside a typical combi boiler? Simple they are not! Heat pumps are mechanically much simpler, and were actually invented before gas boilers.

Suppliers have always had the power to impose prepayment meters on those with persistent debt. If someone does get switched to prepayment by mistake, they can simply top up their meter until the situation is rectified.

I would argue the current system is not for our financial benefit. Everyone uses most of their energy at peak time, and suppliers burn expensive gas to meet that demand, and pass on the cost to us. Smart meters allow us to break that cycle, use more renewable energy, and pay less for energy.

Martin Lewis says to hold off as if your smart meter is malfunctioning they don’t care. They have an installation target, he is pushing for a functioning installation target.

I'm not talking about prepayment meters. I'm talking about welcoming remote technology like that into the house like it's a good thing.

I do like the blase way you say 'just top up until it's been rectified' though. Like it's the most normal thing in the world to have your energy supply fucked with... By 'accident'.

Mines fine and happy we made the change.

However I stalled the frequent calls over a number of years by…

Telling the caller we were doing a major renovation ( we were) and not to ring before it was complete in 18 months. ( it took 6)

Saying that they could put one in but that we worked at home 6 days a week and couldn't be without the electric and internet. They said they couldn't give us an appointment after 7.00pm or on a Sunday!

I gave in in the end, I think they told us our meter was obsolete. Not sure if that was true b

Technology generally is a good thing. We've been using meters with little dials or displays that need to be manually read for over a century, and things have moved on. Do we have a telephone meter in our homes? No, that's all done at the telephone exchange, and has been for many decades.

You talked about the risk of remote disconnection. In fact, the risk is mistaken switch to prepayment. I'm sure it must have happened, but it must be very rare indeed, otherwise we would have heard all about it by now.

You're still missing my point. I'm going to assume it's deliberate and wish you good evening.

Switching to prepay is usually done when the customer makes no attempt to pay bills.

If you didn't pay your rent/mortgage you'd get evicted. If you didn't pay your council tax you'd get taken to court. If you didn't pay for your food shopping the police would be called. What's the difference?

The gas calls are a scam. It was on my landline and they literally didn’t know the surname of both residents (no I did not reveal info) and I asked for them to contact by mail. They haven’t AKA it’s a scam

You also missed my point. Amazing how many people have so much trust in rules and regulations.

I literally work in the industry so I know how it all works. I have no fear of smart meters.

I have a smart meter- I do not see the problem

I tell them that we’re about to move to another supplier. That gives you at least 6 months without further contact in my experience.

Yours probably works, mine didn't

I once had three in one day from Scottish Power. This was two months after I left Scottish Power. 🥴 Each time said I am not even with them any more and to not call again, third one I am ashamed to say I said ‘oh not again, just fuck off’ and hung up. They’ve not tried again since.

I rent, and the gas meter is in a different place to the electric meter. I was being hassled by Octopus (brilliant customer service my arse) time and time again, but they couldn't explain how it would work with the original meters being so far apart: would it be two smart meters or would some major work need to be done to fit gas and electric up to just one meter? They could not answer and just wanted to book an appointment.
Let alone needing to ask my landlady.
Plus, they only save energy by pointing out how much you are using and I know that already, and I submit monthly meter readings.
I had to get really arsey and send an email all in capitals before they finally said 'okay we will make a note that you refused one'. Didn't refuse, you would not answer my questions Octopus Energy!!