Utility bills gone through the roof. Blame Brexit?

[Antman]

As said earlier the case doesn't stack up for the user (avg. saving £12 per year I think). The real plus is on the generation side, where a Smart grid will make sure that the correct amount of power is generated at the right time instead of generating a load of electricity which doesn't get used, so it's better for the environment, innit.

Sounds like Cojack had a smets1 meter installed which reverts into a dumb terminal when you switch supplier (because these meters don't communicate with the DCC yet, they only send messages back to their suppliers). The govt. says that they'll have the capability to handle smets2 meters ...errm soon. Even so, a lot of the suppliers have a large stock of smets1 meters that they won't be returning but sticking on people's walls to make sure they reach their legal obligations. So I wouldn't be volunteering for a Smart meter until say early next year.

[Mordac]

As said earlier the case doesn't stack up for the user (avg. saving £12 per year I think). The real plus is on the generation side, where a Smart grid will make sure that the correct amount of power is generated at the right time instead of generating a load of electricity which doesn't get used, so it's better for the environment, innit.

Sounds like Cojack had a smets1 meter installed which reverts into a dumb terminal when you switch supplier (because these meters don't communicate with the DCC yet, they only send messages back to their suppliers). The govt. says that they'll have the capability to handle smets2 meters ...errm soon. Even so, a lot of the suppliers have a large stock of smets1 meters that they won't be returning but sticking on people's walls to make sure they reach their legal obligations. So I wouldn't be volunteering for a Smart meter until say early next year.

As we switch every year or two, depending on the length of the fixed deal we can secure, there's bugger all point in getting one of the old ones. And since they're hackable (as mentioned in an earlier post) I'm not sticking one on my wifi any time ever.
I don't suppose Crapita are involved with any of this, are they? There's a strong whiff of incompetence, so it's an inevitable conclusion to jump to...

[Antman]

As we switch every year or two, depending on the length of the fixed deal we can secure, there's bugger all point in getting one of the old ones. And since they're hackable (as mentioned in an earlier post) I'm not sticking one on my wifi any time ever.
I don't suppose Crapita are involved with any of this, are they? There's a strong whiff of incompetence, so it's an inevitable conclusion to jump to...

Yes, Crapita are implementing the govt. part. The DCC part which receives the meter readings from all the meters and then sends it back out to the suppliers is still going through E2E testing , but the general feeling through the industry is that this isn't that strong (probably if they can get one meter to supply a read and for the DCC to send it out to the right supplier they'll probably say job done!). The suppliers are using different bits of kit, with what kit are the DCC testing? nobody knows!

The devices themselves use public and private keys, which change when the meter is commissioned, if you can work out the algorithm then good luck but I wouldn't know where to start (admittedly not saying much!)

[AtW]

The way things go with Brexit there won't be much power anyway, better get some solar and wind turbines, plus the usual complement of tinned food, fuel, guns and Playboy magazines.

HTH

[vetran]

could do another law that we invented that has nothing to do with the EUSSR.

Smart Metering deployment in the European Union | JRC Smart Electricity Systems and Interoperability

Member States are required to ensure the implementation of smart metering under EU energy market legislation in the Third Energy Package. This implementation may be subject to a long-term cost-benefit analysis (CBA). In cases where the CBA is positive, there is a roll-out target of 80% market penetration for electricity by 2020.
This report jointly prepared by the European Commission DG ENER and JRC measures progress on the deployment of smart meters across the EU. To date, Member States have committed to rolling out close to 200 million smart meters for electricity and 45 million for gas by 2020 at a total potential investment of €45 billion. By 2020, it is expected that almost 72% of European consumers will have a smart meter for electricity while 40% will have one for gas.
While cost estimates vary, the cost of a smart metering system averages between €200 and €250 per customer, while delivering benefits per metering point of €160 for gas and €309 for electricity along with, on average, 3% energy savings.

[MrMarkyMark]

There is no real value proposition for the customer, just for the utility company at the mo, insofar that they don't have to pay meter readers salaries.

Until there are open source IoT/M2M standards for products comparable to Nest, and until these services are subsidised and integrated by the utility companies who reap the economies of the smart meters but don't pass them on to their customers, I'll pass.

And...........this is why they were prepared to lie to people citing legal requirement.

We just told the supplier to do one.

You always know when they are so keen to have you put something in, it won't be for the customers benefit.

Secondly, you know if Crapita are involved it will be far from fit for purpose

[original PM]

Indeed - and here is a classic example of piss poor thinking.

So the assumption being tested is

"If i give someone a device showing them how much energy they are using they will reduce the amount of energy they use"

The reality is not that - you just watch as you turn the shower on and it says you will now be spending £400 per month on electricity - except you won't because you do not have the shower on 24/7.

So you just use what you need.

[barrydidit]

Wasn't the idea behind this that you could bung the dishwasher and washing machine on overnight when demand was lower (benefit for the generators) and so a price differential could be introduced (benefit for the consumer). Is this not the case?

[MrMarkyMark]

Wasn't the idea behind this that you could bung the dishwasher and washing machine on overnight when demand was lower (benefit for the generators) and so a price differential could be introduced (benefit for the consumer). Is this not the case?

Once Crapita got involved any useful "ideas" were binned and scheduled for a later release

[Antman]

There are Time-of-Usage electricity meters already but with Smart the possibility is there to update the stuff like the rates, time periods to be used on the device by using an over the air upgrade.

The idea being that if behaviour could be managed by switching on washing machines at night then it would stop the expensive peaks and troughs in the power stations.

Crapita have just got rid their Smart program manager and it seems that there is more openness with what they are trying to do, so fingers crossed.