Smart meter questions

2

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  • trailingspouse
    trailingspouse Posts: 4,035
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    Many thanks all - I'll think I'll put it off as long as I can.

    Final question - as I said in my OP, apparently our existing meters have 'expired' and if we don't get a smart meter our supply 'might be interrupted'. That's quite a threat, but I'm assuming they can't actually interrupt our supply. Can they?
    No longer a spouse, or trailing, but MSE won't allow me to change my username...
  • anniecave
    anniecave Posts: 2,441
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    I would say your supplier is wring to you saying your meters are "expired" as they have a target to install smart meters so they're trying to encourage you to agree.

    Gas and electricity meters don't last forever, but I would treat any suggestion of an "expiry date" in the same way as you might treat the "best before" date on a store-cupboad food item such as a bag of sugar.
    Indecision is the key to flexibility :)
  • fredandwilma
    fredandwilma Posts: 1,251
    Chutzpah Haggler I won, I won, I won! Rampant Recycler Debt-free and Proud!
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    Hengus wrote: »

    Notably:
    Meanwhile the energy regulator, Ofgem, repeated the warning from E.On about non-adopters missing out on potentially beneficial tariffs in future. A spokesman said: “Smart meters open the door to suppliers offering customers tariffs where they can reduce their bills if they use more electricity outside peak times.

    “We are changing industry processes to make this possible. Customers will need a smart meter to take advantage of these tariffs.”

    It's all about the move to ToU tariffs in the future.
    Fred - Where's your get up and go?

    Barney - It just got up and went.



    Carpe diem
  • worried_jim
    worried_jim Posts: 11,631
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    Many thanks all - I'll think I'll put it off as long as I can.

    Final question - as I said in my OP, apparently our existing meters have 'expired' and if we don't get a smart meter our supply 'might be interrupted'. That's quite a threat, but I'm assuming they can't actually interrupt our supply. Can they?

    All you need to know is that the chap in charge of the UK roll out of smart meters hasn't got one. Says it all.
  • MeterMan
    MeterMan Posts: 433
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    All you need to know is that the chap in charge of the UK roll out of smart meters hasn't got one. Says it all.

    Probably because his house is so large that it runs on a 3phase supply and there isnt a domestic smart meter for those yet.
  • RG2015
    RG2015 Posts: 5,821
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    Saying that installing a smart meter will save you money is like saying a speedometer will stop you speeding. It won't, but it may help some people to be better informed and modify their behaviour and therefore save money.
  • Hedgehog99
    Hedgehog99 Posts: 1,425 Forumite
    Many thanks all - I'll think I'll put it off as long as I can.

    Final question - as I said in my OP, apparently our existing meters have 'expired' and if we don't get a smart meter our supply 'might be interrupted'. That's quite a threat, but I'm assuming they can't actually interrupt our supply. Can they?

    I received these "scary" letters for over two years. I ignored them at first because I didn't then want a smart meter. They sent me a variety of letters, some just saying they would replace my old meter with a new dumb one and some telling me they were sure I'd jump at the chance to get a smart on free of charge.

    Eventually they wrote to say they would be in the area for a week and that they could install a dumb meter without the resident present, so every day I dutifully turned everything sensitive off and left a note saying go ahead before I went to work and every day I came home and nothing had been done.

    Interestingly, the letters wanting you to book a smart meter installation say allow 1 hour, those for a dumb meter say 30 mins, so you can sometimes tell which they are intending to fit.

    I had then decided to move and wanted the decision of a smart of dumb meter to be the new owner's choice (esp as switching is tricky with SMET1), so I continued to ignore any more letters because they never did come to do the oh-so-urgent work when they had said they would.

    If you ant to wait for SMETS2, just ignore the letters for now.
  • House_Martin
    House_Martin Posts: 1,462 Forumite
    Notably:



    It's all about the move to ToU tariffs in the future.
    I for one would be happy for ToU tariffs to come in operation.Its not something to be scared of, especially for money savers..If I have to run my dryer/ironing/washing away from peak periods to hit the half price cheap rate after say, 10 pm, then I will go for it.
    ToU tariffs are already in operation and have been for donkeys years, Eco7 /10 and now BGs free 8 hours on Sat or Sunday is proving fairly popular for those of the 60% who remain on Standard/Variable tariffs and don t fancy one year fixed direct debit deals.
    ToU was trialed to great success over in Northern Ireland where smart keypad meters have been a big success and after the trial most users said they preferred the ToU option and would accept it if offered..Cue Hengis and his daughter over in Canada who dislikes them
  • House_Martin
    House_Martin Posts: 1,462 Forumite
    jelliot wrote: »
    How can I tell if my British Gas smart meters are SMETS1 or SMETS2 meters?
    They will almost certainly be SMETS1 unless they are the latest Landis Gyr zigbee meters which operate in both SMETS1 and 2, when it eventually comes on stream
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