# Smart Meters - yes or no?



## GMJ (Jun 24, 2014)

Folks

Do any of you have one of these in your homes?

If so any comments on them?

My current supplier is offering the free upgrade now.

Graham :smile2:


----------



## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

We don't have one, but think they may be a good idea.


----------



## Spacerunner (Mar 18, 2006)

Energy supply companies are obliged, by law, to fit smart meters if requested by customer.
Smart meter make real sense if you are absent from.home for extended periods as it allows the supplying company to charge for what you've actually used and not a estimated figure.


----------



## GMJ (Jun 24, 2014)

My Mrs reckons if we had one I'd be sitting there watching it and running round turning everything off to save money :grin2:

She reckons we'd be sitting there with candles and 5 layers of clothing on...

Graham :smile2:


----------



## caulkhead (Jul 25, 2007)

We had them fitted about 8 months ago. The meters are in the garage and a small wireless display unit sits on top of the microwave in the kitchen. Initially I was underwhelmed but when the central heating went on at the end of October it really made me take notice. I couldnt believe how much more we were spending with the heating on as opposed to heating off. Overall I would say they are a good idea. I have certainly paid more attention to our gas/electric usage and hopefully am being more economical than before they were fitted.


----------



## GMJ (Jun 24, 2014)

SSE have emailed offering to do it but my current deal ends with them at the end of April and I will be switching again (serial switcher)

Graham :smile2:


----------



## peribro (Sep 6, 2009)

Certainly nothing to lose by having one. For the last 5 years or so I've had devices fitted to the incoming mains that wirelessly send my usage to two monitors - one on the kitchen wall and one on my desk in my study. They show me real time what is being consumed and there have been countless times that it has enabled me to turn things off that the wife or children are using - in fact other than my study most of the house is now cold and in perpetual darkness!


----------



## blindwatchertrev (Nov 4, 2011)

The top and bottom of these things is that you no longer have to supply meter readings. Mine sits in a drawer with no ref to it, that way your not bothered by what you are consuming.


----------



## cabby (May 14, 2005)

should one call that right wing thinking.


----------



## blindwatchertrev (Nov 4, 2011)

cabby said:


> should one call that right wing thinking.


Too deep for me Cabby. Never had a right wing thought in my life except when I played number 7 at school.


----------



## HurricaneSmith (Jul 13, 2007)

In a previous home I fitted a free device that showed how much energy we were consuming, and in real time. I quickly learned to ignore it as if we wanted a cup of tea we wanted a cup of tea. If we wanted a light on we switched it on, and if we didn't, then we switched it off. We've never used the TV 'stand-by' option as it seemed pointless. (Fortunately our children were married and were forming their own finances.)

These days I regularly receive smart meter promotions that tell me that our provider will automatically take the required amount owing from our bank, and with no interaction.

Does that mean if I take up their offer I will pay more in winter than summer, and no longer have the ability to smooth out those payments throughout the whole financial year?

If so, they can whistle, as I rather like things the way they are.




.


----------



## cabby (May 14, 2005)

was referring to post no.7 bwt.


----------



## patp (Apr 30, 2007)

Did I read somewhere that they are not universal? If you change company you have to change meter?


----------



## Robell (Mar 13, 2013)

Our energy supplier fitted a smart meter and monitor for us in January. The first thing I noticed is that the readings are not like with the old meter, it's in kWh, so you don't have to try and convert the numbers to kWH as with the old meters. Haven't really had enough time to assess it properly yet, as it was fitted in winter, so hopefully we will see a dramatic reduction when it gets warm :grin2: I noticed on the blurb that came with it they said that if we changed supplier it 'may' not work for them, but I believe the meters are all basically the same except it will have a custom part specifically for the supplier - a bit like changing your network on your mobile phone, you only need to change the sim card. As far as usage goes, I am expecting that I will be able to see a more detailed usage chart as it can give the supplier readings every 10 minutes or so - so I can check when the OH turns the heating up every time I go out >



.


----------



## teljoy (Jul 4, 2005)

GMJ said:


> Folks
> 
> Do any of you have one of these in your homes?
> 
> ...


I may be wrong but I thought I read somewhere that some smart meters were having problems reporting readings of LED lights and something else which I can't now remember but they produced very high usage bills. It did not apply to all providers and they may have resolved it. Something though to be considered.

Terry


----------



## GMJ (Jun 24, 2014)

It was reported in the paper the other day that one or two have provided c£20k bills :surprise:

Obviously issues but it does beg the question regarding faults. These were obviously large enough to be noticed but smaller ones wouldn't necessarily get noticed.

I think on balance I'll wait awhile as I am changing supplier at the end of April anyway...

Graham :smile2:


----------



## H1-GBV (Feb 28, 2006)

"Free of charge" simply means that the cost of this government-inspired project is spread over *all *consumers: the suppliers do not pay anything although they are likely to appreciate 70% of the savings, by not employing meter-readers etc. "Our" 30% comes from not having to take time of work to allow the meter-reader entry etc [so that's a zero gain for me!]. There is no legal requirement for suppliers to pass these savings on to consumers.

My Dad is 90y old and has dementia, so we got E.ON to fit one last July. In October we changed him to EDF and submitted an initial reading of 5000 [taken from the hand-held digital display], as they cannot read E.ON meters (but it will all get sorted once the "initial rollout is complete" according to HMG: it started in 2012 and should finish in 2020: how long is "initial"?).
Last week we tried to submit a reading of 15800 by entering figures directly onto the EDF website but was told it was too high. An "online chat" resulted in it being processed, but the bill was £2500 and the Direct Debit went to £700 per month (from £92). I suspected that they were working in cu m [or BThU?]. Another online chat produced a bill of £150 in credit and a DD of £28. Sadly, the operative had entered 5800, thus missing 10000kWh. When this was pointed out in yet another online chat, the figure according to the next-day accounts was 1350, so Dad had supplied them with gas (cf 5000 in Oct). An email of complaint was promised a response within 48h ("most of our domestic customers are dealt with in 24h") but 4days later we are still waiting.
Would I recommend a SMART meter?

Sadly, I did try to get one fitted here at the same time as Dad. E.ON agreed, made an appointment, but the engineer didn't arrive. When I contacted E.ON I was informed that our meter was 3-phase, so could not be replaced. I looked at the meter (which has 2 supply cables entering it and was something which I used to teach about before I retired) and read out the information on the box "single phase". "Oh yes, it's a single phase 3-phase meter so you can't have one until we develop 3-phase SMART meters next year". Later I was contacted by a "satisfaction survey" company: normally I tell them to go away but not this time. Still, E.ON did pay me £60 compensation for my troubles.

Now of course we have the "is your TV spying on you?" situation. I read a spy-thriller recently where MI5 used the internet connection of the electricity meter to control aspects of a house. It may just be fiction but ......

Gordon


----------



## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

We invited big brother in through...

Is your web cam really off???


----------



## patp (Apr 30, 2007)

A while back we borrowed a device from the library which monitored all your appliances. A bit more time consuming but informative enough for us to know which ones were heavy on usage and which ones weren't.


----------



## Spacerunner (Mar 18, 2006)

I'm in Portugal and have been since early January. With a electricity smart meter fitted at home I can go on the internet and find out exactly how much electricity my house in the UK is using. Happily it's zero. We're hoping to have a smart gas meter fitted as soon as they become available.
And in answer to a previous post I still pay a fixed amount (£50 P.m.) by direct debit. This means when I return home the supplier should cease taking the direct debit until my usage catches up again.


----------



## barryd (May 9, 2008)

You can fit a monitor without fitting a smart meter. I fitted one yonks ago but as Peter says it just ended up with Mrs D watching it and telling me to turn all my bloody amps off so I just fudged it so it showed they were using nothing.


----------



## billybilbo (Oct 7, 2007)

*Smart Meters*

I think I am correct in saying that as the smart meter is hard wired into your house so it can be used to cut of your supply.:surprise: I have just had an emial from N power to say that my electric bill is to go up 400%. I have solar pv so monitor the generation and usage daily.The last time this happened it took six months to sort out.With the old system they had to apply to the court to enter the house to cut me off so I could contest it.
The power company struggle to add up and you cannot communicate with them offer than by email.:smile2:
I will not have a smart meter until it is forced on me.


----------

