smart meters

[Cwrw666]

So what did you stop doing after you got the meter that made all these savings?

We had an ageing desk top PC that used a lot even when it was switched off if it was on at the plug. Also more careful use of the immersion heater.
Mostly I think the old meter was grossly over reading. You tend to think these things are accurate, but they're not. Of course you'd be scr**ed if your old meter was under reading.

 

[MashBag]

It's a very nice problem to have.

 

[Benfleet Brewery]

@Benfleet Brewery I was with SSE who were a decent operator. Ovo took my FiT over and are gits for holding on until the last legal week before paying.
I ensure I always supply a reading on April 1st irrespective of when they ask for the quarterly reading to ensure as close to correct rates as I can get.

I don't think any of the providers want to be dealing with us albatrosses around their necks but are obligated to do so. But they make it as hard as possible to work with them.
Still, it's a nice problem to have 'eh!

I sent my meter reading to BG on 1st April but they rejected it saying it wasn’t due until 28th April, then assumed what the reading was on 1st April

But, like you say, nice problem

 

[Druss]

Smart meters can be problematic at times, my (smart) gas meter randomly stopped charging me last year in November. I basically had infinite free gas until a couple of weeks ago when it was 'remotely fixed'. It was nice while it lasted.

 

[Druncan]

We have a first gen 'smart'(sic) meter. It runs some of the time so we know fairly well how our business consumption is doing. However, my sadly missed buddy once said but if you use loads in a short space of time (as a seasonal business does) they may adjust your climate change levy and move you up from 5% VAT as a micro user. They fekn did to and it took ages to get it back. Lesson learned,,,,, I'm careful!
I am also on eco7 though so the brewery HLT heats to 65 on cheap rate if the solar isn't getting there.

Hoping to get the low 'peak time' usage at some point as only smart meters can offer this - anyone else got this?

 

[Leon103]

8

So apart from hidden tarrifs how do these smart meters save you money?

It saves me time sending readings.

As.mentioned I am.one to use what I need, hence why I don't use a monitor. But it was good to see how much electric was being used when we were away. I was quickly able to go round the house and next time we went away it was only the beer fridge/freezer and family fridge that was left on, some days we only paid the standing charge.

Where I saved money was when I should my wife the cost on the days she uses the tumble, she now looks ahead at the forecast and plans the washing around that. So I haven't changed anything ut saved a couple of quid and don't need to mess about with sending readings or rely on estimates.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

8

It saves me time sending readings.

As.mentioned I am.one to use what I need, hence why I don't use a monitor. But it was good to see how much electric was being used when we were away. I was quickly able to go round the house and next time we went away it was only the beer fridge/freezer and family fridge that was left on, some days we only paid the standing charge.

Where I saved money was when I should my wife the cost on the days she uses the tumble, she now looks ahead at the forecast and plans the washing around that. So I haven't changed anything ut saved a couple of quid and don't need to mess about with sending readings or rely on estimates.

This is exactly why I said I don't have or want a meter it's called using common sense, if you turn stuff that you don't need off you will use less electricity you don't need a box to tell you that.
I didn't replace our tumble dryer when it broke as they use lots of electricity now in an emergency we use the laundrette which will take all our washing in one dryer.

 

[MashBag]

Our tumble dry went. We now have an extra rail in the airing cupboard.

 

[malhal]

Seems the end of lifetime email was sent in error.

Apologies for the email you received, you are in fact correct, your meter is not yet due for replacement. The issue has been caused by the meters details not being sent over correctly for a few of our customers coming from Bulb, so you can safely ignore this email.

 

[Leon103]

This is exactly why I said I don't have or want a meter it's called using common sense, if you turn stuff that you don't need off you will use less electricity you don't need a box to tell you that.
I didn't replace our tumble dryer when it broke as they use lots of electricity now in an emergency we use the laundrette which will take all our washing in one dryer.

It's not a box. It's my meter. Everyone needs one. It just happens that mine includes a sim card that sends data to my provider daily. Which means I can log into my account with the provider and check usage and its accurate to each day. I will know what my bill will cost because it tells me daily. No in accurate estimates, no strangers on my land looking for the meter, and I don't have to send meter readings. All for free.

It's no big issue.

 

[DJDave]

Yes it's common sense, turning things on uses electricity. But I don't grasp why you wouldn't want a little more information. Have a look at Energy stats uk this shows you some data you don't need. For instance the wholesale price of electricity which sometimes goes very low, even into the negative. There are energy tariffs that work by the 1/2 hour and even pay you to use electricity occasionally. I'd like to say I did it deliberately but it was a coincidence. They paid me to charge the e-niro earlier in the week. I know electricity costs a lot more between 16:00 & 19:00. I can choose to put expensive items on then or not, it's my choice. You now that when you brew you use electricity, but how much and how much does it cost? I normally check the price of things I buy, even if they are necessities I know I will buy anyway. Just my two pennyworth

 

[Kerby]

My reason for not getting a meter is I know if I boil the kettle 5 times a day I wll pay more than if I only boil it 4 times but I want 5 brews a day so will continue to have 5 what is the meter going to tell me that I didn't already know?

100% agree, that’s always been my attitude too. Getting one installed in a couple of weeks however as it allows me to switch to a cheaper tariff meaning charging EV drops from 18.5p KWh to 7.5p KWh. Still dislike them in principle, particularly the ability to remote switch customers to prepay, but in my case the savings are over £1500 a year.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

. I will know what my bill will cost because it tells me daily. No in accurate estimates, no strangers on my land looking for the meter, and I don't have to send meter readings. All for free.

I get that and that is the only reason I would have one.

What I am getting at is these meters only save you money if you don't realise leaving stuff turned on when it's not needed is going to cost you more than if you turn it off you really don't need a smart meter to tell you that.

 

[DJDave]

100% agree, that’s always been my attitude too. Getting one installed in a couple of weeks however as it allows me to switch to a cheaper tariff meaning charging EV drops from 18.5p KWh to 7.5p KWh. Still dislike them in principle, particularly the ability to remote switch customers to prepay, but in my case the savings are over £1500 a year.

absolutely agree the ability of the power companies to remotely change your tariff without your express agreement or direction should be prescribed in statute

 

[dad_of_jon]

We had an ageing desk top PC that used a lot even when it was switched off if it was on at the plug. Also more careful use of the immersion heater.
Mostly I think the old meter was grossly over reading. You tend to think these things are accurate, but they're not. Of course you'd be scr**ed if your old meter was under reading.

I bought a 80 plus gold psu for my and our kids self built mini-itx pcs no more than 350 watts as we run an energy efficient single slot gaming card. that does not require additional power. If you have stuff like WOL enabled that would draw power with the pc 'off' My Nephew has built an 800w beastie and games on it a lot. Of course he's not paying the leccy for that. so yeah old school pc's use a fair amount of juice.

USFF pc's are a good bet if you don't want to do gaming, they use laptop components and you have a power brick that uses a fraction of the power of a regular desktop pc. I've never been a fan of laptops due to the fixed position of screen vs keyboard. can't beat a height adjustable monitor seperate from the computer.

So I have figures on all the stuff plugged in and a pc or Older PVR can be an unexpected drain. My colour laser uses 1w in sleep mode and even that is unplugged until we need to print.

 

[Cwrw666]

What I don't understand is why they need your permission to change your meter - it's their effin equipment supplied and fitted by them. When did these things suddenly become ours?
It's the same with the phone sockets. Apparently you risk being charged if your fault on your line turns out to be the socket. Apparently it's your socket, not theirs, even though supplied by openreach, fitted by them, and even though it's faulty due to lightning running down their wires into the socket that's even got their name on it

 

[Cwrw666]

I bought a 80 plus gold psu for my and our kids self built mini-itx pcs no more than 350 watts as we run an energy efficient single slot gaming card. that does not require additional power. If you have stuff like WOL enabled that would draw power with the pc 'off' My Nephew has built an 800w beastie and games on it a lot. Of course he's not paying the leccy for that. so yeah old school pc's use a fair amount of juice.

USFF pc's are a good bet if you don't want to do gaming, they use laptop components and you have a power brick that uses a fraction of the power of a regular desktop pc. I've never been a fan of laptops due to the fixed position of screen vs keyboard. can't beat a height adjustable monitor seperate from the computer.

So I have figures on all the stuff plugged in and a pc or Older PVR can be an unexpected drain. My colour laser uses 1w in sleep mode and even that is unplugged until we need to print.

Fortunately our PC was on its last legs anyway, couldn't be upgraded to Windows 10 so we got rid of it and I've got a laptop instead which uses hardly any juice at all.

 

[dad_of_jon]

A lot of our laptops given out to staff had a 65w PSU so even moving from 300w shuttle mini pcs to a 65w usff pc saved us a lot.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Apparently you risk being charged if your fault on your line turns out to be the socket. Apparently it's your socket, not theirs, even though supplied by openreach, fitted by them, and even though it's faulty due to lightning running down their wires into the socket that's even got their name on it

As you say if something on the house side of the socket causes the problem you could be charged but if you plug a phone directly into the test socket you can find out if its the line to the house or something you or a previous owner has plugged or wired in that is causing it, i only know this because we had problems with noise on the line and fluctuating speeds and were told to try the test socket IIRC thre was still noise on the line and when he visited the engineer found damp in the socket and he swapped it for a newer version like the one below.

Your Master Socket and How To Avoid A Large Bill​

As a telephone engineer, I’ve met a few customers that have ended up with a big bill all because of their master socket, and the use of it.

There’s no great mystery about that box on the wall where your phone line comes in to your property. However, you master socket is the specific “boundary point” in your home where your telephone line provider’s responsibility ends, and yours begins.

So, the bit that’s fixed to the wall of your master socket goes to the outside world, and to the national phone network. Any faults with that are the responsibility of Openreach (the former BT engineering division who will come to your house on behalf of your provider). In the front of this socket is a faceplate that plugs into the wall-mounted bit and is secured with two screws.This brings your various extensions from around the house to one point and connects them onto the line.

Now, if you have a dead line, or some kind of noise, interference, or any other kind of problem, you need to determine if this is your fault (your wiring), or theirs. It really is simple. Take off the faceplate, and plug in a known working telephone straight into the socket that is behind it. Your wiring is then disconnected from the network, and can cause no mischief.

If the problem goes away, then the fault lies with your wiring or devices.

If it does not, then the problem lies outside your house and is not your responsibility. You need to report it to your provider, who will arrange for their designated engineer (usually working for Openreach) to call if necessary. Your provider (Talk Talk, Orange, Plusnet, etc, etc) may ask you to repeat the test, that is plug the phone into the wall-mounted socket again. One of the advatages of this is, should there be line noise, the customer service person at the other end will here it, too, and might actually believe that the “crackle” is not just in your head!

But here comes the (potentially) costly bit; if an engineer from Openreach is sent to your premises, and a fault is discovered on your extension cabling, not theirs, they have to charge for their time and resources. This can be from £132.00 upwards. Ouch.

So… you need to be absolutely sure, by use of your master socket, that the problem is not with your wiring, sockets, and devices before getting them to come to you..

https://telecomgreen.co.uk/home-phone-repair/your-master-socket-and-how-to-avoid-a-large-bill/

 

[Chippy_Tea]

As i said earlier in the thread i am glad i didn't get one -


Three million households at risk of incorrect energy bills due to faulty smart meters

Smart meters are devices that record real-time information about your gas and electricity use - this data is then sent back to your energy provider, so it knows how much power you’re using

Almost three million smart meters in Britain are not working properly - leaving customers vulnerable to be charged incorrect energy bills.

A total of 2.7 million of around 33 million meters are not in smart mode, according to figures from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ). A spokesperson from the DESNZ told the BBC : "We understand a small proportion are suffering from technical issues and are working with Ofgem, energy suppliers and data experts to solve these issues."


There are several reasons why smart meters stop working - for example, if they lose connection. If your smart meter suddenly stops working, you’ll be issued an estimated bill until you send over a manual meter reading to your energy supplier.

You can tell if your energy bill has been estimated as there should be an “e” mark on your statement. If you have a first generation smart meter, and you switch suppliers, your new energy provider might not be able to read your data automatically. Energy companies are currently installing second generation smart meters, and all first generation ones will eventually be added to the national network so they can communicate with all suppliers.


Households aren’t required to have a smart meter - it is completely down to you. However, energy companies are under pressure to take “all reasonable steps” to install smart meters by 2025.

Energy regulator Ofgem has announced its price cap will rise to £1,928 from January 1, 2024. This will be the rate until March 31. The price cap sets the maximum rate energy firms can charge per kilowatt (kWh) hour for gas and electricity you use, along with standing charges. Standing charges are what you have to pay no matter how much energy you use.


The headline figure is what a direct debit customer with "typical energy consumption" can expect to pay each year based on wholesale energy prices. The price cap is slightly different if you're a prepayment customer, or if you pay on receipt of bill.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/money/three-million-households-risk-incorrect-31590580