SMART meter question.

whattochoose wrote: »

I have recently moved into a sheltered housing property. The previous tenant received his electricity from EON and his meter was of the SMART variety.
However, I have opted to receive my energy supply from SSE, who provided me with electricity in my previous property.
I have stressed to them I do not want anything to do with SMART meters if they are supplying my electricity, that I require a credit meter where I can take my own readings.
They have replied as follows...

Thank you for your email. The meter will now function as a normal credit meter, although it is a SMART meter , the functions do not work as not one of ours, so it converts to a normal credit meter and we will read the meter twice a year for you, and you can give us reads at anytime, on the phone or online.

Not ever having had anything to do with SMART meters before, I am not sure whether I can be fully comfortable with this answer and I would be grateful if members can share their advice/thoughts.

I noticed this in the Daily Mail, and am wondering if it's just scaremongering or if there is validity in the views and opinions expressed....
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/bills/article-4967794/March-smart-meter-refuseniks.html

Thank you.

A meter is a meter: it measures the amount of energy that you use. A smart meter also has a communications module that transmits meter data (usage) to a supplier. As you have switched suppliers, then the data/comms module has been disabled. In future, when any meter has reached its end-of-life, suppliers will fit smart meters with the communications module disabled. If the property changes hands, then it is a simple job to re-instate the communications module if it is needed.

As far as the Daily Mail is concerned, it has picked on a few people from the anti-smart brigade. They are entitled to their opinion but there is little basis for their concerns in actual facts. For what it is worth, if I look at my broadband router network page, there are 30 or so networks transmitting in the vicinity of my home. That doesn't include all the mobile networks; TV and smart heating control meshes that are now extremely common.

I wouldn't worry. You should be offered a communications upgrade to your meter by 2020.

davidgmmafan wrote: »

I think the safety concerns are non-sense however I think the roll out is a pointless waste of money that we are paying for. I already have something which tells me how much I use - my meter. I also have a guide to running costs and am not a moron.

The reality is we are paying for this and, at best, the meters save £23 per year. I can see lots of benefits for the power suppliers and previous few for consumers.

I believe the issue of smart meters not working when you change suppliers is going to be resolved but the fact that nobody is forthcoming with any precise details speak to what an utter farce it has been so far...

The £23 'saving' was reduced to £11 a year by 2020 in the Autumn of last year. The saving is made up of two parts: one, what you could save if you were more energy-saving savvy (for which a smart meter isn't required), and, two, what the industry will save by not having so many power stations on standby (this will require smart meters and 30 minute usage data, and even then it is nothing more an accountant's best guess).