Smart metre? They twisted my arm!

[T00ts]

I think I mentioned this in another thread, but in my time working in E.ON the Smart meter experience was very positive for customers, and thus in turn E.ON.

Estimated  bills, and faulty credit meters made up the vast majority of complaints (And thus costs for E.ON, and the customer). As with anything that being rolled out to tens of millions of households there will be hardware and installation problems.

Personally I use a pre-payment meter (they are somewhat looked down on in England, but not so here) as it gives you complete control and freedom, at the cost of not having the cheapest possible rate.

I'm not sure that I doubt your experience it is just the future potential for us all to be ripped off that bothers me if we all meekly comply.

[Nalaar]

I think I mentioned this in another thread, but in my time working in E.ON the Smart meter experience was very positive for customers, and thus in turn E.ON.

Estimated  bills, and faulty credit meters made up the vast majority of complaints (And thus costs for E.ON, and the customer). As with anything that being rolled out to tens of millions of households there will be hardware and installation problems.

Personally I use a pre-payment meter (they are somewhat looked down on in England, but not so here) as it gives you complete control and freedom, at the cost of not having the cheapest possible rate.

[T00ts]

Having read through this thread and looked up references and reviews of smart meters, I still can't find believable objections to them. Plenty of conjecture and scare stories, and negative points about installation costs impacting consumers' bills, but nothing concrete. Why's it any different in principle to metering telephone calls or water...?
.

The post that has concerned me most in this thread has been the one from JOG mentioning the ability to monitor hour by hour usage and the potential for personalising your bill with the possibility of limiting power at certain times thus forcing a spread of usage over 24 hours. I can see a time when everyone's bill will be so personalised that we will be governed by power companies to do so many tasks when they choose rather than the consumer. If so it really puts me off but... from my latest Eon email

   Collecting your data
You've agreed that we can collect daily data from your meters. If we're able to, we'll collect it at the same time we take your monthly meter readings.
In future, your consumption data will help us understand how you use your energy, so we can give you personalised advice on how to use less energy.

Does that read a bit suspiciously and close to JOG's post to anyone else?

[papasmurf]

Having read through this thread and looked up references and reviews of smart meters, I still can't find believable objections to them.
.

Several million people having problems with them and I did post a link for that at the start of the thread.

[patman post]

Having read through this thread and looked up references and reviews of smart meters, I still can't find believable objections to them. Plenty of conjecture and scare stories, and negative points about installation costs impacting consumers' bills, but nothing concrete. Why's it any different in principle to metering telephone calls or water...?
.

[johnofgwent]

Our current energy supplier, Bulb, has emailed wanting to arrange fitting a smart meter.
A few months ago I wanted the gas meter moved. Excuses were made why this couldn't be done — although I only wanted the meter moved by 60cm.
So I thought this could be the solution. Therefore I'm trying to find out is if the meters are replaced by one device and, if so, are the old meters removed. But no sensible reply...

My understanding from Eon so far is that both meters are replaced and take an hour each. It depends on whether there is sufficient signal here, I guess there will be. My electricity meter is in the hall cupboard and I have read disturbing reports about trying to site them 17 metres away outside due to the radiation emitted.  Since I am in a bungalow the bedrooms lead off the hallway so it would be right in the midst. The gas one is right outside the kitchen door. There are other reports of course refuting this and saying that radiation is in safe limits - how often do we hear this? - and is no greater than wifi. What no-one seems to say is how wifi plus 2 smart metres running 24/7 would impact residents. Having looked online there is no quick easy way to cancel needless to say, although I can change the date. The other problem I have noticed is an option to allow readings from once a month to every half hour. I opted for once a month but the confirmation email I have just got tells me that they will monitor every half hour which ties in with JOG's post earlier regarding the ultimate motive of restricting power to force times of usage. I am still deciding.

A post in the OVO energy Smart Meter forum from about a year ago reveals (about half way down) Ovo's intent to switch its smart meter users to a half hour "time of use" tarriff


https://forum.ovoenergy.com/smart-meters-136/can-i-switch-my-smart-meters-to-half-hourly-readings-6913

EDIT

I have today located on my own cloud store the Octopus "Agile" energy research paper I downloaded from their website some time ago, reporting Octopus energy's findings.

In short, when Octopus rolled out smart meters, the average saving by those unwilling to switch away from peak time usage was 80 pence a month. The savings for those willing to let octopus decide when to charge their electric vehicles was rather more (!) but this document clearly shows the plan to move everyone to a tariff forcing them to do things at "off peak" times or face the financial consequences, but that this is only possible once all, or almost all, customers have been put on 30 minute metering tariffs.

I am having some issues getting this onto something visible to anyone, when I have I'll post the link here so anyone can read what they said

[papasmurf]

there is no standard for the damn things,

That is another of the major problems.

[johnofgwent]

Radiation is a scare story too far. Smart meters will emit signals no more powerful than from a mobile phone — they no need to — and they won't be clamped to the sides of our heads or linked into our ears through blue tooth. WiFi is probably around most of us 24/7, if not from our own system then from our neighbours. West Country dwellers will be in more danger to their health from radon gas than from smart meters.
What I'd like to know is do they replace existing meters with smaller and less intrusive bits of kit...

^ this

The smart meters lowry beck were showing dis seem to be smaller than the things I have, but I have no idea if that is meaningful since there is no standard for the damn things, they could not even guarantee they would work if you change supplier...

[Barry]

I opted for once a month but the confirmation email I have just got tells me that they will monitor every half hour which ties in with JOG's post earlier regarding the ultimate motive of restricting power to force times of usage.

Two issues here:
1. By monitoring usage so frequently they can tell when you are at home, habits, etc. This info can be passed on to "business partners" so they can call you with marketing calls.
2. If you opted for once a month, then they would be in breach of your agreement which is cause to refuse the smart meter if you wish.

[patman post]

Radiation is a scare story too far. Smart meters will emit signals no more powerful than from a mobile phone — they no need to — and they won't be clamped to the sides of our heads or linked into our ears through blue tooth. WiFi is probably around most of us 24/7, if not from our own system then from our neighbours. West Country dwellers will be in more danger to their health from radon gas than from smart meters.
What I'd like to know is do they replace existing meters with smaller and less intrusive bits of kit...

[papasmurf]

It depends on whether there is sufficient signal here,

That is the problem not being mentioned enough, they can't fit smart meters where I live anyway it is a "not spot," for the signal.
(That isn't the reason I don't want one, it is the other problems I detailed in a link earlier.)

[T00ts]

Our current energy supplier, Bulb, has emailed wanting to arrange fitting a smart meter.
A few months ago I wanted the gas meter moved. Excuses were made why this couldn't be done — although I only wanted the meter moved by 60cm.
So I thought this could be the solution. Therefore I'm trying to find out is if the meters are replaced by one device and, if so, are the old meters removed. But no sensible reply...

My understanding from Eon so far is that both meters are replaced and take an hour each. It depends on whether there is sufficient signal here, I guess there will be. My electricity meter is in the hall cupboard and I have read disturbing reports about trying to site them 17 metres away outside due to the radiation emitted.  Since I am in a bungalow the bedrooms lead off the hallway so it would be right in the midst. The gas one is right outside the kitchen door. There are other reports of course refuting this and saying that radiation is in safe limits - how often do we hear this? - and is no greater than wifi. What no-one seems to say is how wifi plus 2 smart metres running 24/7 would impact residents. Having looked online there is no quick easy way to cancel needless to say, although I can change the date. The other problem I have noticed is an option to allow readings from once a month to every half hour. I opted for once a month but the confirmation email I have just got tells me that they will monitor every half hour which ties in with JOG's post earlier regarding the ultimate motive of restricting power to force times of usage. I am still deciding.

[patman post]

Our current energy supplier, Bulb, has emailed wanting to arrange fitting a smart meter.
A few months ago I wanted the gas meter moved. Excuses were made why this couldn't be done — although I only wanted the meter moved by 60cm.
So I thought this could be the solution. Therefore I'm trying to find out is if the meters are replaced by one device and, if so, are the old meters removed. But no sensible reply...

[T00ts]

Well I can only speak from experience and having a smart meter hasn't changed anything at my end apart that Im paying less than I was when on a contract with another company .
You dont have to look at it , mines in a drawer somewhere and to be honest its not something I think about . The bottom line for my duel fuel is good so its good for me

Yes I have to say that was the main reason for agreeing to it and to get away from British Gas! JoG's post about manipulation of supplies is a bit worrying. TBH my laundry is often done overnight but there has to be a limit to how much control we give others over such things. Living on my own makes a difference but for those with families it could prove a backward step.

[Streetwalker]

Well I can only speak from experience and having a smart meter hasn't changed anything at my end apart that Im paying less than I was when on a contract with another company .
You dont have to look at it , mines in a drawer somewhere and to be honest its not something I think about . The bottom line for my duel fuel is good so its good for me