MSE News: Energy firms to roll out smart meters which let you switch from early 2018

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MSE_Andrew
MSE_Andrew Posts: 173 MSE Staff
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in Energy
Next generation smart meters which allow you to switch energy provider without losing their smart features will be rolled out from early next year...
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'Energy firms to roll out smart meters which let you switch from early 2018'
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  • System
    System Posts: 178,094 Community Admin
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    It would have been more informative if you had balanced this article with the ongoing BEIS consultation to extend the stop date for the installation of SMETS1 meters.
  • Mchambers
    Mchambers Posts: 1,054 Forumite
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    I won't bother getting one.
  • MothballsWallet
    MothballsWallet Posts: 15,852 Forumite
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    I just saw a pig fly past my window...
  • Caddyman
    Caddyman Posts: 342 Forumite
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    So you get notification from your energy company that they want to come round and fit your new smart meter and you just need to tell them when. So you phone the energy company and say 'Will you be fitting a Smets 1 or Smets 2 meter? and the customer services agent on the other end of the phone hasn't got a scooby what your talking about.......
  • MothballsWallet
    MothballsWallet Posts: 15,852 Forumite
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    Caddyman wrote: »
    So you get notification from your energy company that they want to come round and fit your new smart meter and you just need to tell them when. So you phone the energy company and say 'Will you be fitting a Smets 1 or Smets 2 meter? and the customer services agent on the other end of the phone hasn't got a scooby what your talking about.......
    Had exactly that happen to me when British Gas called me a year ago about fitting one - although I had to tell them 4 times I didn't want one until SMETS2 would be guaranteed and the guy I last spoke to about the complaint said "oh, we've been fitting SMETS2 since June"...
  • trickytree1963
    trickytree1963 Posts: 255 Forumite
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    MothballsWallet wrote: »
    Had exactly that happen to me when British Gas called me a year ago about fitting one - although I had to tell them 4 times I didn't want one until SMETS2 would be guaranteed and the guy I last spoke to about the complaint said "oh, we've been fitting SMETS2 since June"...

    That's because they have been fitting SMETS2 compliant meters since June :)
  • robin58
    robin58 Posts: 2,802 Forumite
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    Well I'll wait until I am FORCED to get one.

    As with all government enforced ideas they went live with this before they had even checked if the kit would work properly.
    The more I live, the more I learn.
    The more I learn, the more I grow.
    The more I grow, the more I see.
    The more I see, the more I know.
    The more I know, the more I see,
    How little I know.!! ;)
  • Caddyman
    Caddyman Posts: 342 Forumite
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    robin58 wrote: »
    Well I'll wait until I am FORCED to get one.

    As with all government enforced ideas they went live with this before they had even checked if the kit would work properly.

    I don't think anyone will find themselves in a position where they are 'forced' to have Smart meters installed, but there is a suggestion that if householders don't 'submit' and have Smart meters installed, then the energy companies simply won't offer those householders without Smart meters, the best tariffs, so effectively one would probably find themselves on the most expensive tariff they operate at the time, all of the time.

    I do actually want Smart meters, just so long as they are the very latest standard, and judging by just how slow Npower appear to be taking to roll them out, they will be SMETS2 meters when I get mine eventually anyway.

    As for the Government forcing energy companies to 'go live' without ensuring they they were all singing off the same hymn sheet and installing equipment that was compatible across the industry, I agree, a total utter screw up from the start and it's pretty shameful to be honest. But that is what Governments do and it'll never change.
  • zerog
    zerog Posts: 2,478 Forumite
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    As it happens, I have a smart meter (SMETS1 and currently in non-smart mode), but it makes little difference to me whether I have a smart meter or not.

    It's accessible and easy to read, and I'm more than capable of doing simple arithmetic, so I can work out my next bill amount in half a minute whereas the energy company seems to take 12 hours.
  • andy073
    andy073 Posts: 8 Forumite
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    Could anybody please explain exactly how the meter sends the reading to the energy supplier?

    I'm assuming that the meter is connected to either WiFi or the mobile phone network; if so, which network?

    And what happens if a property has no signal?

    Thanks.
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