Smart meter incompatibility and chaos

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  • molerat
    molerat Posts: 31,855 Forumite
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    indesisiv wrote: »
    Not sure if I ever find the hand held bit it will help or not. Does that show the meter reading?
    Not if you are no longer with the original installing supplier :o
  • SnakeDoctor_2
    SnakeDoctor_2 Posts: 52 Forumite
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    Has anyone actually had any benefits from Smart Meters, other than some of them being read automatically?
    I had my OVO ones removed because no one at OVO could tell me how to read them manually.
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 0 Newbie
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    SnakeDoctor wrote: »
    Has anyone actually had any benefits from Smart Meters, other than some of them being read automatically?
    I had my OVO ones removed because no one at OVO could tell me how to read them manually.
    Yes I've had a lot of benefit from mine. I mostly use it to monitor my instantaneous electricity usage (wattage). I know roughly how many watts I typically use at different times during the day. The display tells me my current usage. If, for example, it differs significantly from my average I can check to see if I've left an appliance on which shouldn't be. Right now, as I type this, the reading is fine and I know that neither the fridge nor any other high power device is switched on.
  • System
    System Posts: 178,093 Community Admin
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    You can have a usage display without having to have a smart meter - I've had one for years. I had my smart meters removed and replaced with standard dumb meters.
  • [Deleted User]
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    scgf wrote: »
    You can have a usage display without having to have a smart meter - I've had one for years. I had my smart meters removed and replaced with standard dumb meters.
    My display shows numerous things other than the instantaneous wattage being used (eg cost per day, week, month, year for each fuel). In addition it shows the current meter readings for each fuel which would be very difficult to read manually due to the meter locations.

    My display cost me £0. Was yours cheaper?
  • System
    System Posts: 178,093 Community Admin
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    edited 19 March 2017 at 5:08PM
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    Lol! In a sense, yes. I was pointing out that an in-home display of electricity usage is not limited to smart meters. Currently the big disadvantage of smart meters is that you have to read them manually should you change provider - and none of the suppliers offering smart meters offer the cheapest tariffs so in effect you are paying extra for the privilege - certainly much more than you'd pay for a cheap in-home display.

    Once you change supplier the smart meters have to be read manually and usually for electricity this involves pressing a button on the meter to display the reading - if your meter is in an awkward location, as mine is, it makes the job potentially more dangerous.
  • Futuristic
    Futuristic Posts: 1,131 Forumite
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    I have never used any smart functionality from my Eon smart meter, don't know where the little device is either. I've moved to British Gas last year after years with Eon and saving hundreds of pounds to take a minute out every 2-3 months to read the metre is fine by me.
  • mac.d
    mac.d Posts: 1,345 Forumite
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    Deleted_User wrote: »
    Right now, as I type this, the reading is fine and I know that neither the fridge nor any other high power device is switched on.
    You switch your fridge off to save electricity?!
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 0 Newbie
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    edited 19 March 2017 at 5:31PM
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    mac.d wrote: »
    You switch your fridge off to save electricity?!
    No, I monitor my fridge (as with my other domestic appliances) to get an idea how fuel efficient it is. As it's a few years old, the results of my monitoring could be to consider turning it down a little or purchasing a new more energy-efficient fridge.
  • [Deleted User]
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    scgf wrote: »
    Currently the big disadvantage of smart meters is that you have to read them manually should you change provider - and none of the suppliers offering smart meters offer the cheapest tariffs so in effect you are paying extra for the privilege - certainly much more than you'd pay for a cheap in-home display.
    It's perfectly true that the current chaotic incompatibility between the different smart meters is an absolute pain. However, once a supplier has installed a smart meter at your premises together with a display (total cost to you £0), what's there to stop you switching to another energy supplier? Your smart meter and associated display remain in situ. Sure, the current chaotic incompatibility regime means that the new supplier won't be able to take smart meter readings, but, since you have the use of a display (at an up front cost of £0) you can use it to provide meter readings. This avoids (in my case at least) risking breaking my neck to scale a wall to manually read inconveniently sited meters. I don't understand the logic behind replacing smart meters with dumb ones and risk breaking my neck trying to read them (or paying for a home energy display when mine cost me all of £0).
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