When I installed solar my old meter started going backwards. Informed Octopus immediately and they fitted the new meter pretty quickly.
Any downsides to a smart meter?
- Thread starter Minstadave
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When you took off your tinfoil did you consider that those who sit on flat rate tariffs will be the ones who are billed more because they don’t know when you are using it and as such.
They’ll just assume you are usage is skewed towards the most expensive times of the day and bill you accordingly. A bit like the status quo today…
Last month 570kwh at an average of 11.47p/kwh. Smart meters are super dumb right?
Just a quick note for the sane people in this thread- the gas smart meter doesn’t really do anything other than relay a daily read to the mothership which replaces the monthly manual read. If your meters are each side of the house, you’ll just get an electric meter as they’ll not be able to communicate with each other.
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You clearly have quite strong opinions on a subject your appear to know very little about.
Remind me, what's the problem with an energy company knowing when I use energy?
Why would they turn off my electricity?
Oh and the batteries fit perfectly neatly in my garage thanks. 8kwh of storage lasts us plenty most days. Even better when you can top them up with free energy.
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I know little about?? Sorry to burst your bubble but I worked for Landis+gyr for over 12 years who made the SMTS 1 / 2 smart meters for all big energy firms as well as the small ones popping up. I worked close to people in R&D so I'm well aware what these meters can do.
You could be shut off to reserve electricity if we don't have enough electricity on the grid, the meters have a valve built in to them that can be remotely shut off, it could happen to vulnerable people who struggling to keep up with their bills. All these electric vehicles charging up and down the country at similar times of the day, all the investors in these nuclear power plants, greener energy and infrastructure for charge points will want to see a ROI and by that they will introduce all sorts of shady stuff to gain more money from the consumer and could use your usage data fed back to them to introduce extra charges
I'll leave it at that and maybe some people in here should take off their rose tinted glasses and look how people in this country are being charged just to go about their business to make ends meet
You could be shut off to reserve electricity if we don't have enough electricity on the grid, the meters have a valve built in to them that can be remotely shut off, it could happen to vulnerable people who struggling to keep up with their bills. All these electric vehicles charging up and down the country at similar times of the day, all the investors in these nuclear power plants, greener energy and infrastructure for charge points will want to see a ROI and by that they will introduce all sorts of shady stuff to gain more money from the consumer and could use your usage data fed back to them to introduce extra charges
I'll leave it at that and maybe some people in here should take off their rose tinted glasses and look how people in this country are being charged just to go about their business to make ends meet
Soldato
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Should have kept quiet about that. You basically had a battery.When I installed solar my old meter started going backwards. Informed Octopus immediately and they fitted the new meter pretty quickly.
Tbf peak pricing, time of use will come to all. If the conspiracy is true though they wont just let those in legacy meters get away, it's more likely they will end up paying permanently high prices rather than cheaper prices than those with smart meters.
Apparently according to a business man, the energy companies will turn off your electricity so they can make more money. Not sure how they will manage that when they only get paid when you use electricity.
The only incentive for them to turn them off or change them to pre-payment is for people who don’t pay. Who do you think pays for the electricity which is used by those who don’t pay? Put it this way, it’s not the shareholders…
No offence but I’ll probably not be taking and business advice from you.
The only incentive for them to turn them off or change them to pre-payment is for people who don’t pay. Who do you think pays for the electricity which is used by those who don’t pay? Put it this way, it’s not the shareholders…
No offence but I’ll probably not be taking and business advice from you.
It was very tempting.
However I'm not a fan of committing fraud, or the potential fine if I got caught - which would be pretty easy if anyone looked at the meter numbers I'd be submitting.
So, on other words - you know nothing. Just all speculation, conspiracy nonsense and bluster.
Next you'll be warning people to stay clear of EVs. Dangerous time bombs all set to explode?
5g, I bet that's a problem as well. Got something against vaccinations as well?
Soldato
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My gas sends 30 minute data just like the elec one. Just right now its only affecting a daily rate as opposed to TOU like leccy.
In fact I think SMETS2 can do even less, something like 5 minute timings.
I do agree on the normal tariff being very expensive at some point, probably decades off but it will come.
When the energy companies are offering and many people are on TOU tariffs then the old tariff will end up being super expensive as the only people hanging on to it will clearly be those who don't time anything and want to use most of their leccy when the unit cost is very high for the providers.
As more and more people shift to time of use tariffs and shift their usage to cheaper times, those that don’t will bear an ever increasing share of the cost of those peak hours. This will just further increase the cost of said flat rate tariffs.
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Soldato
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The only downside is that it makes me obsessed with seeing how much am using but am sure that's helping with lowering the consumption.
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I found that once you understood the min/max and patterns, it soon loses so much focus/prominence if your life.
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And where did I say electricity companies will make more money by shutting you off eh? I said they can shut you off by means if there's a shortage or you can't afford it. You only need to look at the recent shenanigans with vulnerable people who were left with no gas because they fell behind or other means and forced to pay even higher prices for gas which is unfair. Gas or electricity per unit should be the same no matter what type of meter you have. You can't handle the fact you have no control on what happens next with these meters whether it's next year or 10 years and all you got is I must wear a tin foil hat. Well you maybe the one wearing one to keep yourself warm when you can't afford to heat your home in the future or were all in a blackout. I just told you my brief background on these meters, choose to believe what you want. You have given these companies more to analyse which will eventually be your downfall by being baited in with cheaper tariffs now. The longer people can put these smarts meters off the better for everyone
(if you are geekish) get a smart meter whose supplier also provides a cad (like octopus mini or some chameleon ihd's) so that you have the option of storing on Homeassistant dynamic electricity data,
rather than transient coarser data apps provide.
TOU
... good job the government (well maybe labour still) will invest in more economically efficient (than personal solar/batteries ) storage mechanisms so that the economy is not tethered to time of use tarifs
Darling we need to cook the family dinner at 9pm or have a takeaway because the units are 60p/kwh this evening between 5-6pm
rather than transient coarser data apps provide.
TOU
... good job the government (well maybe labour still) will invest in more economically efficient (than personal solar/batteries ) storage mechanisms so that the economy is not tethered to time of use tarifs
Darling we need to cook the family dinner at 9pm or have a takeaway because the units are 60p/kwh this evening between 5-6pm
Genuine question, not sniping at what you’re saying, is there something more economically efficient than personal solar and batteries?
Soldato
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They can already switch off due to low capacity the do it in large areas not one off houses. Type of meter will make no difference.
If you cant pay the only difference between smart and dumb is that with dumb your going to get people force enter your house to make the disconnect (and fit a new meter btw)
Why should gas and elec be the same no matter your meter type. Many of us have smarts and have tariffs that suit us far more. The costs to the grid arent same at all times, why should consumers pay the same.
Makes no sense at all.
The simple reality is that TOU will likely see combined bills FALL. Since it will encourage many more to time their usage and hence the generation that costs the grid the most (during peak times) will be eliminated.
You will be able to cook when you want. If you are that desperate to eat at x time then pay for it. No matter what however your likely to be more sensible with the washing, and the dishwasher etc etc
Large scale will have some minor efficiency, the big benefit of your own is that you can also control far more.
Most who talk about grid scale being cheaper are basically wanting someone else to do the investment.
Absolute drivel. Energy should be cheap when it's produced in abundance by renewables. It should be expensive when we have to resort to burning non-renewables to cover demand.
Which can be helped by shifting load outside peak times, and by better predicting demand, thanks to.....
The only people I can think who might be better off are those who are fiddling their meters. Hmmm, do we know anyone with experience in the internals of electric meters?
DIY solar and batteries.
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Associate
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What I find funny is people get all defensive over something that benefits themselves. A meter is a meter and what you use from the grid should cost the same whether you're on pre pay or smart. The poor can't afford roof tops full of solar panels or battery packs as it is nore do people have space for all these things. I don't see why people on pre pay meters should be hit hardest but as long as your okay jack I suppose it doesn't matter about the other people. These energy companies are ruthless and couldn't give two *** if you feel you must swear, please fully star it out and don't disguise it *** about peoples circumstances and will just turn you off without having to enter your property now.
You may want to hope you don't fall on hard times and end up in similar circumstances
You may want to hope you don't fall on hard times and end up in similar circumstances
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