Smart meters

[bebeboeuf]

My energy company are pushing quite heavily for us to install a smart meter.

Have people made the switch and is it worth it or is my mild distrust from the amount they are pushing it fairing me well?

I heard in a radio programme that it can make it harder to switch suppliers. For that reason, I haven't bothered. I don't find submitting meter readings a big hassle.

I work for an energy company - ask them if it will be a second generation ‘smets 2’ meter they will be installing, these switch more easily between suppliers, although this is now possible with smets 1. Energy companies are pushing them because they are trying to meet government targets. They don’t affect your consumption, and they can provide information which will reduce your usage so they can save you money. The cost of smart meters are passed on to customers one way or another, so even if you don’t have one, you will still pay for it indirectly so you might as well get some benefit.

Thanks mumtofour, very helpful.

I will check as at the moment I’m not moving suppliers but I certainly want the ability to switch easily in future

They are pushing them because the energy companies hve targets to meet and are therefore giving the call handles targets to meet and some pay them commission for every smart meter they persuade someone to have installed. Absolutely do not agree to anything other than a Smets2 but even then I wouldnt bother. As long as you regularly provide your meter readings to the energy company and check they have been used on your bills then your bills.will be accurate. The only possible benefit would be if you are the kind of person to check how much you are consuming and make changes to your consumption in order to lower your bills but in my experience people are either the kind to be careful with their consumption or not, I cant see the smart meter making that much difference to peoples consumption.

Are they offering any incentives? We got one because our energy company paid us £30 to have one and as I am home a lot anyway it was no hassle to me.

Beware if you do go ahead with installation: we agreed to have a smart meter but during the process the power company declared it was unlikely to work (weak signal) so took it out and put the old one back. BUT they mixed up the documentation and insisted the serial number of the new meter was the one to read, starting from zero, instead of the re-installed one which had the correct units measured. Took us months to sort out, complaints and all sorts, meter readers coming and going, eventually compensation. And we were in favour, originally!

Another who is hesitant due to the difficulty in switching companies for better deals each year.

It’s not difficult more difficult to switch with a smart meter. It’s just that if you have an older generation smart meter it may no longer work in it’s ‘smart’ way with your new supplier. It’ll instead just function as a regular meter.

I'll consider a smart meter if they start offering 50% discounts for life. I'm always very distrustful of brand new technology, especially if it allows the authorities to know more about us than they otherwise would.

and they can provide information which will reduce your usage so they can save you money. I don't think this is true - may or might reduce your usage would be far more accurate.

The smart meter itself will not magically reduce your usage. You might bother to replace your kettle or toaster if you feel they are eating electricity, but you might not.

Thing is, I had an 'Owl' back in the day, which told you what everything was using, but, after the first day or too, once the novelty wears off, I have other things to do in life than watch what each electrical item uses.
It is interesting for a day or two, but then you realise that you actually use {insert microwave, kettle, oven, tumble drier, hairdryer, whatever} to microwave something / dry your clothes / dry your hair / etc, and, even if t does cost 20p when you use it, you are still going to use it.

Ours being installed was more hassle than it’s worth. SIX appointments over five months for it to finally work! One didn’t have the right equipment, one didn’t realise the gas element didn’t work.. the list was endless. So many phone calls to our provider that we once it was fixed ended up moving energy providers as they were a joke.
I wouldn’t have got it in hindsight

I agreed to have one but when they came said signal was too weak. I keep getting pestered though.

Our house came with one, I switch most years. No ones said anything about it.