Smart Meter - worth changing to?

[Rikk82]

My energy company wanted to install a smart meter at my house a couple of weeks ago. I just rang them up and said I didn't want one as I give regular meter readings. Easy.
As mentioned in this thread, they become dumb meters once you switch supplier, so I don't see the point. What a waste of time and resource.

 

[Jean-F]

The only gain I can see for one is that you never have to give meter readings, there is the other part to it when it shows how much energy you're using but I'm buggered if I'm letting it tell me when I can put my heating on.

We’ve had one for some time now, gas and electric, there’s been virtually zero difference in the bills, we have the little gizmo that tells you how much the energy has cost daily, but I don’t know where your comment about being told when to put the heating on comes from, unless you mean that if it shows that you’re paying more than you thought, you’re frightened to have the heating on.
Ours is set at H/W on 24/7, and C.H. set for twice per day when it’s cold, permanently off at the moment, but with the ability to over-ride if necessary.

 

[R F]

If you switch supplier why not get the new supplier to install a new meter? You're not directly paying for the installation, who cares? I had British Gas out 3 times to install a smart meter for me, once I missed their call, the other time I made £30 from them after they failed to turn up and finally, when they did come, they said they couldn't install it because my electrical work was of the wrong type. I don't care about giving big companies the run around.

 

[Nasher]

Because most people CBA to have a new meter installed every year

 

[bloodiedathame]

Because most people CBA to have a new meter installed every year

Yup, book a day off work only for the installer not to show...

 

[R F]

Or you could just pick a weekend or evening slot ?

I'll be making my way out of this thread now. I can't handle the high IQ contributions, it's too much for me.

 

[Nasher]

That's even worse. Sit in all Saturday for them not to turn up...

 

[bloodiedathame]

Or you could just pick a weekend or evening slot ?

I'll be making my way out of this thread now. I can't handle the high IQ contributions, it's too much for me.

You might want to re test you own IQ if you can't comprehend that evenings and weekends can be even more inconvenient than booking a day off work.

 

[Sankari]

Smart meters are great, I've never regretted getting ours.

 

[muon]

My energy company wanted to install a smart meter at my house a couple of weeks ago. I just rang them up and said I didn't want one as I give regular meter readings. Easy.
As mentioned in this thread, they become dumb meters once you switch supplier, so I don't see the point. What a waste of time and resource.

The live readouts will continue working with the device and give you all that information by hour, day, week etc.

It's just your new supplier won't be able to get that information.

 

[Em3bbs]

Smart meters are great, I've never regretted getting ours.

That's great advice for people who live in Adelaide, South Australia, but we're in the UK where there is a new standard about to be rolled out which has already been discussed here.

 

[Sankari]

They really are terrific, I couldn't live without mine.

 

[itchy]

It can be hacked as its just WAN, you can pick the code up with the right software.

Even if encryption is applied either 128 or 256bit you can get through it eventually.

Keep your meters dumb and open the door once every 13 weeks or put the reading note they post in your window.

 

[Bluecube]

Surely the best reason to get one is to hack it and lower your leccy costs for your mining farm?

 

[itchy]

Surely the best reason to get one is to hack it and lower your leccy costs for your mining farm?

I know I can hack it, but I cannot do my electric key as I need someone to graft a shop to get a machine to read the bloody thing.

If I can get that done then its free lights for me.

Its all just binary and hex the is always a way to get around everything.

 

[glenimp617]

I use these guys and give a meter reading manually every month

https://www.outfoxthemarket.co.uk/Home.aspx

Thanks!! Just signed up with them.

 

[ThriceNightly]

Thanks!! Just signed up with them.

I use these guys and give a meter reading manually every month

https://www.outfoxthemarket.co.uk/Home.aspx

beats my current suppliers (First Utility) Might go with them - seem to be cheaper, no standing charge as well

Signed up recently myself not much info on them but they do have 50k customers since last year

No standing charge however they charge a monthly membership based on useage...customer otherwise pays the wholesale rate

 

[Zenduri]

Just to answer a few points out there in this thread. While I may work in the industry please dont assume I'm not critical of the industry, I am critical but fair,

• Most Smart meters are SMETS1 but there are some SMETS2 out there but its a supply issue more than anything.

• Yes the vast majority of SMART meters lose SMART functionality when switching suppliers but they should regain that functionality by the end of the year / start of 2019. This to be honest can be put down to lack of foresight and the government pushing for quotas when the infrastructure isn't in place. The problem is there are a lot of meter makes and installing meter operators and generally you will see 1 or 2 meter operators are contracted with a supplier but not with other suppliers and to obtain the licenses and means for each supplier and respective parties to read each others meters is astronomical. HOWEVER... a company/service is being set up, the DCC (Data communications Company) who will hold the means and licenses for all SMART meter and will be the sole company who will collect readings from these meters and then feed them to whichever supplier you are with. Essentially they will become SMART meters once more
• SMART meters only show you what you use and the cost. They were never a money saving device, its down to you to change your usage if you feel you are using too much/ spending too much
• They can be hacked as can anything like this that's capable of sending or receiving a signal. "Hacking to lower you energy prices" is a stupid comment as the prices, while also stored on the meter, if you change them on the meter it means diddly squat to the energy supplier as the prices are on the suppliers billing systems. The only possible worthwhile hack would be to set it to under report and to be the best of my knowledge that requires an extreme amount of effort and know how which 99.99% of the populous doesn't have

Side note re smaller suppliers as well.

The big six have to buy energy 12 months in advance due to ******** regulation which means they need to forecast future prices and usage without getting it horrendously wrong which often means higher prices to the consumer whereas smaller companies, under a certain customer base, can buy on "day prices" so they can react to cheap prices and buy on the spot. This can mean cheaper prices when times are good with smaller suppliers but when wholesale prices rocket the smaller companies bleed hard as they cant absorb the price increase as much as the larger companies this has been seen with some of the smaller companies folding.

 

[sovietspybob]

Do they work with solar panels? I've heard mixed thing, we were with scottish power and they'd booked us in to get one fitted but they didn't turn up the first time then turned up on the wrong day the 2nd time so we just ignored their letters after that especially as they couldn't even confirm if they could fit one when they turned up 'cos of the panels . We've since changed energy suppliers so it would have been useless anyhow by the sounds of it.

 

[glenimp617]

Signed up recently myself not much info on them but they do have 50k customers since last year

No standing charge however they charge a monthly membership based on useage...customer otherwise pays the wholesale rate

Yeah, we are paying £77 a month at the minute on our fixed tariff. When that comes to an end in August, the next cheapest rate I could find was about £89 a month. OutFox was £67 inc the monthly fee.