Smart Meters - is it true?

DevilsAdvocate1

blizeH wrote: »

I wish I was in your position, just changed from British Gas to First:Utility purposefully because I want a smart meter, and my experience with the latter so far has been absolutely shocking to say the least.

I have no clue what you're talking about with 'privacy concerns'. Always amuses me how older people are so reluctant to change and technology, even if it's something which offers no negatives over the previous solution, and many positives.

As an "older" person, I have found that few things in life have all positives and no negatives. Its just that it often takes a while before the negatives become apparent. I have learnt not to accept something just because its offered. Instead, ask around, get as much information as possible before making a considered decision.

After doing some google searches, there are some concerns that changing supplier could be a problem if you have a smart meter. Does anyone know if this is true, because I usually do change every couple of years (and I've been looking at changing recently).

The post about knowing which devices are being used was interesting. If I ran a call centre, just imagine how useful that information would be. If you knew that someone used their kettle on an afternoon then you know you would get a good chance of someone answering their phone at that time. It would reduce the number of failed calls. I understand that the bulk of calls are made on an evening as its more likely people will be in then, but if you can find out when people will be in the calls could be more spread out. Productivity would go up.

Anyway, thanks everyone for replying. Sorry I did not come back sooner. Had a few personal problems and forgot I'd posted this thread.

Thanks.

jimjames

DevilsAdvocate1 wrote: »

The post about knowing which devices are being used was interesting. If I ran a call centre, just imagine how useful that information would be. If you knew that someone used their kettle on an afternoon then you know you would get a good chance of someone answering their phone at that time. It would reduce the number of failed calls. I understand that the bulk of calls are made on an evening as its more likely people will be in then, but if you can find out when people will be in the calls could be more spread out. Productivity would go up.

I'm not sure if you mean that would be a good thing or a bad thing. If the productivity goes up and costs come down then they may be able to offer lower prices which would benefit customers.

Someone recently was concerned that having a water meter fitted was a privacy issue and security problem because someone could check if they were in by checking the meter and break in. Not sure of the logic because I have items that use water on when I am out and if you wanted to find out if someone was in it ringing the bell might be easier than opening a cover in the street.

The same would apply to smart meters. Just because electric is being consumed doesn't mean you are home. Our tumble drier is on when we are out as is the computer server.

When our solar is installed we will have as much running during the day as possible to make sure it uses it even if we are not in. So smart meters may be useful but the data is only as good as its interpretation and for other purposes could be essentially useless.

DevilsAdvocate1

jimjames wrote: »

I'm not sure if you mean that would be a good thing or a bad thing. If the productivity goes up and costs come down then they may be able to offer lower prices which would benefit customers.

Someone recently was concerned that having a water meter fitted was a privacy issue and security problem because someone could check if they were in by checking the meter and break in. Not sure of the logic because I have items that use water on when I am out and if you wanted to find out if someone was in it ringing the bell might be easier than opening a cover in the street.

The same would apply to smart meters. Just because electric is being consumed doesn't mean you are home. Our tumble drier is on when we are out as is the computer server.

When our solar is installed we will have as much running during the day as possible to make sure it uses it even if we are not in. So smart meters may be useful but the data is only as good as its interpretation and for other purposes could be essentially useless.

I was thinking more along the lines of this information could be another revenue stream for the utility companies. If I owned a call centre, I'm sure I would pay a lot of money to have a list of people with the times of day the kettle is regularly switched on!

It goes back to information creep. When something is new it can sound very good, but then over time it is used in ways that was not envisaged at the start. These new ways are not always good.

2010

Devils,
Are you with B Gas at present, if so, what`s the problem.
In your OP you make it sound like BG rang you out of the blue and said your meter needs changing even though you`re not with them.

These smart meters are yet another way for the big 6 to get more money from you.
When they are fitted, they`ll be able to charge more for peak hours usage and will know from the meters when your peak usage is.
That`s the whole idea behind it, not accurate billing as they say but whacking your unit price up at peak times.

Yet another "big brother" spying exercise, just the same as the phone companies who know exactly when and where you are all day long with people yacking constantly on their mobiles.

Big brother is watching and listening to you and shortly will be doing it from your meter boxes.

rpb

rogerblack wrote: »

The problem with data is that it tends to persist, leak, and be used for things it wasn't intended for when originally collected.

It's not just random burglars you need to fear. How many thousands of people work at all the energy firms? These people could all have direct or indirect access to your usage data. Can you trust *all* of them? Every last one?

All it takes is a small percentage of dishonest employees (and most large companies *will* have some dishonest employees), and it could well be pretty clear to them, and anyone else they may wish to pass the information to, whether or not your house is occupied, despite drawn curtains and lights on timer switches, just based on that consumption data.

As rogerblack said, collected data tends to be used for things not originally intended. It's happened over and over again in the past and will keep happening. The best solution is not to have that data in the first place, or have *strict* controls over its collection, anonymisation, storage and disposal.

SailorSam

I've thought having a Smart Meter would be better when it came to having an accurate reading, I waited in a couple of weeks ago day after day 'cos i knew the meter readers wee due, the electric came but not the gas, i just got an estimated bill.
If Smart Meters mean no more waiting in, bring them on.

Just a thought, how would they work with people who still put a shilling in the meter.

spiro

2010 wrote: »

These smart meters are yet another way for the big 6 to get more money from you.

Smart meters are being mandated by the government to enable the UK to try and meet its EU carbon reduction target.

Do you think they are going to have individual 'peak hours' based on each customers useage? Not. Some suppliers already offer domestic customers 3 rate tariffs which give cheap overnight elec, but charge you more during the evening peak period. You dont need a smart meter to offer multirate tariffs.

2010

spiro wrote: »

Smart meters are being mandated by the government to enable the UK to try and meet its EU carbon reduction target.

Isn`t this just the problem?
Some smart a*sed government minister goes off to a conference somewhere in the world, paid for by us, and promises targets that are near impossible to meet and we all suffer as a consequence.
The rest of the world goes on about it`s business and virtually ignores any agreement.

When you get China, USA and India to stop polluting then maybe we should then try to meet our target.

The reason why energy prices are so high is partly because the "big 6" are not competing and also the cost, paid for by the consumer, of meeting impossible pollution targets agreed by someone who no longer sits in parliment.

wolfman210

I think some people are getting confused as to what "smart" meters are. They do not on there own monitor your consumption. They are just meters recording your consumption. The gas meter is linked to the electricity meter which uses mobile phone technology to send the meter readings to the supply company. I have "smart" meters fitted by first utility, I recently contacted them as I read an article which stated that as there is currently no industry standard for these meters and I may have trouble changing supplier as the new company may not accept the "smart" meters. First Utility deny this fact and state the meters can still be read in the normal manner if needed. I don't suppose that answers the question if and when a standard is adopted and the "Smart" meters installed by First utility don't comply. The advantage of smart meters is that you do not get estimated bills anymore and you only pay for the gas/electric you use.

2010

Green plans to make struggling families pay £11.3billion to install smart energy meters in every home risk being an expensive flop and even causing family rows.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2032838/How-smart-meters-costing-11-3bn-looking-clever.html#ixzz1dlLLBoAp