Any downsides to a smart meter?

[gingergundog]

Tip for people about to get a smart meter fitted:

Ask the sparky nicely to fit an isolator while they're there.

I wish I'd asked him when we had ours fitted. It would be really handy for knocking the power off to the whole house.

Depends who you are with, who turns up to fit the meter and you might get a computer says no answer.

 

[Dangerous Dave]

The smart meter takes it power from the grid side not the metered side so the customer is not charged for the electricity that runs it. You can check this yourself isolate your house and the meter reading won't go up

 

[Raymond Lin]

The smart meter takes it power from the grid side not the metered side so the customer is not charged for the electricity that runs it. You can check this yourself isolate your house and the meter reading won't go up

what about that LCD thing that sits on your kitchen table?

 

[200sols]

what about that LCD thing that sits on your kitchen table?

That is optional. Even so it's a poor argument against the meter, the IHD must use like 1w

 

[Dangerous Dave]

what about that LCD thing that sits on your kitchen table?

You don't need to run that, I find the mobile app better.

The main advantage of a smart meter is to get onto a smart tariff which gives you access to wholesale rates, it's been roughly 17-18p average for electricity the last few months. Some time slots they've paid you for using electricity.

 

[Mercenary Keyboard Warrior]

Why would point no.1 be a lie? The meter runs on farts? Seriously, what is that screen run off of if not electricity? It’s not a zero amount. Unplug your smart meter, take out the batteries…does it still work with no power? I think not…so between the 2 of us, you are the liar.

As for point no.4 when I say look there, I can tell if a wire is fraying like any idiot, like if a cockroach has started chewing through it. You don’t need to be an electrician to notice something different to last time you seen it.

As for point 3, if it’s a wrong reading, it’s my fault, I’ll blame myself thanks. I’m not reading your metering, if it goes wrong because if my mistake, I’ll pay for it, I’m not asking you to.

No.2 is not a lie, plenty of people here have personal experience with this, just read the thread.

As for point 5….IMO, less they know the better. I don’t see any advantage of them knowing my usage habit. These companies’ aim is to make as much money out of us, that is entirely their goal…data = knowledge and helps them to make more money out of us.

Most of the old gen 1 meters are now live again, gen 2 should never be an issue
they have been fitted gen2 for years now so its basically completely irrelevant in regards someone asking about getting a NEW meter
I guess if he was a time traveller then you may have a valid point

 

[gingergundog]

Why would point no.1 be a lie? The meter runs on farts? Seriously, what is that screen run off of if not electricity? It’s not a zero amount. Unplug your smart meter, take out the batteries…does it still work with no power? I think not…so between the 2 of us, you are the liar.

You must be referring to the IHD, its pennies per year. The meter its self is powered by the DNO phase.

No.2 is not a lie, plenty of people here have personal experience with this, just read the thread.

The SMETS1 still work as a legacy meter but you just lose the smart functionality, they are all being replaced by the SMETS2 anyway AFAIK.

 

[Mercenary Keyboard Warrior]

You must be referring to the IHD, its pennies per year. The meter its self is powered by the DNO phase.

The SMETS1 still work as a legacy meter but you just lose the smart functionality, they are all being replaced by the SMETS2 anyway AFAIK.

A lot of 1s now work as well. The issue was they were in effect coded to the original installer.
They worked out a way round that for most but I think you may need to in effect nudge your supplier if its not actively being picked up.
But a lot of the early gen 1s would now be starting to be due to be replaced by natural old age.

The only actual real negative I think is honest is them being able to remotely switch you to prepay
If thats better or worse than having someone force entry to your house to perform the same action is one you can debate over and over

 

[gingergundog]

A lot of 1s now work as well. The issue was they were in effect coded to the original installer.
They worked out a way round that for most but I think you may need to in effect nudge your supplier if its not actively being picked up.
But a lot of the early gen 1s would now be starting to be due to be replaced by natural old age.

Yeah I think the original plan was to tweak the software to allow moving supplier but then realised they couldn't actually do it for all of them, hence the SMETS2 rollout.

The only actual real negative I think is honest is them being able to remotely switch you to prepay
If thats better or worse than having someone force entry to your house to perform the same action is one you can debate over and over

Personally id rather they did it remotely to avoid the attention but then I'm probably not in the demographic that enjoys posting sticking it to the man vids on YT.

 

[Hawk Tuah]

Why would point no.1 be a lie? The meter runs on farts? Seriously, what is that screen run off of if not electricity? It’s not a zero amount. Unplug your smart meter, take out the batteries…does it still work with no power? I think not…so between the 2 of us, you are the liar.

As for point no.4 when I say look there, I can tell if a wire is fraying like any idiot, like if a cockroach has started chewing through it. You don’t need to be an electrician to notice something different to last time you seen it.

As for point 3, if it’s a wrong reading, it’s my fault, I’ll blame myself thanks. I’m not reading your metering, if it goes wrong because if my mistake, I’ll pay for it, I’m not asking you to.

No.2 is not a lie, plenty of people here have personal experience with this, just read the thread.

As for point 5….IMO, less they know the better. I don’t see any advantage of them knowing my usage habit. These companies’ aim is to make as much money out of us, that is entirely their goal…data = knowledge and helps them to make more money out of us.

#1 It's taken from the DNO side of the meter. The IHD is up to you if you want to throw it in a draw - it's for your benefit only.

#4 Nothing stopping you looking at your smart meter wiring. When I had mine fitted - they replaced all the decades old wiring with new, and did a lovely job re-doing all the gas piping. Having an expert installer inspect and replace any outdated wiring around your meter is equally as beneficial.

#3 - fine - you can always submit your own readings.

#2 Smets1 meters? Sure - but they've been replaced with Smets2. I waited until Smets2 was out before getting a smart meter for exactly this reason. Now, this reason is redundant.

5# Keep wearing that tin foil hat.

 

[Mercenary Keyboard Warrior]

Personally id rather they did it remotely to avoid the attention but then I'm probably not in the demographic that enjoys posting sticking it to the man vids on YT.

Exactly my thought as well.

 

[The Angry Welshman]

Why would point no.1 be a lie? The meter runs on farts? Seriously, what is that screen run off of if not electricity? It’s not a zero amount. Unplug your smart meter, take out the batteries…does it still work with no power? I think not…so between the 2 of us, you are the liar.

As for point no.4 when I say look there, I can tell if a wire is fraying like any idiot, like if a cockroach has started chewing through it. You don’t need to be an electrician to notice something different to last time you seen it.

As for point 3, if it’s a wrong reading, it’s my fault, I’ll blame myself thanks. I’m not reading your metering, if it goes wrong because if my mistake, I’ll pay for it, I’m not asking you to.

No.2 is not a lie, plenty of people here have personal experience with this, just read the thread.

As for point 5….IMO, less they know the better. I don’t see any advantage of them knowing my usage habit. These companies’ aim is to make as much money out of us, that is entirely their goal…data = knowledge and helps them to make more money out of us.

Well they make next to nothing out of me and i got smart meters…….in fact, last year they paid me more than i paid them.

 

[Chabsy]

I got a £100 discount. Which was nice.

 

[alphaomega16]

Always put in the correct readings .

Still not following at what your point was with specsaver defence

 

[darael]

Tip for people about to get a smart meter fitted:

Ask the sparky nicely to fit an isolator while they're there.

I wish I'd asked him when we had ours fitted. It would be really handy for knocking the power off to the whole house.

I forgot all about my fun with isolator switches.

I had my SMETS1 smart meter installed about 10 years ago, but nothing was hinted about isolator switches - I don't think they were in fashion at the time.

Anyway I had to have the electrics checked in the house a couple of years later and the electrician said they can't touch the fusebox etc until an isolator switch is installed. By this time I was with the joke of a company known as Iresa and I arranged for them to install an isolator switch at my own cost, to be paid upon completion of the work. I think Iresa went bust just as after I'd left them, but either way they never got around to adding the £60 installation charge to my bill. I did chase it up with the next supplier, but they said although their were notes on my account about the installation charge, no charges had been added to my account and to wait and see what happens with the administrators. I think I even got through to Iresa during the administration phase too, but I'm still waiting to be charged. I'm just letting sleeping dogs lie now.

Fast forward another 2-3 years, EDF installed a SMETS2 smart meter and laughed when I told them about my saga and that they could have installed one for free at that time. Oh well.

 

[gingergundog]

I forgot all about my fun with isolator switches.

I had my SMETS1 smart meter installed about 10 years ago, but nothing was hinted about isolator switches - I don't think they were in fashion at the time.

Anyway I had to have the electrics checked in the house a couple of years later and the electrician said they can't touch the fusebox etc until an isolator switch is installed. By this time I was with the joke of a company known as Iresa and I arranged for them to install an isolator switch at my own cost, to be paid upon completion of the work. I think Iresa went bust just as after I'd left them, but either way they never got around to adding the £60 installation charge to my bill. I did chase it up with the next supplier, but they said although their were notes on my account about the installation charge, no charges had been added to my account and to wait and see what happens with the administrators. I think I even got through to Iresa during the administration phase too, but I'm still waiting to be charged. I'm just letting sleeping dogs lie now.

Fast forward another 2-3 years, EDF installed a SMETS2 smart meter and laughed when I told them about my saga and that they could have installed one for free at that time. Oh well.

Most sparks will just pull the fuse as they dont have time to wait around for the DNO to not bother turning up. I guess you cant grumble at him doing it by the book, although rare. Isolators make everyone's life easier.

 

[Hawk Tuah]

Tip for people about to get a smart meter fitted:

Ask the sparky nicely to fit an isolator while they're there.

I wish I'd asked him when we had ours fitted. It would be really handy for knocking the power off to the whole house.

The guy that fitted mine did a great job, fitted an isolator, renewed all the gas piping. Tidied the whole area up.

Changed what looked like an ancient rats nest (old eco7 meter) of cables to a very neat setup.

 

[alphaomega16]

Don't have any isolators here

 

[Business Man]

Take it from someone who use to work where these were manufactured. Stay clear of these smart meters. There is nothing wrong with the old ones.

Gas is gas no matter how much people consume but what type of meter some has shouldn't dictate how much you pay per unit. These cheaper tariffs to get people to switch to smart meters are nothing but a sham and ain't for your benefit. We now live in a world where your data is sold and are losing more control.

These meters can be controlled remotely on the fly, you can be shut off, your tariff changed depending on time of day once they start introducing more restrictions, they can see how much people are using and at what times etc

Don't be fooled into thinking it's for our benefit

 

[The Angry Welshman]

Take it from someone who use to work where these were manufactured. Stay clear of these smart meters. There is nothing wrong with the old ones.

Gas is gas no matter how much people consume but what type of meter some has shouldn't dictate how much you pay per unit. These cheaper tariffs to get people to switch to smart meters are nothing but a sham and ain't for your benefit. We now live in a world where your data is sold and are losing more control.

These meters can be controlled remotely on the fly, you can be shut off, your tariff changed depending on time of day once they start introducing more restrictions, they can see how much people are using and at what times etc

Don't be fooled into thinking it's for our benefit