Anyone removed a smart meter successfully?

[MrsTrue]

Hi all - anyone had success removing a smart meter from their house?

I'm buying a new build with my husband and the only option is to have a smart meter installed. My husband wants it gone but is worried we won't be able to get it swapped out. We don't mind paying for it to be gone, he's just worried it'll take ages and/or not be possible. Please help me find some success stories!

@UmmmBopDeeDooWhop I can assure you it is! Not sure why you think otherwise, it works on WiFi, if the smart meter isn't on it can't transmit the data

You are contradicting your own point.

First you are saying that if you switch the display unit off it won't send the information to the utility company. Which I don't think is the case.

Then you say 'if the smart meter isn't on it won't transfer the data'.

The whole point is that they are two different things. The smart meter isn't the display unit.

My display unit is still in the box it came in and the data is definitely being transferred.

Why are smart meters so expensive to install? SSE offered me a free smart meter but wanted nearly £450 to install it.

Not legal to have done though. It is a criminal offence for anyone other than an engineer employed by the energy company to fit a meter. DP worked in the energy industry and saw this happen. It’s tampering, and you face heavy fines if found out. And have to pay to have a smart meter refitted.
Energy companies will be reluctant to downgrade a smart meter as this is a government target and they can be fined. They only place they will install old style meters is where it is known that a smart meter won’t work, for example, basement flats.

I work in energy regulation, you don't have to worry about them switching it of. It's actually illegal to do at the moment and they will just switch you to prepay unless you are vulnerable. (Tell em you got kids under 5)

Smart meters help my job understand demand and supply. But not even I have one to be honest and when I used to be a metering specialist, we use to change then for people.

Fun fact, there is currently a shortage of meters for some companies (WINK)

go with a small supplier that has a low stock, they will happily give you a legacy meter.

Whe buying the house, add the condition you wish to choose your own starting supplier and they will let you.

It's your home.

Following this advice, please submit your meter readings!

Ps smart meters only share meter reading data, all meters share this information via a secure dataflow network. We are made to sign very strict documents to not breach this.

Any data breaches, easy lawsuit, quick money for you haha. But no personal Information is held on the meters.

These meters work on a WAN wider access network. They do not use your WiFi. They connect via a comms hub on the electric meter that's connected to the bt boxes outside.

Why say 'not sure why you think otherwise'. Whether you are right or wrong this is such a twatty phrase.

Obviously you have to do it WITH the agreement of the energy supplier, which would mean their own engineers (or contractors approved by them) would have to do it. Never said that anything to the contrary.

My point is that they can not refuse to let you have a ordinary meter.

It's up to you not to let them force you to swallow any marketing crap they send your way. "Being nice" with liars won't work. And the fact is that you'll be dealing with people lying by omission without batting an eyelid.

To give you another example - private contractors showing at your door and pretending they have the right to snoop around your home looking for a TV set can get away with their BS only if you let them. They are not any kind of "officers" they are just private citizens.

Where from do you get this story about fines for not pushing enough remote meters on the population? You have access to their contracts with the government? Anyway, true or not, they can not refuse to install equipment that is currently perfectly legal.

One of the other issues with this is that you don't own your electricity meter even though it's in your house - it belongs to the company that supplies you, therefore ultimately if they want their systems to be smart (which they do and are also incentivised by government to be so) they get the last say as they slowly modernise the national supply system.
Ultimately the only way to completely have control is to come off the grid otherwise there is probably going to be an element of compromise.

Got curious and done some research - here is what a company that installs meters for homes and businesses has to say:

Can I install my own electricity meter?
You can legally install your own electricity meter, as long as you have the supplier’s permission and the person installing the equipment is qualified to do so. It’s not recommended for anyone not qualified to attempt the installation, as it is a dangerous procedure to undertake.
www.crownenergy.co.uk/faq/electricity-meter-faqs/

There ought to be a similar company near you.

So the only difficulty I see is not letting the energy company bully you.

Don't be silly. Of course the display unit doesn't have to be on. That's just for the customer to look at if they want to know more about their usage.

'I'm not sure why you think otherwise'.

The display unit is entirely optional, and having it on or off doesn't affect how your smart meter works. The smart meter itself doesn't need WiFi.

@Matildahoney

You're wrong.

The display unit is for the customer. The smart meter is for the utility company. The display meter has no effect whatsoever on the smart meter 'talking' to the utility company.

Bevause shes sensible and awake and like most people realise, these meters werent rushed into your house to make life easier for YOU. These smart meters will be used to monitor uour consumption very closely! They can tell for example when you boil the kettle because it knows that a device pulling 3000w for about 3 minutes is a kettle! This government is pushing the 'net zero' qgenda and eventually you will be charged a tax for none compliance. Are you aware they are now fining or imprisoning people for BURNING WOOD?? so stop being a dickhead, stop meandering through life unaware of whats qctually going on in the world and wake up ffs

Are you aware they are now fining or imprisoning people for BURNING WOOD??

No, I was not. Who has been imprisoned for BURNING WOOD?

😂

I think the fine/ imprisonment concerns come from the recent Energy Bill https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2023/09/01/property-owners-failing-comply-new-energy-rules-face-prison/

In fact the legislation was in place since domestic coal burning was prohibited in London, decades ago. Fact is, if you burn wood that's not dry enough, the smoke is horrible. I've done some some research years ago, there are (used to be?) places where you can buy "approved wood" if you fancy having a real fire in your home.
Maybe the enforcement of the existing rules was stepped up.
Anyway, what' that got to do with remote control&spying devices know as "smart meters"?

In fact the legislation was in place since domestic coal burning was prohibited in London, decades ago. Fact is, if you burn wood that's not dry enough, the smoke is horrible.

I think most people know that you can't burn dry wood. People are not absolutely always imprisoned for breaking legislation.

I think shes getting confused between wood and witches !!!!! It’s illegal to burn witches now 👹

Yes, very hard, and cost over a couple hundred quid, Did you manage it.?

@Dazlia OMG! My energy company knows when I boil my kettle! However will I cope.

To the OP do not fiddle with your energy meter it is illegal and dangerous. It is owned by your energy company not you.

I’ll give you one reason why - on top of my £300 monthly payment to my energy company since they installed my SM last year they suddenly emailed to let me know just before Christmas I needed to pay an extra £4300 which they informed me they’d automatically take as my next DD payment. Weeks of panic and frantic calls/emails revealed it’s actually an error. Thankfully I’m able to argue back and be assertive but it’s absolutely outrageous that the energy companies behave like this. Weirdly they also still harangue me for meter readings.

Would it work if you just made a sort of 'hat' out of aluminium foil and put it on your husband the smart meter, to block the signals?