Smart meters - good or bad?

[Allthenameshavegone1972]

What are your opinions on Smart Meters? I read of so many disadvantages that I really don't trust them. I read my meter myself & submit the readings monthly, in time for the bill to be generated.
I've been contacted today by Octopus Energy to change my meter as the RTS is being phased out. If I don't then my supply will be affected. This makes me so effing angry. We're being blackmailed into having a smart meter when we don't want one. 😡

I wasn't keen, but I'm won over now.
We can see how much energy we are using hour by hour and have a pretty good idea now of what costs what. Also there are no surprises the end of the month.
I don't think you can ever be complacent about energy suppliers though and it's important to check you are being billed for what you have used. But that's no worse for having a smart meter.

We have one as there was one in the property that we moved into. We use OVO.

We haven't had any problems, and I like the fact I can check my consumption on the App. It is very convenient.

I know some people who have, but not sure who their supplier is, might be EDF.

We have one with Octopus too. The house monitor is in a drawer as often it would only show either the gas or electric rather than both - but this didn't affect the correct information being sent over to Octopus.
Saves us having to take readings and send them in.

The difference from what. Ypu can check smart meters just as easily as realm9ne. More easily in my house because the electric meter is so high on the wall i need a step ladder!

But that isn't different with a smart meter, they have to do all the same things in terms of giving you notice, going to court etc
And if the worry is that because they can, the might just cut people off willy nilly disregarding the law, well aside from the "why would they" question, is the fact that if your meter is outside your house, they can do that with a dumb meter too... (and if they were disregarding the law, probably would be happy to break in to get to a meter located inside too!)

I'm with EON Next (inherited from NPower) and they are obsessed with contacting me about this via email, text and phone.

My relationship with my gas and electricty supplier is different to what they think it should be. I read my meter and always pay them my bill on time. It's not something that needs this level of contact. I wish they would leave me alone.

When I had a water meter fitted they managed to block the water pipe to my house with soil and that became my problem to fix. I fully expect that the fitting of a smart meter will result in the same thing for my gas and electricity supply so I will never take the risk for something that has no upside for me!

The difference between receiving a notice that they are coming to your house and changing your meter to prepayment, and finding out that they have already changed you to prepayment without your knowledge.

They are required to give notice that they're changing your smart meter to prepayment, but companies are fallible.

I'm not talking about disregarding the law, I'm talking about human error.

They are great when they work, but frustrating when they don't. Ours hasn't worked for 2 years (3 smart meters, numerous engineers out).
We are in Scotland (not even rural) and the problems we have are directly related to the system used in Northern England and Scotland as described in the BBC Panorama program.

Reasons I don't went a smart meter:

• I have had billing issues before. It's an absolute nightmare and takes up so much time. My meter currently works fine so I don't want to risk meddling with it

• smart metres mean it's easier to cut people off. Not an issue for me, but I have worked with lots of people who live hand to mouth and the ease at which people can be cut off with a smart meter is very worrying.

• it allows for even more monitoring of the population - technology means we are watched and monitored more than ever before - we need to be cautious of this and how it might be used.

• the data could be used for things we haven't even thought of yet - a thread was posted only the other day about how a warrant was issued to break into someone's house as the smart meter "told" the energy company that he had illegally tampered with it, when this was incorrect. Evidence of energy usage can be used in court - how could this be applied in the future?

Don't want one. There was a programme on a few weeks ago and it was not positive.
Ignore the companies that keep trying you to change.

Op. I’m the same as you. Octopus have been emailing me since early last year to change my E7 meters as the signal will been turned off. I’ve ignored every email. I don’t have anything on E7 any more and I changed my tariff to a flat rate one as it worked out cheaper for me. When the signal is switched off it’ll make no difference to me, I have a combi boiler and radiators.

I won’t be changing anytime soon.

@GenerousGardener thank you, you've just made me realise I don't need E7. It's always been there since we moved in 27 years ago & I've just kept it for the tumble dryer! And this issue is all about E7 no longer working on the old meters?
We too have a combi boiler & radiators. I should switch to a flat rate tariff instead of night & day readings. It's not a legal thing that you have to accept a smart meter, so in case Octopus are insistent on me having a smart meter - did you have to have a new single read electricity meter installed when you switched to a flat rate? Or do you just submit the reading off the day line & the night line no longer registers any movement?

we are with Octopus and switched to a Smart Meter early last year. Its been brilliant.

We are on an agile tariff and so do things like washing when the unit price is cheaper. So far our electricity bills are lower.

You think they can block the electricity or gas supply to your home with soil?😀

OP get your meter changed - the RTS part could have serious consequences for you if you don't.

Smart technology is a funny one. But the RTS issue is different and separate and the answer is to have your meter changed. Octopus aren't blackmailing you it's a genuine problem for you.

www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/end-radio-teleswitch-service-rts-what-were-doing-help

@Allthenameshavegone1972 No installations of any kind. I just switched to a flat rate. At the end of the month I give them both the day and night readings via the app.

If you can get a proper smart meter, it is fine. However, we got pressured into one, only to find that we couldn't get a modern smart meter because we live too close to RAF Fylingdales,the listening station so there is a problem with the frequencies. We still have to give monthly readings, and our meter is locked to one energy company. Of course, we only found this out once it was installed.

You're correct in that you don't legally have to have a smart meter, but if your meter isn't working or needs replacing due to its age, utlity companies CAN insist on replacing it with a smart meter - most won't now install dumb meters, or if they do have some lying around (and most don't), they will charge you for it.

Sounds like you read about the disadvantages but not the advantages. Here is a good list of both - https://www.smartme.co.uk/good-or-bad.html.
At the end of the day if they "don't work" they still record energy accurately and you'll have to send in a meter readings yourself just like the old traditional meters.

But isn't that related to 'old' smart meters? My current meters are not smart and I'm on single rate tariffs, not E7. I don't think they currently broadcast anything at all. The gas meter is mechanical dials. The house was only built 22 years ago so they aren't even that old. Not when compared to our last house which were ancient!

We have a good friend who is an exec at British Gas and he will not entertain smart meters in his house. Says they are often faulty, there are issues with the fitting if them that cause later ptoblems and that when they go wrong it can be hard to track down and resolve issues effectively.

I agree op and my heart sank at your post. I'm also with octopus and I really don't want a smart metre.

If you still have a radio teleswitch meter, it may start misbehaving once the signal is turned off, depending upon how your household is wired. These meters were not designed to work in the permanent absence of the signal.

If you don't know why the 1 in 5 aren't happy then the statistic is meaningless