Get a smart meter

[johnofgwent]

Reading today that smart meters in the vicinity of fylingdales early warning station have had to be disabled ...

It's been a while, and I suppose they might have handed the job of future enhancement to.some prize prick, but I am rather proud of the fact friends of mine involved in ECW tried manfully to shit upon the stuff I put together for that place, and bottles of Oban single barrel dual casked amontillado were at stake to say nothing of my standing as successor to grandad, and they failed and dad and I got very, VERY drunk on the six bottles I collected as my prize money.

If an entire plane bristling with jammers (and some auxiliary ground gear too) designed to help low level tornadoes breach Warsaw pact defences couldn't screw with my late 80s tech I seriously doubt a couple of 3g and 4g SIM cards or a WiFi router is going to make it curl up and die.

I'll have a chat with a couple of guys though. Sounds like a moonlighting opportunity might have arisen and I have a £10k wedding reception to fund after all

[cromwell]

https://youtu.be/G32NYQpvy8Q


Reading today that smart meters in the vicinity of fylingdales early warning station have had to be disabled because they are affecting its detection of a nuclear attack 😲

The fact your supply can be disconnected remotely is a no no.

[Thomas]

A decade of the smart meter: Jury is still out from households on whether the rollout has been worth it and one in five believe an app would be better

This year marks a decade since the launch of the smart meter rollout - but just 43 per cent believe it has been worth it, new research has revealed.

https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/bills/article-9887241/Ten-years-smart-meter-look-successful-rollout-been.html

UK Poll shows public has little confidence in smart meters

Moneywise.co.uk's most recent poll reveals, of the 1552 voters, 47% of households do not want smart meters.

The poll further discovers that 22% do not own a smart meter and are not sure if they want one, while 7% are dissatisfied with their current smart meter.

https://www.smart-energy.com/resources/reports-and-white-papers/uk-poll-smart-meters/

Boycey seems to be swimming against public opinion as ever. Couple of articles from the last few years or so , coupled with many i have read , including many polls show the public arent keen on smart meters.

[B0ycey]

Well maybe you are the one person in a thousand for whom they bring a benefit.

It isn't really a conversation starter, but those I have spoke to about smart meters are all in agreement, they are glad they have one. It wasn't something I was looking into when I had one. I heard positive things, one day I had a phone call out the blue and had it installed because I happened to have the week off and it cost me nothing. But it made a difference to me and what I was paying. But I don't know whether it is worth the green initiative bill putting them in. And when I moved, with my crappy electric meter (I don't have gas, home isn't connected to the gas network... long story) I phoned up and they put one in straight away and I have no regrets. But whatever. You guys are happy not having one for whatever reason and all I am saying is my experience with them doesn't match everyone else's clearly.

[papasmurf]

But as I said you are not supposed to be able to unlock the charging cable from the street charger without having access to the car or phone app.

I expect pimply faced Chav and "Travellers" will soon learn how to bypass that.

[papasmurf]

First will be legislation to deny you the ability to downgrade away from a smart meter, just as the water companies have succeeded in putting in place for anyone having a water meter. It is a one way process. Once in, it can never come out.

Then the plans on offer will change.

Before having a water meter I was paying £937 a year in water rates. Since having a water meter I am paying £11.50 a month.

[johnofgwent]

I suspect with charging points in the street or outside that will become a common  crime.

The cables are supposed to lock into the on street chargers. If you come to Risca right now you will find my Nissan leaf helping itself to Tesco's juice free of charge but it will take hours to get 20 miles worth. 

I go in, do my shopping and find on leaving I've nicked juice for twice the distance to the shop. It works for me.

But as I said you are not supposed to be able to unlock the charging cable from the street charger without having access to the car or phone app.

But there is a fatal error. You can readily unplug the cable at the car end, after which it releases at the charger. .......


Bloidy idiots.

[johnofgwent]

Well I think you're nuts and so are those who agree with you. But it isn't something I think about or something I care whether people subscribe to them or not. But that doesn't mean I won't give you my experience with them to at least give you some perspective and give this thread a debate. Firstly no estimate prices. You pay what you use. You can see what you are using as you are using it. That changes habits which saves you money. You're tariff is also fixed. You can fix it yourself to the best tariff or you can take the governments minimum charge rate. The supplier is not able to change your tariff without your consent and the price you pay per unit is on your smart meter. Costs are on a screen. Meter readings doesn't prevent estimate prices but align prices in any case. I lost time the amount of time I was in credit with my gas supplier when meter reading and yet they still seemed to charge me something each month to increase that credit. Also as you don't have to do a meter reading with a smart meter you don't have to think about it or key the figures online (or phone once upon a time) anyway. My smart metesr has not ever broken. I have had one for over five years and made sure it was the first thing installed when I moved in a few years back. It definitely has saved me money. I have cheaper bills now than before I had it and I prefer my money in my account earning me interest and not in by electric suppliers account earning them cash.

Well maybe you are the one person in a thousand for whom they bring a benefit.

In the same way I am the one motorist in 10,000 who actually saves money by having a Nissan Leaf that only does 60-65 miles between charges.

The thing is, I know what the power companies want to do in the name of Greta worship we hen t he ey reach the saturation point.

First will be legislation to deny you the ability to downgrade away from a smart meter, just as the water companies have succeeded in putting in place for anyone having a water meter. It is a one way process. Once in, it can never come out.

Then the plans on offer will change.

[papasmurf]

 when some shitbag stole your cars charging cable off the driveway as happened three doors up.

I suspect with charging points in the street or outside that will become a common  crime.

[johnofgwent]

Well I like my Smart meter. I like paying for the electricity I use, not none of this estimate bollocks. I noticed straight away a saving when it was installed. Part because you notice how much electricity you use and part because I don't trust meter readings and the predicted use and I'm sure I have been fleeced throughout the years.

Well good for you

I was paying for exactly what I used too.

Its called "open the cupboard, shine a torch in, read the dials"

If you were too lazy to do that then I don't know what to say. 

Octopus even ran a lottery with every meter reading offering some free money off the bill if you sent in a reading. That vanished the moment I got a smart meter.

I got one to see what it would cost to switch to octopus's agile tarriff to enjoy 2p/kWh charging the leaf at 2am.


The answer was 36p/kWh instead of 18 to do anything from 8am to 6pm, and £250 when some shitbag stole your cars charging cable off the driveway as happened three doors up. 

They caught a second shitbag trying that last week and threw him in the river, apparently. Bloody Go d show I say

[papasmurf]

There are many problems which is why there is such resistance to them. (Mainly uncommented about by British media.)

(Have you a fire extinguisher handy.)

[B0ycey]

Do you?  good for you,so you don't trust meter readings,you can't look at your meter and read the digits .....how odd.

Anyway you will be fleeced,will you still like it when your energy provider thinks oh this is a busy time of day up the charges.

They're so smart these meters around half stopped working correctly,you've been lied to this is not for your benefit but for the energy companies.

Well I think you're nuts and so are those who agree with you. But it isn't something I think about or something I care whether people subscribe to them or not. But that doesn't mean I won't give you my experience with them to at least give you some perspective and give this thread a debate. Firstly no estimate prices. You pay what you use. You can see what you are using as you are using it. That changes habits which saves you money. You're tariff is also fixed. You can fix it yourself to the best tariff or you can take the governments minimum charge rate. The supplier is not able to change your tariff without your consent and the price you pay per unit is on your smart meter. Costs are on a screen. Meter readings doesn't prevent estimate prices but align prices in any case. I lost time the amount of time I was in credit with my gas supplier when meter reading and yet they still seemed to charge me something each month to increase that credit. Also as you don't have to do a meter reading with a smart meter you don't have to think about it or key the figures online (or phone once upon a time) anyway. My smart metesr has not ever broken. I have had one for over five years and made sure it was the first thing installed when I moved in a few years back. It definitely has saved me money. I have cheaper bills now than before I had it and I prefer my money in my account earning me interest and not in by electric suppliers account earning them cash.

[Streetwalker]

Years ago I was with British gas on a duel fuel deal paying about 140 a month . Had a Smart meter fitted and this reduced to 130 . Chugged along for another couple of years before changing to a smaller supplier on 90 a month (probably why they went bust)which was off the smart meter reading my own meter  and was then put on EDF as the preferred supplier of the administrator (I think thats how it worked )

EDF then charged 140 but recently linked up to the British Gas smart meter and am now paying  190 on a variable tariff . That will smash through the 200 barrier in April but it is what it is .

 I will change again asap which will be some time in the future given the market not because of the smart meter but more I dont like subsidising French bill payers .........Anyway if a smart meter means I don't have to pull boxes and ironing boards  out of the way ,find a torch and read meters every month Im all for them . 

Still we will see how this pans out , there is no reason why the smart meter cant break down if it becomes an expensive  pest under the stair 

[cromwell]

Well I like my Smart meter. I like paying for the electricity I use, not none of this estimate bollocks. I noticed straight away a saving when it was installed. Part because you notice how much electricity you use and part because I don't trust meter readings and the predicted use and I'm sure I have been fleeced throughout the years.
.

Do you?  good for you,so you don't trust meter readings,you can't look at your meter and read the digits .....how odd.

Anyway you will be fleeced,will you still like it when your energy provider thinks oh this is a busy time of day up the charges.

They're so smart these meters around half stopped working correctly,you've been lied to this is not for your benefit but for the energy companies.

[B0ycey]

Well I like my Smart meter. I like paying for the electricity I use, not none of this estimate bollocks. I noticed straight away a saving when it was installed. Part because you notice how much electricity you use and part because I don't trust meter readings and the predicted use and I'm sure I have been fleeced throughout the years.