Smart meter [poll]

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

We used to have a PPM and we changed when we moved supplier we got a good fixed deal which we are still on but i am dreading it coming to an end, like you i would be happy to be back on a PPM.

I remember when we were kids and my dad used to put 50p in the gas meter and turn the lever that looked like a tin opener

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I remember when we were kids and my dad used to put 50p in the gas meter and turn the lever that looked like a tin opener

We had one of those used to love putting the coins in and turning the wing nut thing.

 

[Donegal john]

Yous must be very old as I remember my granny having one

 

[johncrobinson]

They SHOULD credit you..But I am not certain they will. Every trick in the book is used to maximize profit ,Fairness don't come into it

In these turbulent times your existing credit will count for very little.
If you have the energy (no pun intended )Make sure you don't lose out Not even to the tune of a penny.

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

They SHOULD credit you..But I am not certain they will. Every trick in the book is used to maximize profit ,Fairness don't come into it

In these turbulent times your existing credit will count for very little.
If you have the energy (no pun intended )Make sure you don't lose out Not even to the tune of a penny.

That’s what I’m worried about John. They’re all dodgy feckers if you ask me! But don’t worry, they won’t get away with it if they dare to try that with me!

 

[Flan]

I really think there are a few reasons for them pushing these apart from the money they get from the government per install, Call me a conspiracy nut but i do believe it’s another way of gathering data on your usage so that in future when they gather enough info on enough customers they can alter prices for different times of the day when maximum usage is happening and who knows what other usage they will get from this data. Also it should cut out anyone fiddling electric or gas and it will justify them cutting jobs as in meter readers and admin staff. There’s no way they can save you money the only way you can save money is by using less.

 

[GhostShip]

Don’t want to sound like a conspiracy theorist, but once you change to a smart meter, your energy company has control. They know exactly what you’re using and when. The cashless age is coming, then digital wallets will follow, which can be switched off (just as Trudeau did to the truckers in Canada). If social credits then follow (which has been discussed by the WEF), everything will be linked to climate change. Eat too much red meat? Lose credits. Too much travel? Lose credits. I appreciate some will see this as bonkers, but every one of these things is being discussed at a very high level.

Consequently, I will resist giving up control for as long as I can so won’t have a smart meter until I am given absolutely no choice.

 

[buddsy]

I have my tin foil hat firmly on and say the only people who will benefit from "Smart Meters" are the energy companies.

They are pushing them as they want people to have them.

buddsy

 

[foxy]

Last thing I would be worried about is a 'Smart Meter'. Anyone wants information on an individual it is the mobile phone, social media, credit cards, tax file number, vehicle registration number, video surveillance etc.
Does it, or can it save money I think so. Here in Victoria we can get a free app, (any other state it is $140) until I got the app I didn't care about the cost as I have solar but since getting the app I have been careful to monitor the electricity usage. Microwave, kettle, air fryer appears to be the biggest spikes in usage. Reverse cycle aircon barely uses anything nor the fridges and freezers. I get a return of between $6-$8 per day from FiT
I don't save much in power by being careful but the more electricity I can put back into the grid makes money.
By being careful, don't use the microwave to defrost, I am up first so when I make a cup of tea in the morning I make one for the wife as well so she won't need another cuppa till late morning. Less use of the air fryer, not that it is used much.
Yesterdays usage. The only thing the app doesn't give me is the kWh produced from the solar.

 

[johncrobinson]

I commend foxy for being smart with his energy use.

However according to latitude Britain is sub-polar,Which means in the past folk kept warm with open fires burning anything to hand in order to have affordable heat which least kept one room of the house warm

Nowadays "Omincorp" is screwing us for every penny they can get !!. with gas and electric Aided by our very own government

Someone really needs to have a word with Sid
(sorry for the 80s ref.)

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Yous must be very old as I remember my granny having one

I thought that was common knowledge, I was only a young lad back then.

 

[Polcho]

When we brought this house there was a pay as you go meter. We had all the electrics renewed and the electricity company had to come at one point. I think they fitted one of these smart meters, not sure, it’s in the shed.

I don’t know what it’s supposed to do, there is no screen, so perhaps it’s not a smart meter, how do you tell?

 

[dreaddan]

Hope nobody minds that I've re-awoken this thread, but I was hoping someone would have the answer to my question which follows.

We are having gas and electric smart meters fitted tomorrow, but we have over £200 of credit on the account as the monthly payment has just gone out. Will I lose this credit when my new meters have been installed or will it somehow be transferred over? I recently paid a top-up payment as well as they were trying to put my monthly payments up to a stupid amount.

I've taken readings today and sent them in and I'm going to take them again before the engineer comes tomorrow.

Anyone know what will happen to my credit please?

If your on a normal monthly payment not pre pay, then the credit will remain.
Make sure you take a reading before it's changed - they will put a sticker on the new one with the readings.

Do not provide another reading until you can see the new meter reading on your suppers site or you will end up with a huge bill!
This can take some time which is annoying...

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

perhaps it’s not a smart meter, how do you tell?

They normally have buttons A and B on them and you can scroll through a few options on the screen.

I once went to a house with a normal electric meter but the landlord had told them it was a smart meter. The tenants asked me what it was and I said it's a normal one, the same one that I've got at home! They were furious!

I hate dishonest landlords!

 

[Tess Tickle's Brewery]

Last thing I would be worried about is a 'Smart Meter'. Anyone wants information on an individual it is the mobile phone, social media, credit cards, tax file number, vehicle registration number, video surveillance etc.
Does it, or can it save money I think so. Here in Victoria we can get a free app, (any other state it is $140) until I got the app I didn't care about the cost as I have solar but since getting the app I have been careful to monitor the electricity usage. Microwave, kettle, air fryer appears to be the biggest spikes in usage. Reverse cycle aircon barely uses anything nor the fridges and freezers. I get a return of between $6-$8 per day from FiT
I don't save much in power by being careful but the more electricity I can put back into the grid makes money.
By being careful, don't use the microwave to defrost, I am up first so when I make a cup of tea in the morning I make one for the wife as well so she won't need another cuppa till late morning. Less use of the air fryer, not that it is used much.
Yesterdays usage. The only thing the app doesn't give me is the kWh produced from the solar.

View attachment 75891View attachment 75892View attachment 75893

Amazing! Love this, being a data nerd! Can't wait to see how much I'm using and when.

 

[Leon103]

Jesus. Have people re-read what they post.
If I had a company that provided a service, I would want to track how much of that service I am supplying so I can charge accordingly.
So many people know how to by pass or manipulate the old meter.
Yes there have your usage data but they are entitled to it. Do you mind a strange person snooping around your house or garden looking for a reading. There are suggestions we will get a discount for less use during high demand, are you happy for that to happen?
Yes it takes out the need for extra staff travelling the country to read a number, a great efficiency saving in my eyes and good for the planet.

 

[buddsy]

Someone really needs to have a word with Sid
(sorry for the 80s ref.)

If I see Sid Ill tell him

buddsy

 

[nufchull]

I moved over from prepaid meter to smart meter few years back and all credit was transferred, but now mine and a friends smart meter reader has been broke for over a year and GB don't want to know

 

[Donegal john]

When we brought this house there was a pay as you go meter. We had all the electrics renewed and the electricity company had to come at one point. I think they fitted one of these smart meters, not sure, it’s in the shed.

I don’t know what it’s supposed to do, there is no screen, so perhaps it’s not a smart meter, how do you tell?

Ask it a very hard question

 

[Graz]

I'm not in the tin foil hat brigade but have so far put off having a smart meter due to the complete f**k up that was the initial roll out. Basically fitting a load of "smart" meters that were already on an outdated standard and could not be transferred if you changed energy companies turning it into a dumb meter.

Now that all the compatibility issues have been sorted out with the latest meters I could be tempted. Firstly as I keep forgetting to do meter readings when prompted for them, secondly this practice of over paying in the summer to put your account into huge amounts of credit (which the energy companies will be investing to make money on) then eroding that build up over the Winter. Would far rather just be billed month by month for what I'm actually using thanks. They can have all the data they want about my usage to be honest, they can probably make a good guess at it anyway from my meter readings and standard usage models for a 4 bed family house. I'm also interested in ways that I really could try to make a saving which the display attached to the smart meters could help with.