MSE News: 'Smart Meter' energy roll-out plans unveiled

usignuolo

Not everyone will be able to have a smart meter installed. I applied for one and they came round and surveyed me but although I live in outer London I cannot have one installed. My property is unsuitable. Reason, you need to have a mobile phone signal strength of at least 40% where the meter is installed, next to the electricity meter.

My electricity meter is in my cellar and the mobile phone strength down is only 20% - and we tried three separate networks. So if I can't get one in outer London it seems highly unlikely they can roll them out all over the country.

Andy_WSM

usignuolo wrote: »

Not everyone will be able to have a smart meter installed. I applied for one and they came round and surveyed me but although I live in outer London I cannot have one installed. My property is unsuitable. Reason, you need to have a mobile phone signal strength of at least 40% where the meter is installed, next to the electricity meter.

My electricity meter is in my cellar and the mobile phone strength down is only 20% - and we tried three separate networks. So if I can't get one in outer London it seems highly unlikely they can roll them out all over the country.

I just hope the "technology" & electronics of the meter aren't fed from my (the consumer) side! If the utility companies want the extra bells & whistles to save them coming to read it, then they can pay to power it too.

C_Mababejive

Yes..they are in cloud cuckoo land with this one. Who is going to pay to replace and service all this kit? You can image how well cared for the display podules and other bit will be in rented flats/houses and chav towns around the country. The thing will just get smashed. What is wrong with a strong,durable gas and electric meter tucked away somewhere,doing no harm and not likely to be damaged?

No..the government has a hidden agenda with this one and it will cost us all money.

Twinkly

usignuolo wrote: »

Not everyone will be able to have a smart meter installed. I applied for one and they came round and surveyed me but although I live in outer London I cannot have one installed. My property is unsuitable. Reason, you need to have a mobile phone signal strength of at least 40% where the meter is installed, next to the electricity meter.

My electricity meter is in my cellar and the mobile phone strength down is only 20% - and we tried three separate networks. So if I can't get one in outer London it seems highly unlikely they can roll them out all over the country.

Clearly there are going to be a lot of people very annoyed at paying more and subsidising those who do have them - if the cost is to be passed on to ALL consumers.

If it is only to be passed on to those who are forced to have them fitted then those people should have the right to refuse them.

Sueinbirmingham

I think people's biggest problems with running up big fuel bills are that fuel is expensive (I remember 20 years ago paying £30/quarter each for gas and electricity for a whole house and you wouldn't even get away with that for a month now) and that if you don't want to freeze and you do want to keep up with society's expectations these days in relation to clean bodies and clothes, you need to use a lot of fuel.

When I get one of these smart meters, it won't affect my fuel usage, it will simply make me feel more depressed about what it all costs.

rippedoffbyspark

i know ill sound daft but why is is that electrics so expensive ?? i mean you get varying prices from different companies ie say ebico charge 15p per kwh and british gas charge for a tariff of theres 33p per kwh ? why the huge difference is it because british gas can charge that and get away with it or is there a more complex reason. also why and this is just a thought why not just have one electric company and one gas company ie all join together and theyll still make millions of pounds but then itll be more even.

as for the smart meter 340 pounds to pay upfront ? yet they say you save 28 pounds a year if u divide that 28 pounds by 52 weeks it works out at a saving of 1.85 or 26 p a day lol wow big savings

bonzer

greenbee wrote: »

If variable pricing can be introduced for domestic customers through these meters, then there are all sorts of possiblities - could you tell your washing machine, for example, only to come on when the unit price went below a certain level? Or switch things off if the price went above a certain amount? some of these ideas appeal to the industry as they believe that a combination of smart appliances and smart meters will improve the load balancing on the grid.

I really don't like the idea of variable pricing. What it will mean is that the energy companies won't invest in load balancing technology like expensive water pumped storage power stations. They'll just jack up the price during periods of high demand, causing you either high costs or inconvenience. Take your pick.

The other interesting thing is what will be the variance in price and how often can it vary? The wholesale price of electricity can easily launch up by 10x during periods of peak demand. Do you have to watch your meter minute by minute to see if you can afford your heating at the moment?

One feature I would like is my meter to work out which is the cheapest power company and let me switch instantly at the touch of a button without any forms or fuss. Bet that one won't get implemented.

Twinkly

The fact is that the more people cut down on their usage the higher the price will rise. This is not about savings or green issues it is about making yet more money while being "seen to be done". Please do let your utility company know how you feel about being taken for a mug. Perhaps millions of dissenting emails will make them think again or at least try harder next time to insult our intelligence.

greenbee

Twinkly wrote: »

The fact is that the more people cut down on their usage the higher the price will rise. This is not about savings or green issues it is about making yet more money while being "seen to be done". Please do let your utility company know how you feel about being taken for a mug. Perhaps millions of dissenting emails will make them think again or at least try harder next time to insult our intelligence.

It's not down to the utilities. The government have decided that they have to do it. They think it will reduce emissions, cut bills and more importantly cut consumption which will help with the problems that we currently have as a country over security of supply. As we have no coal, north sea gas & oil are running out and our nuclear power stations are all due for decommissioning before any new ones will be built, you can see that they might be a bit concerned as to where our power will come from...

rippedoffbyspark

i understand its not down to the utilities company but does anybody really think a smart meter is the way forward ? i mean imagine 60 million households in england now if they each had to pay for a meter your looking at 204 billion pounds ? wow sure way to get the goverment out of the red and back into the black...... its just another form of tax in my opinion all be it being brought out into the open. its not as if its really a one of charge because you wont save and people will still use same amount of energy and itll be coming through same lines etc. i can see the day when well be charged upto a pound a kwh for energy (Like we are with petrol etc rising prices passed onto the consumer. but where will it end ??