Smart meters - do you have them? Would you recommend them?

[mummabear74]

We're considering getting smart meters installed. Just wondered peoples views and experiences please. I've read about people saying they could cut you off or limit on a smart meter if there was a shortage bug don't know if that's true

We are in a similar position with EON. We want to switch to a fixed deal with them before 1st April but they say we have to have meters installed and where we live our wifi is weak enough without loading more onto it!

Smart meters don't cut you off or limit you unless you're on prepayment, although, of course, this means they have the capability to do that. Suppliers don't use the facility for obvious safety reasons.

And they don't use your WiFi so don't worry about that.

This page has lots of independent information: www.smartme.co.uk/good-or-bad.html.

@mummabear74 we've got a smart metre and yes I'd recommend them because you can see what you are using per day and it makes you think . The first days we had it dh said just do what you'd normally do so washer and dryer every day hearing when we wanted etc and we were using nearly £9 a day we now use under £5 most days because we made adjustments to how we use energy.

*heating

@MGre Thank you for this link, really helpful

I found out this week our smart meter hasn’t been sending the electricity readings through since August. It has been sending gas readings. Eon have only been billing for gas while keeping our direct debits the same, so we’ve built up some credit - I’m hoping it will balance out.

Why wouldn't you have one?
They give an instant display of your usage and make getting accurate meter readings simple.
As for WiFi, they don't connect to your hub. My parents had one but they didn't have the internet.

I have one and think they are worth having. I've cut my electricity use by a third from keeping an eye on the meter and seeing which appliances ramp up energy use.

I also think at least half of the 'why is my energy use so high?' threads on mumsnet would be solved/never have needed to happen if the owner had a smart meter and could see on an hour by hour basis what their energy use was, as opposed to receiving a mysteriously high bill three months in arrears and spending ages trying to figure out if they have an immersion heater stuck permanently on

They are very helpful.
You can see exactly what you're using in eleciticy and see the drop in cost when you alter what you use/how you use it. It is useful.

Absolutely not, some people are very naive. Never heard of dynamic pricing?

Thanks for all your comments and the link which I'm off to read now. I've been dithering for ages so it'll be good to make a decision one way or the other.

I do think it'll be useful to see what items use the most electricity and also to try and cut our usage. I'm concerned we'll be turning everything off before long.

@MyDcAreMarvel

Absolutely not, some people are very naive. Never heard of dynamic pricing?

Dynamic pricing is a good thing. It's a good thing all round. And they need to hurry up and roll it out instead if aiming for 2025.