Smart meter
- Thread starter LabR@t
- Start date
We have all been forced to pay through increased costs that are laid down by the government. This is for something they claimed would save us lots of money. I never did understand why they ( the government ) attempted to sell us that lie, since it was amazingly obvious that they really were not going to save anyone anything.
Smart meters allow companies to very accurately monitor and predict usage and will also allow them to introduce different rates for different times of the day. If you ask me the smart meters should have been paid for by the companies. Yes, I know it's all our money, but the government allowed them to charge everyone and meanwhile keep their profits intact. What ever happened to investment? Apparently that's not necessary any more because the government will just force the public to pay that so the shareholders can keep their yearly bonus!
Oh and of course they also allow companies to remotely disconnect you, which bypasses the dreadful trouble they used to have trying to disconnect people with dumb meters.
I have had smart meters for two years. Haven't seen any pro's or cons for the system. It's a meter. It meters. It's not really smart it just transmits all the info back to the energy company every half hour. A more accurate name would have been Spy Meters!
Smart meters allow companies to very accurately monitor and predict usage and will also allow them to introduce different rates for different times of the day. If you ask me the smart meters should have been paid for by the companies. Yes, I know it's all our money, but the government allowed them to charge everyone and meanwhile keep their profits intact. What ever happened to investment? Apparently that's not necessary any more because the government will just force the public to pay that so the shareholders can keep their yearly bonus!
Oh and of course they also allow companies to remotely disconnect you, which bypasses the dreadful trouble they used to have trying to disconnect people with dumb meters.
I have had smart meters for two years. Haven't seen any pro's or cons for the system. It's a meter. It meters. It's not really smart it just transmits all the info back to the energy company every half hour. A more accurate name would have been Spy Meters!
- Joined
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There was a time when Smart Meters "tied" you to a particular provider.
I believe that this is no longer the case.
I have no idea why Smart Meters offer any benefit at all to the Consumer.
I believe that this is no longer the case.
I have no idea why Smart Meters offer any benefit at all to the Consumer.
Associate
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- 11 Aug 2011
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The government had rose tinted glasses and expected everyone to closely eyeball thier smart meters, scrimping and saving to minimise every last watt of electricity.
In reality no cares about saving 36p per month by optimising kettle usage. Smart meters are a complete waste of money and yet another example of government wasting tax payers money to provide employment in an otherwise unprofitable sector.
In reality no cares about saving 36p per month by optimising kettle usage. Smart meters are a complete waste of money and yet another example of government wasting tax payers money to provide employment in an otherwise unprofitable sector.
Permabanned
No, that's a cheaper rate at night. Smart meters allow billing down to the hour, so at some point you're gonna get different rates in different hours all through the day. Most expensive being peak times (evening, weekends) when you want to use the most, naturally. If you have a dumb meter you don't have this problem.Aren't you talking about economy 7?
Soldato
I can see it now, in the deep winter in the coldest week of the year with 3ft of snow on the ground greedy British Gas will hike the prices up for smart meter customers. Tinfoil hat or not.
Yeah, they can just charge you the most expensive rate all the time...
Soldato
What on earth are you on about? Why would smart meter users be singled out, they're signed up to the exact same tariffs as those without.
Permabanned
Nah even now there are tarriffs that are slightly better to try and incentivise people to get smart meters. There absolutely can be different tarriffs by meter type.
Oh you're talking about when E7 was introduced... fair enough.Re-read what you said and explain how that isn't what Economy7 did
There's a similarity too in that it's timed with people switching to EVs and the grid needing that usage to happen at nice, so there are tarriffs for EV owners which require smart meters. Currently people like me with no E7 meter would have to get a smart meter to access that.
It’s part of the changes we need to make to secure our green targets.
In the next few years we will see a transition to smart tariffs and flat rate tariffs.
the smart tariffs will offer cheaper electricity when demand is low. Flat rate, will just be the same price all the time.... it will however be more expensive.
people on dumb meters will have no option.
to move our grid to renewable we will need to use electricity differently.
We moved over to a smart tariff last year and until October with a couple of changes (timing hot water, dishwasher, washer dryer etc) managed to save a truly silly amount of money. On average it came out as 6p/kw/h. The winter however (rubbish electric heating, old stone cottage) has balanced that somewhat, as well as now working from home.
In the next few years we will see a transition to smart tariffs and flat rate tariffs.
the smart tariffs will offer cheaper electricity when demand is low. Flat rate, will just be the same price all the time.... it will however be more expensive.
people on dumb meters will have no option.
to move our grid to renewable we will need to use electricity differently.
We moved over to a smart tariff last year and until October with a couple of changes (timing hot water, dishwasher, washer dryer etc) managed to save a truly silly amount of money. On average it came out as 6p/kw/h. The winter however (rubbish electric heating, old stone cottage) has balanced that somewhat, as well as now working from home.
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Soldato
Slightly off topic but, I'm getting a new meter installed due to moving my incoming electrical supply (Scottish Power) and wondered if they will install a smart or dumb meter - anyone know ?
Yes, I know I can ask them but it just crossed my mind after reading this so thought I'd throw it out there
..
Yes, I know I can ask them but it just crossed my mind after reading this so thought I'd throw it out there
..
Associate
I don't think they are allowed to install dumb meters any more? So you'll be getting a smart meter I think.
Got smart meters installed a couple of years back and have been through 3 suppliers since (I switch every year). Took a few weeks to get everything working properly during the initial installation (gas meter wouldn't send readings) but since then they have both communicated flawlessly though all of the suppliers. The only real advantage is you don't have to go outside to read the meter and you get much more in the way of usage statistics as it reads almost constantly so you can really see what you are using. The in home display is interesting to in that you can see how much it costs when you switch the kettle on or whatever. I like little statistics like this so find it mildly interesting and I work away a lot so it saves having to prompt the other half to read the meter every month as she's a bit rubbish with stuff like that. For most people that's about all you will get in the way of benefits so I don't think it really makes too much of a difference either way. Yeah maybe variable tariffs will come in in the future but I think we are a while away from that being widespread judging by how poorly the rollout has gone and how unreliable the connection seems to be for a lot of people.
The biggest issue with Smart Meters is remote disconnection. https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201719/cmpublic/smartmeters/memo/smb02.htm
OK perhaps for people who haven't paid their bills, but then came this. https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money...electricity-without-warning-compensation.html
It was an EU directive so people could see the instant energy use, but BLiar went much much further than what was required, and it was said the energy company could see in real time when you switched an appliance on, the government said it wouldn't do that but it didn't take long before do gooders in the civil service were suggesting exactly that.
The government at the time knew we were approaching the limit of power generation and was preparing to cut off those homes silly enough to have swallowed the koolaid the safest way is not to have one installed and use something like an 'Owl' meter if you want the same instant readings.
OK perhaps for people who haven't paid their bills, but then came this. https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money...electricity-without-warning-compensation.html
It was an EU directive so people could see the instant energy use, but BLiar went much much further than what was required, and it was said the energy company could see in real time when you switched an appliance on, the government said it wouldn't do that but it didn't take long before do gooders in the civil service were suggesting exactly that.
The government at the time knew we were approaching the limit of power generation and was preparing to cut off those homes silly enough to have swallowed the koolaid the safest way is not to have one installed and use something like an 'Owl' meter if you want the same instant readings.
Soldato
Because our electric meter is housed in a cupboard in the front room, one of two matching cupboards either side of the front window. Despite the cupboard having a large door on the front that opens, and can be easily removed, to provide unrestricted access the company said they'd have to rip out the left cupboard, where the current electric meter is housed, in order to install it. That ain't happening.
The first link you posted has the same moronic point about radiation, so it is really hard to continue reading. The latter just makes good sense if it is required. It wouldn't be hard to tell an electric car was charging and if we knew the car wasn't required for 12 hours, what problem would it cause to delay charging and turn it back on when demand has got less?
Soldato
Thanks and I suspect this is the case (I vaguely remember reading it was, I think!)
I'll have to check and see how that works with Scottish Power not being my provider, just the DNO ....
For you, there’s no issue. In this instance the costing of the meter falls to the MAM and the IDNO , who bill the shipper. It’s a tiny amount per day (like pennies) and then it get chopped up and make it’s way into your bill