Reply to: Smart Meters ? ? ?

[tomtomagain]

drawer

Thank you. I am always making that mishtake.

[stek]

But eventually it just got unplugged and placed into a draw ( where I think it still is ).

Exact same error Henry Fonda made in the 1954 movie 'The Wrong Man'. His wife ended up in the nut house because of that......

[EternalOptimist]

I have had a "Smart Meter" for about 3 years.

Two comments.

1. The actual meter "UI" has a large light that turns Green-->Orange-->Red depending on power consumption. This was moderately interesting to observe for the first few days. But eventually it just got unplugged and placed into a draw ( where I think it still is ). I cannot say that it made me more or less aware of our family's power consumption. It certainly didn't change behaviour. The kids still leave the lights on.


2. People from the power companies *Still* turn up to read the meter. After about the 4th visit ( over a number of years ) I asked why. The answer was something along the lines of "We don't know which houses have been fitted with smart meters."

designed by ed milliband
implemented by the Depeartment for climate change
an out of date technology specified by law
customers bearing the cost whether they want the display or not

who could possibly object ?

[TheFaQQer]

drawer

[tomtomagain]

I have had a "Smart Meter" for about 3 years.

Two comments.

1. The actual meter "UI" has a large light that turns Green-->Orange-->Red depending on power consumption. This was moderately interesting to observe for the first few days. But eventually it just got unplugged and placed into a drawer ( or possibly a cupboard ) where I think it still is. I cannot say that it made me more or less aware of our family's power consumption. It certainly didn't change behaviour. The kids still leave the lights on.


2. People from the power companies *Still* turn up to read the meter. After about the 4th visit ( over a number of years ) I asked why. The answer was something along the lines of "We don't know which houses have been fitted with smart meters."

[vetran]

I have had one for probably 3 years.

I don't suffer from paranoid delusions so I have not been upset by its presence.

pop round when you need to borrow buy candles!

[Fandango]

I enquired about getting one from my supplier Scottish Power and they said they couldn't give me a definite date but it would be sometime between now and 2019. Useful!!

[ChimpMaster]

I have had one for probably 3 years.

I don't suffer from paranoid delusions so I have not been upset by its presence.

Where I live, we don't even have cable TV, fibre broadband or even water meters (the guy couldn't work out how to do it ) so I hope we that the smart meters join the back of the queue here...

[minestrone]

I have had one for probably 3 years.

I don't suffer from paranoid delusions so I have not been upset by its presence.

[Antman]

You can say that you don't want one. They send out letters at 90, 45 and 21 days, if you reply saying not over your dead body, you can't have access to my property they'll leave you alone.

Which is worth it because they still might be installing the SMETS1 meters which as has been indicated aren't smart any more after you've changed your supplier. I'd wait until a year or so until you're sure that they are using the SMETS2 meters.

Cojak: you're unlucky, npower have only installed 500 smart meters so far! (I think BG and e.on have done 500,000 and 380,000 respectively)

[vetran]

many many reasons why you don't want a smart meter in their present form.

Top reasons include.

1. Security is dreadful.
2. your supplier can cut you off remotely. (yes really).
3. early adopter so you may well experience pain for little gain.

plenty of discussion on the register.

[cojak]

Npower have just put one into our home - we didn't have a choice I'm afraid.

No 3rd party was involved.

[stek]

I got a Tado, you can control the temps etc from smartphone plus it detects your presence and turn off the heating when last person leaves. Also it's supposed to learn your movements and predict when you'll be in etc and start ramping up the temperature...

Essential to be able to turn in down remotely when working away when you have a Missus who thinks 23c is 'cold'.

Bit early to tell if it saved any dosh though, with it being generally warm anyway...

Best thing tho is after the initial tinkering with a new toy it's set and forget....

[barrydidit]

I recently changed my energy suppler and I'm getting lots of phone calls from 3rd Partys saying "Your old energy meter needs to be replaced by our new Smart Meters" "its Unsafe / Inaccurate" bla bla

Now I know the government said they want smart meters in all homes by 2020 but I don't believe they will make my bills cheaper. In fact I've heard many 3rd Party companies charge your suppler for the device and installation anyway, and you still end up paying it back over time.
I know they will monitor my real time usage and my information can be use for "Marketing Purposes"

What do you think?

I had a pre-payment meter swapped in a rental I had. The guy who came round waffled on about smart meters for ages. All I can remember is that there are 2 types - the ones British Gas use, and the later generation everyone else uses. The BG ones don't facilitate swapping energy providers so need to be replaced themselves if you subsequently move. So, on that basis, I wouldn't bother with a BG one. I don't see much harm in having them per se - i'm not sure big brother gives too much of a fig how much energy my fridge uses, though i'm sure there are plenty of conspiracists who would maintain he does

[Spartacus]

Disconnect from the grid and run your own generator.