Smart Meter

Martin, I've got something of a personal question to ask you. For some weeks it has been puzzling me.

You say -

House_Martin wrote: »

..as does teams of meter readers, theft of gas and electric and bad debts caused by dumb meters also call centres staffed just to try and sort constant billing problems caused by dumb meters from the last century...

Here's the thing. Most people who face their mode of employment ceasing, or being changed out of all recognition, by technology normally have nothing whatsoever positive to say about that technology. They will lawfully (and unlawfully) resist the implementation of the technology to protect their job.

You say you are a meter reader (we have no proof of this) and clearly support smart meters (although perhaps limited to the makes/models used by your (former?) employer).

In supporting smart meters generally you made the statement above making the point that smart meters will remove the cost of paying teams of meter readers. Which will mean you and your colleagues no longer have a job. This makes no sense. What kind of person would cheer on technology they know will make them redundant? Unless perhaps they are near retirement age and don't give a monkeys about their colleagues?

Or alternatively, they know that whilst people going round reading meters won't be required any more, what will be needed is lots of people to fix the smart meters because being more complex they are more likely to need fixing?

Because that is the point. All the things in your statement that cost consumers money - meter teams, theft, bad debt, call centres, billing problems - are not unique to 'dumb' meters. So-called 'smart' meters will still need meter teams to install/fix/remove them, theft will remain possible, bad debts will continue, call centres will still be needed (which button do I need to press how many times?), billing problems will remain.

What will change is the cost of the metering system. The capital (leasing) cost of more complex meters, the running cost of the communications network, the maintenance of the data management system, more frequent replacement of meters.

This is why it is estimated that the smart meter programme will add £6 a year to consumer bills.

So the kind of personal question I want to ask is are you really a turkey voting for Christmas, or are you an employee of Smart energy GB who, without authorisation or involvement of the company, figured that offering opinions while pretending to be a meter man (someone the public trusts) would be a great way to promote smart metering?

Hengus wrote: »

Screenshot taken.

I'm not saying "Get a life mate", but I'm thinking it, this is an open discussion.

House_Martin wrote: »

...Its not fair at all for Hengus to play a sly move like that to the OP. .Theres enough anti smart rubbish on here as it is on here .Last week he was introducing paranoia on cyber attacks.

House_Martin wrote: »

The naysayers on here now can only grasp at the stupidity of the worry over "cyber security " as the winning hand in an excuse to refuse what the suppliers want. .... I think its time now to start laughing at them and their ridiculous cyber security b/s.

Of course cyber attacks on a national scale affecting key infrastructure is nothing but science fiction dreamt up by 'paranoids'. It could never happen... could it.

NHS services across England and Scotland have been hit by a large-scale cyber-attack, which is being treated as a major incident.

BBC Website 12/05/2017

I don't think many people will be laughing in A&E tonight.

adindas wrote: »

Government make mistake and all of the consumers need to bear the cost ????. I think all of them who get involved in this decision making will need to pay part of it taken from their salary for the rest of their life.

Can we hold people responsible for the way they vote too? If so there are 48% of the people who will be sending bills to the other 52% who were involved in a decision recently.

adindas wrote: »

From this post I understand the next generation of smart meter will not come until about five years time, so there is little point point for it ?? AM i Understand it correctly ??

SMETS2 meters are on their way as the infrastructure for universal smart meters is now in place. The next step is to see whether the current smart meters can be hooked up to the same system with some form of software upgrade.

These kind of projects rarely run smooth and the government hasn't done a particularly bad job of it in comparison with how they normally do.

Originally due to be having a smart meter fitted at the end of April, however our supplier has put this on hold due to compatibility issues they are having in this area..... No date on a revised fitting date at this time!