How do I get a meter?

gwin
gwin Posts: 102 Forumite
First Anniversary First Post Combo Breaker
in Energy
Contract with EDF just ended and your tool says I should switch.
I live alone and have been told meters would be beneficial. Anyone know if this is true?
Do all companies supply them?
Are they free?
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Comments

  • Robin9
    Robin9 Posts: 12,095 Forumite
    First Post First Anniversary Name Dropper
    If you have your letter from EDF simply use the MSE tool to identify the best supplier - use the actual unit consumptions, not £.

    All very easy - your meter will not change all that will happen is that your new supplier will contact you for readings.

    Be warned charges have gone up - even the newest best will be more than EDF.
    Never pay on an estimated bill
  • gwin
    gwin Posts: 102 Forumite
    First Anniversary First Post Combo Breaker
    Thanks, Robin9, I thought you could have meters fitted where you could view your usage.
  • House_Martin
    House_Martin Posts: 1,462 Forumite
    edited 14 June 2017 at 9:15PM
    If you mean by "meter " a prepayment meter..Free..not all identical. If you mean a smart meter , there`s a few different makes/models . If you are switching to either Ovo or Utilita and now Eon , they are using the dreadful Secure Liberty meters which are an insult to their customers IMO. Majority of smart meters are most probably made by Landis+Gyr/Siemen/elster.. These are easier to use with their In House Displays. which can be plugged into any spare socket and is a pleasant toy for a few weeks then it should be shoved in a drawer to leave more vital plug space..
  • EachPenny
    EachPenny Posts: 12,239 Forumite
    First Post Combo Breaker
    gwin wrote: »
    Contract with EDF just ended and your tool says I should switch.
    I live alone and have been told meters would be beneficial. Anyone know if this is true?
    Do all companies supply them?
    Are they free?

    For gas and electric you should already have a meter, the advice about people living on their own benefitting from a meter is about water meters - if you use less water than average for the house you live in you'd probably benefit from a water meter.

    Smart meters for gas and electric come with a unit which tells you how much energy you are using - but they only save you money if you actually use the information and switch things off. It is common sense really - people shouldn't need a smart meter to know leaving lights on in every room will cost them money. If you already switch things off when you don't need them then a smart meter is not going to save you any money.

    There are also some drawbacks with smart meters, I won't go into detail here (the information is regularly discussed on the forum) but unless you have a desperate need for a smart meter then you are better of waiting for a while until what are known as SMETS2 meters are widely available.
    "In the future, everyone will be rich for 15 minutes"
  • Robin9
    Robin9 Posts: 12,095 Forumite
    First Post First Anniversary Name Dropper
    Ah - I think you are looking for In House Displays which are part of a Smart meter installation. Among the facilities these enable you to monitor how much you are using on a daily basis.

    I don't want to resurrect the Smart threads - there are dozens - but I binned my IHD after a week when the novelty wore off. There's no substitute for regular meter readings, sent online to your supplier.
    Never pay on an estimated bill
  • SpotlandRules
    SpotlandRules Posts: 192 Forumite
    Robin9 wrote: »
    Ah - I think you are looking for In House Displays which are part of a Smart meter installation. Among the facilities these enable you to monitor how much you are using on a daily basis.

    I don't want to resurrect the Smart threads - there are dozens - but I binned my IHD after a week when the novelty wore off. There's no substitute for regular meter readings, sent online to your supplier.

    But it is much easier to keep a daily log of your usage.
  • gwin
    gwin Posts: 102 Forumite
    First Anniversary First Post Combo Breaker
    Apologies, guys, didn't realise it was called smart meter.
    I see most of you don't recommend them and as you say, EachPenny, I do tend to switch things off anyway.
    Appreciate the advice.
  • House_Martin
    House_Martin Posts: 1,462 Forumite
    edited 21 June 2017 at 10:14PM
    gwin wrote: »
    Apologies, guys, didn't realise it was called smart meter.
    I see most of you don't recommend them and as you say, EachPenny, I do tend to switch things off anyway.
    Appreciate the advice.[/QUOTE
    The latest smart meters being fitted by BG, and others are both gas and electric meters which work in SMETS1 and SMETS2 when its supposed to start sometime this year.,Landis and Gyrs and Siemens gas meters. So those fitted now are able to work with any supplier once SMETS2 gets implemented.
    The latest Secure Liberty meters do not have to have a meter exchanged when SMETS2 comes on stream but the communications hub will be exchanged.
  • gwin
    gwin Posts: 102 Forumite
    First Anniversary First Post Combo Breaker
    House_Martin wrote: »
    gwin wrote: »
    Apologies, guys, didn't realise it was called smart meter.
    I see most of you don't recommend them and as you say, EachPenny, I do tend to switch things off anyway.
    Appreciate the advice.[/QUOTE
    The latest smart meters being fitted by BG, and others are both gas and electric meters which work in SMETS1 and SMETS2 when its supposed to start sometime this year.,Landis and Gyrs and Siemens gas meters. So those fitted now are able to work with any supplier once SMETS2 gets implemented.
    The latest Secure Liberty meters do not have to have a meter exchanged when SMETS2 comes on stream but the communications hub will be exchanged.
    Thanks for taking the time to write but I don't understand a word you said, haha sorry.
  • EachPenny
    EachPenny Posts: 12,239 Forumite
    First Post Combo Breaker
    gwin wrote: »
    Thanks for taking the time to write but I don't understand a word you said, haha sorry.

    Don't worry, I think you've made the right decision in your circumstances - there is no point getting a smart meter now, which may not work in future, unless you are very keen to have one. :)
    "In the future, everyone will be rich for 15 minutes"
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