Say NO to Smart Meters

[najaB]

It's one of the meters which tell us how much energy we use per day. It is useful to have, but we gave up after the screen kept freezing.

That's not a smart meter. That was just an energy monitor, nothing to do with metering.

 

[DarloRich]

It's one of the meters which tell us how much energy we use per day. It is useful to have, but we gave up after the screen kept freezing.

that isnt a smart meter

 

[Bletchleyite]

that isnt a smart meter

Could well be connected to one, though.

 

[SteveP29]

if people can't be bothered to give us readings..

How about getting your company to employ people to call at houses to actually get meter readings once a month, 2 months or quarterly, instead of increasingly automating and doing away with manpower to maximise profit?

The company I work for have all of our offices with Scottish Hydro, meters only get read annually but our offices are billed monthly or quarterly. Without question, EVERY time a bill is produced (bar one after the annual read) its estimated and wildly inaccurate

 

[Bletchleyite]

How about getting your company to employ people to call at houses to actually get meter readings once a month, 2 months or quarterly, instead of increasingly automating and doing away with manpower to maximise profit?

Because it isn't a job creation scheme?

Because the technology is actually dead easy to get right?

 

[najaB]

Without question, EVERY time a bill is produced (bar one after the annual read) its estimated and wildly inaccurate

How about sending them your readings if you don't want estimated bills.

 

[Bletchleyite]

How about sending them your readings if you don't want estimated bills.

British Gas actually offer a service whereby you pay monthly actuals (while that does make winter bills higher than summer I prefer that option myself) with a dead easy app to read your own meters.

I've now switched to a smart meter, but I did use the service for a few years and it did the job nicely.

FWIW this is not just a UK thing. In Switzerland where we had a company flat for a bit they read only once a year and estimated in between - no other option!

 

[gswindale]

How about getting your company to employ people to call at houses to actually get meter readings once a month, 2 months or quarterly, instead of increasingly automating and doing away with manpower to maximise profit?

The company I work for have all of our offices with Scottish Hydro, meters only get read annually but our offices are billed monthly or quarterly. Without question, EVERY time a bill is produced (bar one after the annual read) its estimated and wildly inaccurate

The last time I had an electricity bill that had a reading supplied by the meter reading company, I had to get it amended as they had quite clearly read it incorrectly.

Much easier to supply my own on a monthly basis - particularly as otherwise someone needs to be home to give them access.

With the bills we get at work, I look and if the reading is close to what we've got on our records then I'll let it through - otherwise a reading is submitted with a corrected bill coming through a few days later.

Doesn't take much effort and generally keeps the occupiers happy!

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

 

[dgl]

My father managed to get a stupidly high electricity bill sent to him, despite there being a key meter fitted! Took quite a while for their supplier to admit their mistake, though they did end up getting a brand new cooker out of it.

Sent from my Lumia 625 using Tapatalk

 

[AM9]

How about getting your company to employ people to call at houses to actually get meter readings once a month, 2 months or quarterly, instead of increasingly automating and doing away with manpower to maximise profit?

The company I work for have all of our offices with Scottish Hydro, meters only get read annually but our offices are billed monthly or quarterly. Without question, EVERY time a bill is produced (bar one after the annual read) its estimated and wildly inaccurate

Because the long-term plot is to have variable rates, particularly for electricity. If you want to use power in winter early evenings in washing machines, tumble dryers and dare I say it, charging electric cars, you'll pay more as it is when demand is at its highest. Set those things to run overnight, then it will be charged at a lower rate. Think economy seven on steroids.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Because the long-term plot is to have variable rates, particularly for electricity. If you want to use power in winter early evenings in washing machines, tumble dryers and dare I say it, charging electric cars, you'll pay more as it is when demand is at its highest. Set those things to run overnight, then it will be charged at a lower rate. Think economy seven on steroids.

You say that as if it's a bad thing.

 

[507021]

That's not a smart meter. That was just an energy monitor, nothing to do with metering.

Thank you, I must have got them confused. However, I disagree that they don't have anything to do with metering, considering energy monitors are offered with smart meters. Around the time my Dad moved into our house, smart meters were fitted, and our supplier offered him an energy monitor.

that isnt a smart meter

With respect, I didn't need to be told I was wrong twice.

 

[DarloRich]

Thank you, I must have got them confused. However, I disagree that they don't have anything to do with metering, considering energy monitors are offered with smart meters. Around the time my Dad moved into our house, smart meters were fitted, and our supplier offered him an energy monitor.

An energy monitor helps you to understand your electricity usage, whereas a smart meter sends information about your usage to your energy provider. it has nothing to do with metering - it is just a fancy visual display to give you an idea of your energy usage and your potential bill.

With respect, I didn't need to be told I was wrong twice.

With respect I hadn't read that response when i typed it and i couldn't be bothered to delete it.

 

[Groningen]

There is also a discussion in the Netherlands. Seems that sometimes they have a higher reading that you really use.

 

[HSTEd]

Smart meters are the ultimate expression of the desire to have a 'market' in electricity.

This thatcherite vision is crossed with the demands of massive renewable rollout to produce the conditions that force their deployment.
I really don't like the idea of wildly varying residential or commercial electricity tarrifs - but then I want a rather staiad market dominated by nuclear power plants.....

[8000MWe a year construction starts is a reasonable goal I think]

 

[507021]

An energy monitor helps you to understand your electricity usage, whereas a smart meter sends information about your usage to your energy provider. it has nothing to do with metering - it is just a fancy visual display to give you an idea of your energy usage and your potential bill.

Well, seeing as smart meters record your energy usage and energy monitors connected to them show you the same thing (albeit how much you've used per day), I really don't see how they're so completely unrelated as you say, but there we go.

As for your other response, I won't reply to that.

 

[najaB]

Thank you, I must have got them confused. However, I disagree that they don't have anything to do with metering, considering energy monitors are offered with smart meters.

They are two devices which both show the user the amount of energy used. However, metering is the method by which you are *billed* for the energy used, and a home energy monitor plays no part in that process. As an example, I have a home energy monitor but I currently have a key meter.

 

[ComUtoR]

Because the long-term plot is to have variable rates, particularly for electricity. If you want to use power in winter early evenings in washing machines, tumble dryers and dare I say it, charging electric cars, you'll pay more as it is when demand is at its highest. Set those things to run overnight, then it will be charged at a lower rate. Think economy seven on steroids.

This make me want one even less. Are you suggesting that the ulterior motive for a Smart Meter is to charge people ?

Effectively is this roll-out designed to lure people in with a promise of more accurate bills then **** them over with a higher price when 'demand' is higher. ?

Sounds very dishonest.

Why not just come clean in the first place ? If the ultimate goal is varied usage and if.. that will be sold to customers with the hope to push usage in the off peak and to 'save' them money then why not give those people on smart meters variable tariffs from the outset ?

 

[najaB]

This make me want one even less. Are you suggesting that the ulterior motive for a Smart Meter is to charge people ?

Surely that is the point of metering in the first place? As AM9 said, the idea is to eventually allow 'Economy 7 on steroids' - tariffs which people can *opt in* so that they get discounted energy at times of low demand, but with fine granularity rather than fixed blocks of time.

 

[DarloRich]

Well, seeing as smart meters record your energy usage and energy monitors connected to them show you the same thing (albeit how much you've used per day), I really don't see how they're so completely unrelated as you say, but there we go.

As for your other response, I won't reply to that.

if they are as interconnected as you say how does my energy monitor work with my analogue meter? Energy monitors can not communicate with your energy supplier and do not directly affect your bill.

Looking at any power company website will tell you that.

 

[MikeWh]

Surely that is the point of metering in the first place? As AM9 said, the idea is to eventually allow 'Economy 7 on steroids' - tariffs which people can *opt in* so that they get discounted energy at times of low demand, but with fine granularity rather than fixed blocks of time.

Yes, I can believe that rather than just 7 hours overnight at a cheaper rate the day will be split into several chunks. It may even be that usage at say 2am-5am is even cheaper than current Economy 7. I'm quite happy to be incentivised to avoid peak times and the whole distribution process will be a lot easier to manage with both peaks and troughs flattened somewhat.

 

[MikeWh]

if they are as interconnected as you say how does my energy monitor work with my analogue meter? Energy monitors can not communicate with your energy supplier and do not directly affect your bill.

The energy monitor I had from British Gas many years ago has a small box wrapped around the cable going into the meter. This transmits data wirelessly to the monitor inside the home. I'm guessing that the new smart meters combine the wireless box and the meter so provides data to the monitor as well as providing it to the electricity supplier.

 

[MikeWh]

As for your other response, I won't reply to that.

To be fair, this forum has a very annoying omission in its code. If a reply is added between you loading the page and posting your own reply it does not alert you to this. At least one popular FREE forum software has this feature, so it's disappointing that a paid for alternative does not.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I know that Good Energy offer the services of Lowri Beck to make four-monthly readings of gas and electricity meters where disability and infirmity preclude the reading of such meters by affected occupants.

Do other energy suppliers do something similar to this?

 

[507021]

They are two devices which both show the user the amount of energy used. However, metering is the method by which you are *billed* for the energy used, and a home energy monitor plays no part in that process. As an example, I have a home energy monitor but I currently have a key meter.

Ah right, I'm with you now. I appreciate the explanation which does clear things up.

 

[AM9]

Yes, I can believe that rather than just 7 hours overnight at a cheaper rate the day will be split into several chunks. It may even be that usage at say 2am-5am is even cheaper than current Economy 7. I'm quite happy to be incentivised to avoid peak times and the whole distribution process will be a lot easier to manage with both peaks and troughs flattened somewhat.

The closer the national system gets to 100% load, the more likely that suppliers will want the ability to shed domestic load to manage exceptional demand. I think the the long-term plan would be for consumers to volunteer to have certain appliances that can be disconnected on an ad hoc basis rather than a fixed high-demand period. For instance, refrigeration can be suspended for even a few hours without adverse consequenses if the door/lid is kept closed for most of the time. We may see appliances that have Bluetooth communication with a smart meter that signals that power will be withdrawn to which they would consent (or not). Similarly, stored water heating could be treated the same way. The net result would be that the consumer doesn't use as much energy at the most expensive unit rate.

 

[HSTEd]

The ultimate objective is continuously varying electricity prices.
So all risk is transferred to the consumer and all reward to the operator.

 

[GusB]

The ultimate objective is continuously varying electricity prices.
So all risk is transferred to the consumer and all reward to the operator.

We already have varying electricity prices with the likes of Economy 7 and Economy 10. We got rid of the former because we no longer had night storage heaters. The latter didn't work out because nobody in the house could ever remember when the off-peak periods were. We're currently on a standard tariff, and probably paying more because it's just less hassle.

If there was a gadget in the house that could ping me an alert on my phone that said something along the lines of "No, don't cook dinner just yet. I know it's tea-time, but give it half an hour and it'll be cheaper", I'd probably find that quite useful.

 

[HSTEd]

We already have varying electricity prices with the likes of Economy 7 and Economy 10.

Which used published rates, on at published times which do not rapidly change.

This is very different from electricity prices that change unpredictably from one minute to the next.
At most we should have something like EDF's Option Tempo.

 

[cjmillsnun]

GTC is the name of the company that pipes the gas to your home if you are on their network and are independent from the 3 main gas transporters (SGN, Wales & West Utilites and National Grid).

SMETS1 and SMETS2 is just Smart Metering Equipment Technical Specification.

SMETS1 will become smart with all providers soon. It's being worked on. Also National Grid only fully own the NTS on the gas side now. The ex National Grid distribution networks are now run by Cadent. If you're in the industry, please keep up to date.

As you can tell I am also in the industry (specifically Gas distribution).

I'd also be checking SSE's social media policy! Be careful.