First Utility smart meters full of false promise

Mickydick

I've been with first utility for nearly a year and originally signed up as the were pushing the installation of smart meter in there customer's homes. After phone calls and mails the installation of a smart meter in my home is still just a pipe dream.

I think it's just a big con to get you on the books as i've lost track of the times i been led to believe there was an installation program happening in my area soon.

Anybody else out there having the same issues?

spiro

Any meter they install will be a 'trial' meter as there is no official government specification yet for smart meters in the UK.

ollski

spiro wrote: »

Any meter they install will be a 'trial' meter as there is no official government specification yet for smart meters in the UK.

What would the difference be between a 'trial' meter and an approved one?

F.U fitted me a genuine landys & gyr electric smart meter although not all the features on the meter are implemented. The gas meter is standard with a small electronic gizmo added although it has never worked in the 15 months since it was fitted....they still bill me on estmated readings based on my old meter. Never mind, I'll be rid of them by next week!

4$£&*(£$&*(!

Trial meters may not be compatible with whatever formats are decided as industry standards come full roll-out.

Mickydick

spiro wrote: »

Any meter they install will be a 'trial' meter as there is no official government specification yet for smart meters in the UK.

Thanks Spiro

Explains a lot about why they are reluctant to install meters. Why advertise it if you cant produce the goods. Bunch of con men, settles it for me i'm not waiting any longer soon to be an ex customer of FxxxU customer services

Other viewers read this and make them commit to an installation in writing before signing up.:mad::mad::mad:

ollski

Mickydick wrote: »

Thanks Spiro

Explains a lot about why they are reluctant to install meters. Why advertise it if you cant produce the goods. Bunch of con men, settles it for me i'm not waiting any longer soon to be an ex customer of FxxxU customer services

Other viewers read this and make them commit to an installation in writing before signing up.:mad::mad::mad:

I wouldn't worry about it, if you aren't needing to sell your self generated power back to the grid and are capable of inputting your own meter readings evrycouple of weeks you really aren't going to gain from a smart meter.
My meters didn't come from first utility but from onstream, I would imagine that f.u need some sort of agreement with nat. grid in local areas before they can be installed.

albyota

Just announced today.....http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/news/pn11_032/pn11_032.aspx

juicyfruit_3

I've had a smart meter contract with FU for just over a year.
Despite having read a lot of negative comments regarding problems with this company, initially, the smart meters were installed promptly
and efficiently as expected. At the time, the unit rate was competitive.

Electricity bills are fine, but it took them
a whole year to send me a GAS bill. Although the bill was "estimated" they got the figure about right, so no wildly overestimated amount to pay. Even the bill for the 13th month was just an "estimate".

Although the final bill was not unexpected, sad to say, it has made the whole concept of accurate budgeting for monthly usage a bit of a farce.
In other words I've "bought into" a scheme, for which an expected
service has not been provided (i.e. accurate usage data & bills based on actual monthly consumption). I got the exact opposite!

I checked the small print of the contract reagrding "availability
of industry data" and it seems they are not contractually obliged
to provide the service in the event of a breakdown. Nobody seems
to be in a hurry to fix this and FU don't find it a problem inviting
new customers to come on-board with them despite the possibility of this issue.
Pot luck if you get the whole service it seems!
Does anyone else have a handle on this?:(

Richie-from-the-Boro

2014 before smart metering begins and hope to be completed by 2019.

OnlyTrev

We signed up for the Smart Tarrif and had smart meters fitted very promptly. Electricity readings resulted shortly afterwards BUT NO GAS! After several months and umpteen phone calls we noticed that we were being charged (electricity only) on a completely different Tarrif than that for which we signed up. I never completely got this simple message across to Customer Services and was concerned that back charges were mounting alarmingly and I had no idea at what rate these would be charged.
I hit the escape button and switched, not to a cheaper supplier but one that might have mastered the production of bills.
From that moment everything suddenly clicked into place; their final bill was perfect, understandable and a pleasure to read. IF ONLY THEY COULD HAVE DONE THAT WHILST I WAS STILL A CUSTOMER!