Smart Meters

[VeritasVincit]

I would appreciate information/advice about Smart Meters.
I've read critiism about them but would like some first hand knowledge.

This was the text of the e-mail from my energy supplier.
Your meters are approaching the end of their certification period and need to be replaced to ensure absolute accuracy. Don't worry, the install's a breeze; our friendly engineer will be with you for about an hour per fuel.

Just like food, each electricity and gas meter is given a 'best before' date when it's manufactured. In the industry, it's called a certification date, and is set by the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS). It's our responsibility to let you know when your meters are approaching their certification date and get them replaced

My house, and therefore also the meters, is less than twenty years old.

[Vespa]

We've been trying to get a smart meter for three years, but British Gas say they don't have any slots to install one every time we ask. I belive the government has set them a target to install them in every home at some point.

[antdad]

Mmmm that's a new line but could be valid. Assuming you have an electronic leccy meter that will certainly have a shelf life because of the internal back up battery expiring, the analogue gas meter less so.

There are plenty of scare stories around propagated by you know who, considering the millions of installions it will be a tiny fraction. Uncertain at the time but now happy I had mine changed last year. With certain suppliers it'll allow you to participate in energy reduction schemes, have a better choice of tariffs when the market opens up and of course the billing is automatic. If you can pay your energy bills fairly comfortably I say yes.

[Zambo]

Won't have one until they become compulsory.

This is on the basis of two things.

1. Several people I know who have one tell me they don't send accurate readings to the supplier and when they do, they are at irregular intervals. They can also be a pain in the arse if you want to change supplier. Weak signals can disrupt connection.

2. I'm an adult, therefore I don't need aunty Smart telling me when my usage goes up or down. I just pop in the garage on the 28th of each month, record the readings and insert them on-line. A bill is immediately cut, my ddr goes out on the same day. Job done. My on-line account gives me a ton of info, including graphs showing usage of any given period, so I can see if I'm using more or less or the same. I can adjust the ddr amount if I need to.

I acknowledge that some will say they are the best thing to come out since Football Manager, on ZX Spectrum, but they are not for me.

Just Google pros and cons of Smart metres and see if they are for you.

[antdad]

After your post earlier I looked up that by law your energy company needs to notify you of when your meters expire their certification period so it is a legitimate request. If you don't see any benefit of having smart meters installed then you should be able to request the installation of non smart meters but you'll probably have to pay for the privilege.

[The Ghost of Alex Higgins]

Worst shit ever shat into homes

[VeritasVincit]

After your post earlier I looked up that by law your energy company needs to notify you of when your meters expire their certification period so it is a legitimate request. If you don't see any benefit of having smart meters installed then you should be able to request the installation of non smart meters but you'll probably have to pay for the privilege.

Thanks for that. They don't even hint at that.
I don't know yet when the expiration certificate runs out, but on one meter it has date of manufacture as 2001.

[antdad]

They won't and I suspect you'll have to push for that option IF it is still available. Twenty years sounds about right, you don't have to do anything at all but they just can't guarantee their accuracy. Not sure if the certification of my electricity meter was ending but it started to run fast and precipitated my change to smart meters. This former energy co says it can't replace with trad meters because they aren't available/being made which is probably a croc, more like they didn't want to.

https://forum.ovoenergy.com/my-account- ... you%20know.

https://www.bes.co.uk/g4-diaphragm-gas-meter-12845/

https://www.bes.co.uk/single-phase-elec ... FcQAvD_BwE

[Zambo]

https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/bil ... OC4wLjAuMA..

[VeritasVincit]

https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/bil ... OC4wLjAuMA..

You beat me to it. I was just about to post the same link when I saw you had.

[antdad]

Well mine are working perfectly, guess I must be one of the lucky 9/10.

[Alex]

Had two.
First generation got installed years ago. They worked fine until changing supplier, then smart meter became a normal dumb meter.
First gen meters got replaced a month ago with the latest versions. No problems switching suppliers with the latest ones. Both work fine. The mobile app is handy. And the little wireless display in the house let's us know how long the kids have been in the shower and depressingly displays how much we've spent on gas and electric every second of every day.

[LaaLaa]

They worked fine until changing supplier

You don't even have to change supplier for that to happen. I used to be able to get a graph of daily usage on the British Gas site (although the site was really flaky and it took ages to find. Sometimes I failed to find it.) They overhauled the site a couple of months ago and seemed to have removed the ability to get those graphs - unless it's even more well hidden than before.

A smart meter is useful for showing you which appliances are guzzlers (kettle, hoover, shower, oven(varies depending on how high you have stuff turned up)) so you can maybe be encouraged to use them less like not boiling a full kettle when you only want one cup, turning the oven off 5 min before it's done and finishing on residual heat etc. Also when you go to bed you can see if anyone's left anything switched on. But that's it really.

[antdad]

The mobile app is handy. And the little wireless display in the house let's us know how long the kids have been in the shower and depressingly displays how much we've spent on gas and electric every second of every day.

That's been one of worst but handiest features of the display although I did put mine away after a month or two. Sure, you should know what your own consumptive behaviour is an adapt accordingly but you don't know what every other household member is up to every minute of the day. Cordless hair maintenance products all round.

[Zambo]

Fucking robdogs.

About as useful as Smart Motorways.

https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/bil ... OS4wLjAuMA..