Any disadvantage to a wireless electricity meter?

I don't understand why anyone would be against this, you always end up paying for what you've used in the end anyway unless your meter is broken etc.

The only downside to this is if you're a meter reader, because then you're out of a job I suppose.
 
HeadlessChicken said:
See, I just don't understand this sentimentality. Oh no, they know how much electricity I use! Those terrible energy companies billing me for what I have used!

They (or similar) are likely to be pretty essential in the near future to predict the supply needed by The Grid more accurately, which will become even more important if we start using more renewable energy, which are mostly intermittent with with poor load following.

So what if it could be used to figure out when you go to bed, or that you leave your lights on all day. Honestly.
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I've got no problem with the reading bit. In fact it would be great to get accurate bills without handing in readings every quarter.
What I object to is what happens if the computer system messes up and cuts me off or it decides the clock is wrong and charges me to much for what I'm using.
 
SimonCHere said:
I've got no problem with the reading bit. In fact it would be great to get accurate bills without handing in readings every quarter.
What I object to is what happens if the computer system messes up and cuts me off or it decides the clock is wrong and charges me to much for what I'm using.
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And what if your current meter breaks during summer and they bill you your winter readings over summer to correct it? I don't see any greater exposure to problems from this. Especially as you can keep tabs on it easier yourself.
 
If I was reading a normal one over the summer I would notice it was broken?
If it was all done for me I wouldn't notice until I check the money coming out on DD, which may take a while!
 
These have been around for years. I have worked in many companies who use wireless energy meters.

I really do not see a problem. Do you all honestly remember what your last meter reading was? Do you double check that it is exactly what you want to pay? How would you even know that it was over reading?

Wireless meters are a good thing. I really could not care that my next door neighbour knows how much electricity I am using. Who would even care?
 
I've got one, I just clipped the wireless sender to the 4th cable coming out of my meter and then the display is plugged in next to my TV.

Using £1.94 of electricity a day on average.

I like it, I can tell when the girlfriend has left lights on :/.

Edit : Just saw that the two are different!
 
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I've just joined british gas as a smart energy expert and i'll be installing smart gas and elec meters so i know a bit about them.

The gas meter and in home display will connect to the electric meter via bluetooth. The electric meter will then communicate to british gas via the gsm network (mobile).

This means that the meter readings will automatically be sent every month and then you will be accuratly billed. It also means that the supplier can automatically cut customers off if they are scallies that don't pay ect.

The in home display will give real time usage, how much the bill currently is, co2 emmisions ect so you can see the effect of turning appliances on and off instantly.
 
SimonCHere said:
If I was reading a normal one over the summer I would notice it was broken?
If it was all done for me I wouldn't notice until I check the money coming out on DD, which may take a while!
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You will see on the in home display exactly what your bill is at that current time and the exact amount of energy being used at that time in kwh so you would notice instantly, not that i see that as a problem that could occour easily.
 
Jez said:
Surely these wireless automated meters are to cut down on people stealing energy? I guess this is what is in it for the companies as they must lose rather a lot of energy through the old style meters?
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Smart metering is an initiative put in place by the last government in order to create a 'greener, more efficient' consumer. The idea is that the consumer will see how much energy they're using, how much it's costing, and will reduce their usage.

Smart metering will be rolled out to the entirety of UK in the next ten years, they will be mandatory for all new meter recerts/exchanges.

Any supplier "offering" the smart monitor for free isn't really providing that great a deal, since all future meter recerts will include a free monitor once the spec is finalised - which still seems to be a while off.

I work in metering, so I know ;)
 
people need to understand its not a wireless energy meter hes talking about its a wireless monitor. Surely they will need to still send people in to read the meter as the monitor is only for usage monitoring realtime and vague stats.
 
DAvE18 said:
people need to understand its not a wireless energy monitor hes talking about its a wireless METER.

They wont need to send anyone in to check your meter they can read it whenever they want. Not an energy monitor.
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The two are one and the same for future smart metering recerts.

The meter itself is wireless in order to enable the Data Collector to take readings by literally just driving past (though there's also I&C metering which literally phones home through telecoms to provide reads). These new installs will also be set up with an In Home Display unit.
 
The ONLY reasons for these meters is:
1. The supplier can cut off power remotely due to non payment.

2. The meter internals (gsm connection) are fed off of the mains supply (not metered) so the company can tell if you pull the tails/main fuse either for stealing purposes or for electricians like me changing a fuseboard/tails from meter. The company will charge you to come out, cut their seals, pull fuse and then replace and seal. Bad times for sparks.

Why would a company who sells electricity want you to use less??
 
MeEsH BaKkA said:
The ONLY reasons for these meters is:
1. The supplier can cut off power remotely due to non payment.

2. The meter internals (gsm connection) are fed off of the mains supply (not metered) so the company can tell if you pull the tails/main fuse either for stealing purposes or for electricians like me changing a fuseboard/tails from meter. The company will charge you to come out, cut their seals, pull fuse and then replace and seal. Bad times for sparks.

Why would a company who sells electricity want you to use less??
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Completely agreed, its clearly to cut stealing. Why would anybody think it was for any other purpose?
 
Without wanting to read all of that, does it set out any timescales by which they must comply and complete the UK consumerbase?
 
Jez said:
Without wanting to read all of that, does it set out any timescales by which they must comply and complete the UK consumerbase?
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The last government intended to roll out smart gas and electric meters to all UK households by 2020 - I haven't read up on if the current government intend to make any changes to this initiative, but I doubt it.

The only issue is that whilst certain suppliers (eg. BGAS and NATP) are already a year or two into smart install trials (we've already installed a few thousand for BGAS), an industry standard hasn't yet been decided on.
 
They are necessary IMO, especially considering the more that likely impending electricity gap (I hate that phrase).

It will be needed to have a much more accurate load figure for the Grid.
 
Ive got one. Seems to work great. I like it.

Easy to fit around the main +ve feed to the fusebox from the main 100A RCD with 3 supplied AA batteries then the unit is main powered.

Seems I do 10KWh per day on there 9.2 per unit rate (£14 per quarter standing charge) its pretty low use.

EDIT- whoops i have a home monitor.
 
Jonnycoupe said:
Ive got one. Seems to work great. I like it.

Easy to fit around the main +ve feed to the fusebox from the main 100A RCD with 3 supplied AA batteries then the unit is main powered.

Seems I do 10KWh per day on there 9.2 per unit rate (£14 per quarter standing charge) its pretty low use.

EDIT- whoops i have a home monitor.
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I wouldn't say "low use" my monitor says the average use is 10kwh per day and you should try to aim below that.

Hey ho though, we use about 20 per day.

In saying that we haven't had an electric bill for 7 years now but that is another, very long story.

Anybody know what happens when they realise their mistake and send us a bill for £10k?
 
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