Smart Meter

Robbie_G

Robbie_G

Robbie_G

Gangster
OcUK Staff
Joined
16 Mar 2008
Posts
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Hi Guys,

Quick question that hopefully some will be able to answer.

Has anyone had a smart meter installed by their electric company?

I have had a letter from first utility saying I need to get it installed as it will be the law. I like send my own readings at the moment as they are all dodgy so I like to keep note.

I was wondering if they increase costs of the your power as they will try to make the money up from us for the meter.

I'm holding off having it fitted till they call me but was just looking to see if people had experience with them.
 
It is not the law yet. BG keeping hassling me for a smart meter but I'm just not interested. I'll keep to normal meter until it becomes law and they force their way in to change it.
 
Yeah that is what I was thinking it's just that it is free at the moment I can only imagine that they will charge you when you have now choice.

Hopefully someone with one will shed some light on the pros and cons of them.
 
They'll never charge to change it even when it is law. They just use the magic 'Free' buzz word to make you think you are getting something for nothing and that it must be good.

All meters get changed from time to time when they get old and you are not charged. Mine was changed a few years ago due to age from a big dial meter to a small white box with LCD display.
 
Fair enough that will be the same situation as me then. I will question them about a tariff change that they are trying to push with the fitting of the new meter.
 
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What do smart meters do? I'm renting my own place in two weeks, was put back to have one fitted before they give me the keys
 
Woden said:
What do smart meters do? I'm renting my own place in two weeks, was put back to have one fitted before they give me the keys
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Just send usage to power company so you don't get estimated bills, and they don't have to send someone round to take a reading.

For you, they either come with a display or can be linked to tablet/phone so you can measure usage and so potentially lower usage if you use that information.

There's a few other things but most people won't be interested in them. Like you can remotely change between credit and ore paid metres with a simple phone call. All are also comparable with producing your own energy where old metres aren't.
 
Glaucus said:
Why, makes no sense.

Everybody already pays for metres, it's part of all bills.
There isn't a downside.

http://www.uswitch.com/gas-electricity/guides/smart-meters-explained/#step3
http://www.consumerfocus.org.uk/get...benefits-and-disadvantages-of-smart-meters#B3
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Yes we know we pay for the meters as part of the bill. What they are trying to say is that you can have a smart meter for free without paying a penny out of you pocket to make it sound like you are getting this amazing meter for nowt.

Glaucus said:
Just send usage to power company so you don't get estimated bills, and they don't have to send someone round to take a reading.

For you, they either come with a display or can be linked to tablet/phone so you can measure usage and so potentially lower usage if you use that information.

There's a few other things but most people won't be interested in them. Like you can remotely change between credit and ore paid metres with a simple phone call. All are also comparable with producing your own energy where old metres aren't.
Click to expand...

I can work out how much I have spent and how to save electricity without the need for a smart meter.
 
Got to suspect that these are a complete waste of time & money retrofitting to existing properties where the existing meter is perfectly serviceable and it doesn't help that they haven't standardised on meter type/protocol so that if you get a meter now, it won't necessarily work if you change supplier so would need to be replaced with their version.
 
Jokester said:
Got to suspect that these are a complete waste of time & money retrofitting to existing properties where the existing meter is perfectly serviceable and it doesn't help that they haven't standardised on meter type/protocol so that if you get a meter now, it won't necessarily work if you change supplier so would need to be replaced with their version.
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That's not what the links live posted say. Although it used to be the case several years ago.
Any should work with anyone now. Although always best to Google model if they offer you one to check any possible issues.

LeeUK said:
I can work out how much I have spent and how to save electricity without the need for a smart meter.
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That's not a reason to be so against having one.
 
Glaucus said:
That's not what the links live posted say. Although it used to be the case several years ago.
Any should work with anyone now. Although always best to Google model if they offer you one to check any possible issues.
Click to expand...
It's been reported recently in the news and Ovo's mythbusting page also confirms that there still isn't standardisation of meter protocols.

http://www.ovoenergy.com/blog/energ...gclid=CLH34q6508YCFYbItAodbxwGTA&gclsrc=aw.ds

Personally I would hold on until they use a standard protocol before getting one put in, if at all.
 
Glaucus said:
That says with older technology.
And why if at all?
Click to expand...

This problem is one for the whole industry and we need all suppliers to develop and standardise smart technology as soon as possible. We are working to make sure other suppliers can work our smart meters and that we can use their meters.
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That's the bit your missing.

Glaucus said:
And why if at all?
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There's no practical benefit for me. I don't leave things on that don't need to be on. If I must have one, I at least want something that will allow me to easily switch supplier without them having to come out and replace my Version 0.1 model with a 1.0 model.
 
They wont standardise them, they'll just be several system which everyone can use, as is already happening, go live nationally isn't till autumn.
They won't need to replace anything.

It costs yup nothing, and saves yup having to do it manually.

Lot of people are against them, yet cannot state why they are so against them.
 
Glaucus said:
They wont standardise them, they'll just be several system which everyone can use, as is already happening, go live nationally isn't till autumn.
They won't need to replace anything.

It costs yup nothing, and saves yup having to do it manually.

Lot of people are against them, yet cannot state why they are so against them.
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Because it'll cost the nation £11Bn, assuming that a government run project actually meets its budget/schedule (it won't - it's already massively behind schedule!).

Don't get me wrong, I think they are a great idea in new builds where you could pair them up with network connected appliances/sockets (which again will require standardisation). But for everyone else, unless they upgrade to that kind of equipment, the talk of saving on average of £26 a year or whatever it is, is pie in the sky.
 
Jokester said:
Because it'll cost the nation £11Bn, assuming that a government run project actually meets its budget/schedule (it won't - it's already massively behind schedule!).

.
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It's going to cost that any way, regardless if you take it up or not. so it's not a reason not to have one.
 
Glaucus said:
It's going to cost that any way, regardless if you take it up or not. so it's not a reason not to have one.
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Ok, so I'll have to take time off work whilst they fit it. It will literally take years to compensate me for that, even if the average £26 a year saving actually occurs.

And it's happening anyway because it's been forced on us, they still haven't really demonstrated the evidence behind the savings that they're projecting. People should be concerned about whether there is a case for these to be installed or not when it's their money paying for it.

If people want them and can make use of them (the car charging one above is the perfect example of what these are good for) sure, install them for free.
 
It's not being forced on you, there is no legislation to force it on you, or to take legal action if you don't take them up on the offer.

From autumn they all have to offer it and have to advertise/push it. They can't force it on you.

But at least that's an actual reason not to get one, a pretty lame reason, but a reason.

There's also big future reasons fir them as well. Device switching to balance load on national grid.
Department of energy have been testing both switching fridges off for a few minutes(wont harm anything un the fridge at all), as well as using the battery packs in EV to balance national grid. Something like allowing the grid to use upto 25% of the battery pack, but having a setting to day must be fully charged by 7am for your trip to work.

The option fir device switching is built in but not enabled in smart metres and something that will be needed in a decade or two.
As fir only your new build suggestion, this doesn't make sense, old houses are rarely knocked down and rebuilt. And other schemes like insulation to upgrade older buildings have been successful.

There simply has to be massive upgrades and changes to the national grid and power usage in the coming decades.
 
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