Smart Meter installation warning!
- Thread starter YoungBlood
- Start date
Fewer reader you say? Big nope to that, every meter installer is a glorified meter reader, infact most of the meter reader have taken the option to become installers with the relevent training, qualifications and pay increase.
It's a poorly thought out target, unsurprisingly, from the government to be honest.
I plan the staffing for Smart meter installation calls amongst other things, there's a load of cost and wasted time spent trying to convince people they need a meter in the first place and then the providers can't even meet the demand for those that can be convinced to agree to it.
Nearly half of my day is spent driving from one job to the other as the schedule is all over the place, poorly managed and auto allocated, Monday I have 6 jobs spread over 4 post codes traveling over 160miles when thee are engineers closer to three of the jobs with nothing to do all day as they haven't been allocated any work
stupid system is stupid.Nearly half of my day is spent driving from one job to the other as the schedule is all over the place, poorly managed and auto allocated, Monday I have 6 jobs spread over 4 post codes traveling over 160miles when thee are engineers closer to three of the jobs with nothing to do all day as they haven't been allocated any work
Tell me about it, we get someone to agree to an installation and then find out there's nobody available to do the installation.
So I've read some horror stories from a year or so back about meters being installed going wrong/not being able to change suppliers easily etc etc.
We have been contacted by ScottishPower to say they are in our area and need to get booked in.
Couple of questions, will the newest meters be future proof or should I just ignore? does anyone know what kind of meters scottish power will install? we have a gas one (outside in a little brown box) and one in our hallway cupboard for electricity.
We have been contacted by ScottishPower to say they are in our area and need to get booked in.
Couple of questions, will the newest meters be future proof or should I just ignore? does anyone know what kind of meters scottish power will install? we have a gas one (outside in a little brown box) and one in our hallway cupboard for electricity.
What, they have contacted you to say they are in the area and you NEED to get booked in for a smart meter? Tell them to do one. There is no LAW that says you have to have a smart meter. Plus the smart features will unlikely work if you switch supplier
Permabanned
- Joined
- 9 Aug 2009
- Posts
- 12,234
- Location
- UK
More complicated meters = the opposite of future-proof.
Replacing something reliable with something less reliable is straight-up dumb.
Permabanned
- Joined
- 9 Aug 2009
- Posts
- 12,234
- Location
- UK
It is NOT mandatory. Tell them to leave you alone.
Do you just install these things live? Looking at my supply it goes to a pole and then onto a transformer with what looks like no way to turn it off? Just interested.Nearly half of my day is spent driving from one job to the other as the schedule is all over the place, poorly managed and auto allocated, Monday I have 6 jobs spread over 4 post codes traveling over 160miles when thee are engineers closer to three of the jobs with nothing to do all day as they haven't been allocated any work
No we pull the 100/80amp fuse from your distribution point usually next to our meter. Only the DNO (local network operator) at allowed to work on mains live.
To anyone being contacted about meters a few thing to note.
**It is not mandatory that you have a smart meter for electric and gas.
**There is no law that says you must have one (although this is in process so I'm told)
**NO supplier is able to install SMETS2 meters unless you are in a trial area.
**Unless your meter is SMETS2 it cannot be added to the SMETS2 system.
**SMETS1 meters will NOT be upgraded to SMETS2 (although this is possible with he ones I fit for EDF)
Should you get one? That's up to you, if you intend to lock into a good deal (all the best tarrifs will be smart only soon enough) then why not for 2years then get a SMETS2 when they are good and ready!
But will they install a SMETS 2 for free or without penalty at that time or will they use it as a way to try and keep you with them, as I suspect? "your smart meter won't work with any other supplier, do you want to go back to reading your meter every month? '
No they cannot hold you just because of the meter, you want to switch then switch, there would only be a penalty if you were to break contract, the meter belongs to the provider same as BT and virgin own the router. When your new provider rock up to install a SMETS2 meter they take it off and send it back to your old provider.
SMETS1 will only be upgraded to SMETS2 if you change supplier, or the company's change how they want things to happen...
Just submitted my meter reading to Tonik as I'm moving to SSE.
Decided to have a Google to see who makes the smart meter, MapleCo ...
Oh look they're owned by OTPP & OMERS - https://www.otpp.com/news/article/-/article/771500
Is there no UK infrastructure they don't have a hand in?!
Decided to have a Google to see who makes the smart meter, MapleCo ...
Oh look they're owned by OTPP & OMERS - https://www.otpp.com/news/article/-/article/771500
Is there no UK infrastructure they don't have a hand in?!
They are making the SMETS2 meter but not the current smart meter they are using, as I said before other than trial areas NO provider is able to install SMETS2 until after June.
No there is not provision for this to happen, the meter does nothing more than give information, it can be programmed to different tariffs but nothing else.