Smart Meters

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  • quiet_advisor
    quiet_advisor Posts: 134 Forumite
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    I wonder if Martin's team should invite Smart Energy GB to contribute to this thread as the voice of smart meters. I bet SE GB declines the opportunity if asked.
  • Michaelw
    Michaelw Posts: 296 Forumite
    edited 12 December 2017 at 12:18AM
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    Hengus wrote: »
    Have a look at the Table on page 8. The battery life might surprise you.

    http://www.tadiranbatteries.de/pdf/applications/battery-concepts-for-smart-utility-meters.pdf

    Smart devices are not constantly powered up. They send information in short bursts at set intervals. If the transmission is missed, the information is sent in the next burst. I have smart heating controls and standard alkaline batteries last 2 to 3 years in motorised electronic TRVs. Smart meters do not use standard alkaline batteries.

    Another method for proving the service life of a battery system is, of course, long-term discharge.One way of speeding up such a test is to increase the temperature.


    Its fine saying this should last for so many years or simulating tests in such a way but a problem exists.there could be a combination of factors involved and cold weather does appear to have an effect on these meters',the time people most need to rely on them they fail.

    In all cases suppliers are stating "an issue affecting a small number of customers" this doesn't detract from the inconvience or distress when problems do arise.

    http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?p=72742595

    altho I have seen the smart gas meters fail in a few months.

    These are worrying comments.
  • agsteele
    agsteele Posts: 4 Newbie
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    brewerdave wrote: »
    Did the fitters actually carry the installation(s) out or abandon after testing?
    Each time they completed the installation and left us to discover that the connection was intermittent (mostly off rather than on). The last tech sent to resolve the issue said that often the meters are commissioned alongside one another then the gas is fitted in place afterwards so the failure to connect isn't noticed until later.

    Yesterday a friend for elsewhere in our town had the same problem with a newly fitted gas smart meter. No solution available.
  • john1002
    john1002 Posts: 984 Forumite
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    Just had a phone call from an agent of Scottish power to say trying to book in a smart meter installation, they had wrote and SMS me a while back but had no suitable appointments. Great I thought only to be told I can’t have one as I have an existing smart meter from another supplier and that it would be end of next year before I could get a smart meter, I asked if they could just fit the gas one as that is a standard one but she said they can’t, I now realise that they use the electricity one as a hub, only other solution was to get my old supplier to fit a normal meter, would they even do this when not in contact.

    No where have I read that if you already have a smart meter you can’t get a new one.

    Is this a well known issue?

    John
  • System
    System Posts: 178,094 Community Admin
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    john1002 wrote: »
    Just had a phone call from an agent of Scottish power to say trying to book in a smart meter installation, they had wrote and SMS me a while back but had no suitable appointments. Great I thought only to be told I can’t have one as I have an existing smart meter from another supplier and that it would be end of next year before I could get a smart meter, I asked if they could just fit the gas one as that is a standard one but she said they can’t, I now realise that they use the electricity one as a hub, only other solution was to get my old supplier to fit a normal meter, would they even do this when not in contact.

    No where have I read that if you already have a smart meter you can’t get a new one.

    Is this a well known issue?

    John

    Suppliers have to fit 53M of these things before the end of 2020. At the last count,(Sep 17), the total number of smart meters installed in homes and businesses had reached 8.61M. At a cost of £420 per dual meter installation, you can see why many suppliers are unwilling to replace your smart meter. The 'good news' is that by 2020 your meter will either be adopted by the Data Communications Company or deemed an orphaned asset and replaced.

    There is now non such thing as a normal meter. For consumers who do not want a smart meter, suppliers are permitted when an existing meter reaches its end-of-life to fit a smart meter with the communications hub disabled.
  • House_Martin
    House_Martin Posts: 1,462 Forumite
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    Hengus wrote: »
    Suppliers have to fit 53M of these things before the end of 2020. At the last count,(Sep 17), the total number of smart meters installed in homes and businesses had reached 8.61M. At a cost of £420 per dual meter installation, you can see why many suppliers are unwilling to replace your smart meter. The 'good news' is that by 2020 your meter will either be adopted by the Data Communications Company or deemed an orphaned asset and replaced.

    There is now non such thing as a normal meter. For consumers who do not want a smart meter, suppliers are permitted when an existing meter reaches its end-of-life to fit a smart meter with the communications hub disabled.
    That cannot possibly happen Hengus given the speed the suppliers meter fitting teams progress. I thought the wording now is "offer " to fit a smart meter by 2020. That is doable, "fitting " a smart meter is plainly not possible in that time frame
    They can "offer " to fit it, you then either agree or disagree , then they put you on the list for somewhere around 2025 before the knock on the door.
    All the refusers will count as "offered "
  • Michaelw
    Michaelw Posts: 296 Forumite
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    Looking at the OVO forum there does appear to be another problem with these smart meter batteries once again also involving a disconnected gas supply as a result this time after one year with a ten year lifetime claim.

    https://forum.ovoenergy.com/smart-meters-smart-products-33/smart-meter-help-35
  • Raxiel
    Raxiel Posts: 1,401 Forumite
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    Hengus wrote: »
    Suppliers have to fit 53M of these things before the end of 2020. At the last count,(Sep 17), the total number of smart meters installed in homes and businesses had reached 8.61M. At a cost of £420 per dual meter installation, you can see why many suppliers are unwilling to replace your smart meter. The 'good news' is that by 2020 your meter will either be adopted by the Data Communications Company or deemed an orphaned asset and replaced.

    There is now non such thing as a normal meter. For consumers who do not want a smart meter, suppliers are permitted when an existing meter reaches its end-of-life to fit a smart meter with the communications hub disabled.

    Apparently E.ON will still fit a pre-smart meter as an EOL replacement if the customer requests. I assume this policy will continue until the warehouse they have full of them is empty and then suddenly change.
    3.6 kW PV in the Midlands - 9x Sharp 400W black panels - 6x facing SE and 3x facing SW, Solaredge Optimisers and Inverter. 400W Derril Water (one day). Octopus Flux
  • House_Martin
    House_Martin Posts: 1,462 Forumite
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    Raxiel wrote: »
    Apparently E.ON will still fit a pre-smart meter as an EOL replacement if the customer requests. I assume this policy will continue until the warehouse they have full of them is empty and then suddenly change.
    Eon only use Secure Liberty meters now I believe.Technically it is a dumb meter if they "promise " not to make it smart.
    I may find out myself very soon. I ve switched to Eon now for a year.They will not be fitting any Secure meters at my place thats for sure, smart or dumb
  • Raxiel
    Raxiel Posts: 1,401 Forumite
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    edited 18 December 2017 at 1:08PM
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    House_Martin wrote: »
    Eon only use Secure Liberty meters now I believe.Technically it is a dumb meter if they "promise " not to make it smart.
    I may find out myself very soon. I ve switched to Eon now for a year.They will not be fitting any Secure meters at my place thats for sure, smart or dumb

    That's what I assumed too, until I was corrected by Malc a couple of months ago:
    http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?p=73292481#29
    3.6 kW PV in the Midlands - 9x Sharp 400W black panels - 6x facing SE and 3x facing SW, Solaredge Optimisers and Inverter. 400W Derril Water (one day). Octopus Flux
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