- This topic has 24 replies, 9 voices, and was last updated 6 years, 3 months ago by
.
- Topic
Hi Everyone
I wondered if a Smart Meter is something wort having installed. I have no idea how they work, and someone has told me they work via your wifi signal so that it is possible for the government to snoop on you through these new meters.
I want to know more about them and the technology that they use before making any decision.
Has anyone got one of these installed and if so how do they work?
lightbodyae55
- Replies
For one they do not save you money like they try to make out.
The only way they can save money is when you turn the kettle on to make a cuppa then realise how much that cost so you don’t bother.
I think the smart meters might save the government money through killing off old aged pensioners as they will look at the meter at the end of sub zero winter’s day and think to themselves they can’t afford to spend that sort of money keeping warm and turn the heating off the next day and die of hyperthermia. That’s one less pension to pay out the end of the month so yes the smart meters do save money.
Must admit I have a warp sense of human. LoL
My daughters got one and a few months back it recorded she used thousands of pounds of electric in one day though it did correct itself.
Her meter send’s data back to British Gas via the mobile phone network and not by wifi.
I won’t get one until the meters are compatible to use with all suppliers, as i change supplier every 12 months.
The current version SMETS 1 uses 3G to communicate the data, hence when you switch supplier the meter will go dumb and i’ll have to take manual readings again so no point.
The next generation version, SMETS 2 have started to roll out in some areas, and they use their communications system via a central data network that all suppliers have, and thus they will still work regardless of which supplier you are with.
So that’s the version i’m waiting for, you need to ask your supplier which version they are installing in your area.
A few months ago i sat down with my parents and saved them over £300 a year on their energy bill as they were just on a standard tariff, switching is so easy, just visit a comparison site – i recommend http://www.moneysupermarket.com enter your details and see what you can save.
Once you press submit your application the only other you need to do is submit a meter reading when requested and you should be switched in aprox 14 days.
I only mention the switching of suppliers as smart meters won’t necessarily save you money, but switching will.
*Please remember if you do switch supplier and qualify for the warm home discount, ensure the supplier you are switching to does this – some of the smaller suppliers don’t. It will show in the comparison table if they do or not.
Yes I have smart meter and warm home discount I keep gate locked as no need for man to read meter etc
Hi Trev
I send my meter readings to my supplier (Avro Energy) three times a month, on the first, around the middle of the month and the last day of the month. This stops any estimated bill, and I am billed for the amount of energy used. This means that I am able to work out how much i am using per day, and the company tells me how much each unit is, so with the way I work this what would a Smart meter do for me. I cannot see why it would be of any help to my situation.
lightbodyae55
Hiya LB,
If you are happy taking your own meter readings then i see no advantage of having a smart meter.
You are pretty much like myself, except i take one meter reading a month, 3 working days after my direct debit payment has been taken. I submit the meter reading either on the app or the website, and it gives me the balance of my account (this is why i take the meter readings 3 working days after my direct debit payment is taken, as the balance then includes that payment).
I had a ‘energy usage device’ back some 9 years ago when i was with British Gas and they were trialing them….. It got me more paranoid than anything, checking to see how much it cost to boil a kettle, etc… nah can do without all that. As long as i’m on the best tariff for me and i have a monthly balance check so no surprises, that’s good enough for me.
I think smart meters primary audience are those who have problems accessing their meters to give a reading.
As i said previous i switch to the cheapest fixed tariff when my current one expires, which is normally every 12 months – this is the way you avoid paying over the odds and save money – not by installing a smart meter.
One of the benefits being suggested is that if you use most of your energy during times of low demand your supplier will recognise this and offer you cheaper tariffs, we will see.
We will all have them even though you can refuse when your supplier offers you them, eventually it will be the norm.
If you get an EV charger installed you need a smart meter installed also.
Sent my complaint into the Advertising Standards Authority last week about Smart Energy GB ad campaign running on TV and it saying the meters save you enough energy to power your mobility scooter for 1,120 miles a year.
They replied saying they’re not going to take up my personal complaint because they have already had thousands of complaint about the ads so they are investigating as a group complaint and will publish their finding later.
Terrible, one would think they have no option but to pull it. Sadly a quick google of Smart Energy UK brings up a load of inaccuracies and misleading communications – not surprisingly this is an organisation set up by the government to drive the take-up of smart meters – one report suggest ther have £25m annual advertising budget! This is all funded by levies placed on the energy companies, which ultimately pass the costs on to us, the consumers, through higher bills.
Hi Trev
Another government con on the public then!!
lightbodyae55
I wouldn’t go that far LB, but i do question why the government is pushing for householders to have these meters and the amount of ‘our’ money they are spending in this roll-out. Surely they wouldn’t spend all this money on smart meters just to save us money – which there is no evidence to prove they do save us money.
What the smart meters do, is build a profile of your energy use, down to what time and how long you boil the kettle for….so i question what do they use this information for? and suggest profiling is the real reason for smart meters.
Guys this “might” explain the future of smart meters.
An energy switching firm that automatically switches you to the cheapest deal at the end of your current contract – one to watch out for –
They tried to get us to have a Smart meter but despite telling them it would be no good I elected to let them try – until they realised no phone signal so gave up.
Sorry for reviving an old thread but having had one of these fitted a couple of months ago I thought I’d give my finding, so far.
One thing I know and as I’ve always thought they do not save you money on energy.
When the fitter fitted the smarty he gave us a demo of the display unit and he said you can see how much it cost to boil a kettle full of water then went on to explain that if you put 1 cup full of water in the kettle for one cup of tea will be cheaper than if you fill the kettle for just one cup of tea. He then said “but you know that already” and started to pack his tool box away.
Not found any downsides, yet, but although they leave a nice pamphlet on how to read the remote display, it does not tell you a thing about the actual smart meters themselves and even on the internet itself is very vague on this. In fact when I put the model number of the smart electric my meter into Google search a page came up that said something along the lines of “this page is restricted” and the header had GCHQ all over it, ekk. I couldn’t understand the mumbo-jumbo in there anyway so moved on but just shows how secretive they are about these meter.
The reason for wanting to know about the meter was because last week the remote smart displayed stopped showing the amount of gas I was using so I thought that maybe the gas and electric meters had lost sync between themselves and I could just re-sync it.
My particular smart meters both have two buttons on them marked “A and B” and I have not got a clue what they do but as the display on my gas meter was blank I pressed the “A” button and the meter display came up so at least I can still read the meter if need be.
I don’t know why the gas was not displayed but it lasted 2 days then came back on but I’ve read that the smart meters themselves still send the correct usage back to the supplier even if your display isn’t working. Just have to hope that is true.
Another thing to watch out for is, having looked around about the working of these meters and that is the display unit is just a piece of consumer electronics and if it breakdown after the guarantee runs out that’s it, no way to know what your using but I will have to wait until the day comes to know if that’s true or not and whether the supplier give me a new display.
The one and only reason I had this fitted was to stop me having to struggle under the stairs to get the meter reading and this is it’s only benefit and good one for me at that.
Will take a few more months to see how my supplier goes about deducting money from my account to pay for the gas and electric I’ve used but will get back here if they cock that up but lucky for me the smarty I’ve had installed is one of the latest generations and if I change suppliers the meter can be switched to the new supplier.
Before I go and having read about smart meters of late, if you have an older smart meter where you can’t changes suppliers without the smart meter becoming a dumb meter apparently most of the ones that have been installed over the passed few years can be upgraded with no user input so you can changed supplier and keep the smart functions. These over the mobile phone upgrades are being carried out through this year but if you got a very old smart meter that can’t be upgraded and there still sitting on the fence as to what to do about that because the supplier only had to fit one meter so that let’s them off the hook for changing to the new gen meters because in law they’ve done there bit.
On my third set, every time I switch they are not compatible with the new provider. So I have given up,I won’t be having anymore fitted. They are far from SMART!!!!!!
On my third set, every time I switch they are not compatible with the new provider. So I have given up,I won’t be having anymore fitted. They are far from SMART!!!!!!
When they installed mine they said if I change supplier the meter would work with the new supplier.
My current 2 year deal end’s the end of next month so will soon see if it does, if I change supplier.
Just an update, still not saving any money and can’t say I’m seeing any less Polar Bears than usual.?
We got our smart meter just after moving into our present house we did have them old card meters but now we can top up via smart app as for saving money i doubt it ………… but on the plus side it does have some pretty lights on it and a clock lol
I have my smart meter in the lounge like to look at the time and temp it’s as good as coronation street
On my third set, every time I switch they are not compatible with the new provider. So I have given up,I won’t be having anymore fitted. They are far from SMART!!!!!!
When they installed mine they said if I change supplier the meter would work with the new supplier. My current 2 year deal end’s the end of next month so will soon see if it does, if I change supplier. Just an update, still not saving any money and can’t say I’m seeing any less Polar Bears than usual.
Yet another update,
Changed supplier this month and after a couple of days of my smart meter not showing anything in terms of money spent on gas or electric full functionality has returned to the display so its “yes the latest smart meters do move to new suppliers when you move” but bottom line is they still don’t save the world or any money.
No but they do allow the supplier to control your consumption should it be politically expedient to do so.
Currently the only good thing about my smart metres is that I can press the 0 and see what time it is when I’m in the garage.?
The only good thing about smart meters is not having to read your meters, the readings are sent automatically via a sim card in the meter.
The display thingy they give you is neither needed or useful, mine is packed away in it’s box. I don’t need to know how expensive it is to boil my kettle, if I want a brew I’m having a brew.
If I seem a little strange, that's because I am.
Skoda Karoq SEL.
No but they do allow the supplier to control your consumption should it be politically expedient to do so.
That’s is the truth and with all the talk of electric cars the energy producers have a system in place that can stop your car being charged up should the national grid be under strain.
So just imagine you get up for work or have a very important hospital appointment to go to but your done for because your car battery never charged over night, is the boss going to pay you for no show, is the hospital going to be happy you never showed.
Don’t worry though because I’m sure our MP’s will have special exceptions because their job is ever so important. ?♂️
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.