Advantages of having a smart meter for electricity?

[Sandrine1982]

I have always been refusing to have a smart meter installed as I don't really see any advantages over the analog meter that we currently have. I don't really mind giving a meter reading every month and it gives me a sense of control over my spending.

Can people tell me what the advantages are of a smart meter? I keep getting emails from our supplier - they are very keen to have one installed !!

The only advantage I can see - but not sure if a smart meter allows this - is to be able to switch to a dual tarriff to benefit from cheaper electricty at night. Do smart meters always give this possibility?

I wasn't fussed but then eon offered me £100 to change so I did

Love mine.

Had one for a few years now.
You can keep an eye on useage in real time which is what I do so you can pinpoint what's costing more etc and tweak.

This is how I've kept my bill down.

Also means there's no issue with being overcharged on direct debits etc.

I don't let credit sit in my energy account at all. There's no need to because I can see exactly what's being used throughout the year and on the app you have real time data.

I also take part in the one hour time slot where you use as little as possible in energy and earn money back

So far we've earnt back nearly £10 in just 5 hours spread out over a week so well worth doing.

British Gas still manage to stuff it up whether it's a smart meter or dumb meter, my last bill had me using no electric in the reference bit for how much you use, it had the peak save savings on it though and all the smart meter readings are in the account.

I can't be arsed contacting them as they are only taking £135 a month and I'm sure it will all come out in the wash, that they will realise and put the amount up I pay which probably should be about £230 a month realistically. At the moment I would say the dumb gas meter wins for accurate bills but that could all change at any time.

It really isn’t. My all time highest payment for a two hour energy switch off mid winter was £9.32 and every single week I save over £5 on the Sunday usage payment even if we are not home ( I have solar and a battery so I fill the battery - I can do this from my phone remotely- and effectively then have almost double the time on the half price electricity)

Love mine, no mistakes on the bill since we had a smart meter. Before we'd get errors pretty much everytime they sent out a meter reader as they were seemingly incapable of copying down five readings correctly.

We now have a simplified meter which allows us to use our full 10hrs off peak rate for all appliances rather than 10 for heating and 7 for everything else.

That's great. Other people are reporting savings of 27p and the like. Just trying to be balanced!

No great conspiracy they have an obligation to read meter and not let you spiral into uncontrolled debt
smart meter helps with this

Mine was about £3.50 saved for October, I must admit I was expecting more but that's not bad when BG have said that my expected electric use for the year is 0😂

Unfortunately mine is one of these so no option other than to have a smart meter (that I definitely resent having) @SoupDragon @forgotmyusername1

My meter has been read for decades and I can see at a glance what energy I have used. Basic maths.

Funny how they don't mention in the adverts that they can cut you off remotely?

If you're paying what you owe why on earth would they cut you off?

I've resisted so far, as I've heard of cases where they have either not worked properly, or people have been unable to switch supplier. I'm not totally against them and will probably get one as part of my current renovation, in the hope that things have improved. I'm not sure I want to know exactly how much I'm using though, as I might get obsessed with the detail.

I do have a concern that it gives the supplier the ability to cut off the power to manage demand. But it seems that the electricity supply may be less reliable as renewables become a bigger part of the mix (and there is no investment in nuclear or imminent increased supply), and so power cuts might be more likely anyway, regardless of meter type.

I had my smart meter installed on the 11th of Oct this year and so far, the main advantages I noticrd are -:

1. I will get a break down of my consumption on a daily, weekly and monthly basis.

2. Finding the charges of both tarriff and standing charge is MUCH easier.

3. It is easier to see the impact of each device I use in watts or £. By device I mean phone charging, tablet etc etc.

4. I no longer have to faff about submitting my meter readings online.

I will and do get a break down of my consumption

Yes
you can get your old reading that you will have had to record or write down somewhere then subtract it from new reading times it by your current price per unit then add standing charge
or like me just glance at the display on smart metre where all this info is there instantly

there’s laws and criteria they gave to follow to cut people off they can’t do it on a whim

there’s laws and criteria they gave to follow to cut people off they can’t do it on a whim

People always seem to miss the point, when it's brought up that you can be disconnected or turned into a pre pay meter on a whim, without ever seeing the person who did it.

It isnt the law and they're not allowed that's the boggle, It's the fact that they could. No private company should be able to have that much control at their fingertips.

Invite it into your home all you want. I personally don't trust that freely.

I mean they can come in to your home now and cut you off. All they need is proforma court warrant and a locksmith.

If they want to cut you off and can after following procedures
they’d get a court order for entry so not having a smart meter wouldn’t stop you getting cut off

No great conspiracy they have an obligation to read meter and not let you spiral into uncontrolled debt
smart meter helps with this

I don't have a smart meter, send a reading every month and have never been in uncontrolled debt with my energy bills.

Well yes of course. You can do that but I mean who can be arsed to do that when you can get a meter that sends half hourly updates 24/7.

Smart meters aren't magic, they also aren't some big conspiracy. They are just modern tech that makes your life and your energy suppliers life a little bit easier.

You can do that but I mean who can be arsed to do that

I can. As I thought my post made clear.

I am in a first floor flat. My gas meter is in my kitchen but the electricity meter is downstairs in a cupboard just outside the door to the block. I don't think a smart meter can cope with this. I keep getting phoned about it and some of the staff tell me it can be done and others say it can't which doesn't bode well for it being done properly in any case!

British Gas has just announced a peak save event for tomorrow evening when the strain on the grid is expected to be high. You are guaranteed a saving of at least a pound even if you hardly save anything. It all adds up.

Anyone with a smart meter reading this opt in to the saving session tomorrow. £4 per kwh saved between 5pm and 6:30pm. I got £7 last time when they were paying 2.10 for an hour so I am hoping for around £18 tomorrow

Yes, I just signed up for the BG peak save event, so early dinner tomorrow, the only high energy thing I normally run at around 5-6 is the oven and hob but I'm sure it makes a difference as they are high energy things