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Smart Meters ?

martin dawson

martin dawson

pfm Member
I’m getting plagued by constant emails, letters and phone calls relating to the installation of the above either by my energy supplier or their installers.

Am I right in saying that you don’t have to have them installed? Secondly I believe that fitting your current energy supplier’s meter will not work on an alternate energy supplier should you change ?

What do you guys think ? I email my readings monthly as it is so I don’t have a problem doing this ?

Regards,

Martin
 
You're quite right - you don't have to have one installed. And yes, if you change suppliers they change the meter...

Mick
 
In answer to question 1: The government has stated that smart meters are not compulsory. I suggest you point this out to your tormentors and tell them that if they persist you may have to take them to court for harassment.
question 2: this depends, I believe on the alternative supplier. Best not to have any smart meters installed. SEE STOP SMART METERS for detailed info.
Regards,

eguth
 
The next generation of Smart meters (not available, yet as far as I know) will be transferable from supplier to supplier. Current ones revert to manual readings only when you move to a new supplier - as I have found out. Furthermore, even the remote (in the kitchen) readout does not work no either - which would have been a lovely way to get the meter readings.
 
Yes, what an absolute waste of money these have been for the companies fitting them. As soon as you mover supplier they are obsolete. I only had mine fitted by B.Gas about 3 months before I jumped ship for a better tarrif.
I wonder how much it has cost installing these and how many are no longer in use.
 
I got asked by my supplier for an installation date and ignored it. Then I got called by the installers call centre. I said no don't want one and she asked me why. I said because there is no point until after 2020 as it won't work with another supplier. She said OK and I've not heard another thing. So tell them that, they will realise you understand the situation and stop hassling you.
 
silviffer said:
es, what an absolute waste of money these have been for the companies fitting them. As soon as you mover supplier they are obsolete. I only had mine fitted by B.Gas about 3 months before I jumped ship for a better tarrif.
I wonder how much it has cost installing these and how many are no longer in use.
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It never cost the companies any money, the costs are passed on to the lucky customers.
 
monkfish said:
It never cost the companies any money, the costs are passed on to the lucky customers.
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Absolutely, and it was just today that I heard on the TV that these silly green energy initiatives (and this one in particular) are costing energy users anything from £100 to £300 p.a. extra. A smart meter may be smarter that the government officials who dreamed the initiative up but there's no miraculous lessening of bills, unfortunately.
 
I understand that existing meters ignore power factor, so if we use items with a poor power factor we pay the same as a similar item with a good power factor. I have read somewhere that smart meters also ignore power factor, but can be set to take it into consideration. If the utility companies do this, we will pay more.
 
Take it from an Ontarian; first comes smart meters, then comes 'time of use billing'.

Today is Monday, November 20, 11:25 my time; as of November 1 we are on the winter time of use schedule, therefore, between 11am and 5pm, a.k.a. 'Mid Peak' period, we are paying 1.5 x the 'Off Peak' per kWh rate. Come 5pm this afternoon, we will be 'On Peak' at 2 x 'Off Peak' rate until 7pm. Between 7pm and 7am we are 'Off Peak' (also 'Off Peak' round the clock through weekends and statutory holidays).

Basically, during the winter months we are being penalized during weekdays (work days for most) for consuming more electricity during the morning and early evening hours (cookers, furnace blowers, lights, etc.). In the spring through fall the 'On Peak' is from 11am until 5pm when central air-conditioning is full on and 'Mid Peak' in the morning and afternoon.

Ok, time for some graduated pie charts...

70-img1.jpg


BTW, 'Off Peak' is ever increasingly higher per kWh than was the pre TOU billing standard rate for a private residence.

Yes, it is the old supply and demand curve on green crack; in this case buy more, pay more.

Re:sist!
 
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Might depend on how you conduct yourself, or whether there is any reluctance. Perhaps it will transform them and they'll step-up; who knows Watt may happen?
 
SteveS1 said:
Putting something on my network that doesn't need to be there, no thanks.
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They are not on, or connected to, your network. They have their own Sim card to connect to the supplier by mobile phone, so some remote locations are off limits for smart meters. The meters and remote read out use a low power connection, that is NOT part of your wifi (I think Zigbee is used)
 
JensenHealey said:
They are not on, or connected to, your network. They have their own Sim card to connect to the supplier by mobile phone, so some remote locations are off limits for smart meters. The meters and remote read out use a low power connection, that is NOT part of your wifi (I think Zigbee is used)
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Then it definitely won't happen here. :)
 
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