Smart Meters and electric sockets

Good morning
Possibly a very stupid question but google is not being my friend on this (though has managed to answer a few other questions along the route to this post)

My mother has just had an email from E.on telling her she must book an appointment to switch to a smart meter, which she has deep misgivings about (partially I think as she suspects that the current system works out more favourably than a smart system would).

What she does want to know though is: Do Smartmeters require use of a plug socket?

(The house is old and has very few of them, hence her concern)

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  • System
    System Posts: 178,077
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    jellyowl wrote: »
    Good morning
    Possibly a very stupid question but google is not being my friend on this (though has managed to answer a few other questions along the route to this post)

    My mother has just had an email from E.on telling her she must book an appointment to switch to a smart meter, which she has deep misgivings about (partially I think as she suspects that the current system works out more favourably than a smart system would).

    What she does want to know though is: Do Smartmeters require use of a plug socket?

    (The house is old and has very few of them, hence her concern)

    Tell your Mother to turn down the request until E.oN et al start rolling out SMETS2 meters which work with a central data communications hub which makes the meter usable with all suppliers. The IHD (in house display) requires a socket but not the smart meter.

    Use of the IHD is not mandatory. Most end up at the back of a drawer or cupboard.
  • molerat
    molerat Posts: 31,687
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    I suspect, by the mention of being more fvourable, that they are either on one of the E.On legacy tariffs that are being discontinued or they have an old mechanical E7 meter that is wildly out of sync and 2 birds are being killed with one stone installing a smart meter.

    Tell them you will wait for an appointment to fit a non smart meter.
  • Robin9
    Robin9 Posts: 12,055
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    In response to your question- no Electric Smarts do not need a socket.They take a very very supply from within the meter itself.
    Never pay on an estimated bill
  • Thank you all very much :) that's really helpful.
    I am going to sit with her this week and look at what options are available as she was talking about switching suppliers soon anyway.
  • Hi, just to add my tuppenceworth. I opted to get a smart meter soon after switching to British Gas last year. So 10 months ago this BG engineer came along and installed new smart meters on both gas and electricity supplies. The In Home Display was quite nice and would have been a lot better had it been able to show my gas usage all the time, but due to distance between gas and electric meters, this was intermittent at best. British Gas showed no interest in my complaints about this so I eventually gave up complaining!

    This month I switched to OVO, and guess what, the British Gas Smart meter In Home Display totally stopped working. And I mean TOTALLY!

    So today an OVO engineer came along and removed all the smart meter equipment installed just 10 months ago, and replaced it all with OVO smart meters. Again, the In Home Display is nice to have, and as yet (fingers crossed) it seems to be showing my gas usage as well as my electricity usage.

    However, it really does not seem very smart to me to have to get a brand new smart meter installed on each of your energy supplies every time you change suppliers. How dumb can smart be?
  • badmemory
    badmemory Posts: 7,626
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    However, it really does not seem very smart to me to have to get a brand new smart meter installed on each of your energy supplies every time you change suppliers. How dumb can smart be?

    But just think how many meter fitters we are paying to keep in employment fitting useless (or will be a few months later) meters. No wonder our bills are going shooting up!

    These costs should be coming out of their profits - that may at least help teach them how to organise a booze up in a brewery. They put lying adverts on TV (which we also pay for). It doesn't matter how much of our money they throw away, they are still allowed to make the same profit margin. Rant over. Sorry just had a reply from the ASA, the avoidance of truth in the advert is perfectly acceptable!!
  • molerat
    molerat Posts: 31,687
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    badmemory wrote: »
    But just think how many meter fitters we are paying to keep in employment fitting useless (or will be a few months later) meters. No wonder our bills are going shooting up!

    These costs should be coming out of their profits - that may at least help teach them how to organise a booze up in a brewery. They put lying adverts on TV (which we also pay for). It doesn't matter how much of our money they throw away, they are still allowed to make the same profit margin. Rant over. Sorry just had a reply from the ASA, the avoidance of truth in the advert is perfectly acceptable!!
    But they are only doing what the incompetent OFGEM is forcing them to do.
  • AndyPK
    AndyPK Posts: 4,241
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    while generally I am very against smart meters I would like to make 2 points.

    1) The energy monitor inside the house. I guess that has batteries? that need recharging via a socket. But you don't have to use it!

    2) One supplier. I think yours! is offering much better rates AUTOMATICALLY without having to do a thing. You will automatically moved to better tarrifs. Perfect for the elderly.

    So don't dismiss this offer completely. Research more one here with your specific supplier
  • Andy_WSM
    Andy_WSM Posts: 2,217
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    However, it really does not seem very smart to me to have to get a brand new smart meter installed on each of your energy supplies every time you change suppliers. How dumb can smart be?

    I can beat your 10 months! My 3 month old Utilita smart meters are being replaced in a few weeks time! Absolute waste of money - but everything our Government get involved with usually is.
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