Smart Meters

Carrot007

LIMore wrote: »

Is it just me, but this info could be exploited for all sorts of unintended/undeclared purposes, not to mention if it falls in the wrong hands.

It's not like that can't be said about a lot of things though.

Do you use facebook? A lot of people provide much more information there than what can be fgained from some half hourly consumption data. More so the data there is (pretty much) public unlike this where there will be data protection guidelines.

Do you use a mobile? The company knows your loctaion and could track your movements whenever it is switched on. and this is any mobile, not a smartphone. There does not seem to have been much issue here though.

In all instead of worrying about what if consider the benefits here. They are much greater than any potential issues. You already trust a lot of companies with a lot of data, this is nothing special and probably a lot more effort to analyse for nefarious purposes.

Personally I am looking forward to having one. I have asked to have one asap. unfortunatly myt supplier is somewhat slower than the others here. Still I suppose that gives me more chance of having a meter that actually conforms to some SMETS standard rather than the ones alrady installed that have been flagged as non standard! (Not that I care I just want my data!)

[Deleted User]

LIMore wrote: »

This thing will monitor your usage i.e. your habits, times you come home and such every half hour and relay it to the 'mothership' daily.

Is it just me, but this info could be exploited for all sorts of unintended/undeclared purposes, not to mention if it falls in the wrong hands. How safe is my private data stored. What guarantees do I have it won't be sold forward to various other establishments and I end up being targeted for products or services or banded by some machiavelic algorithm...

It's like inviting the 'eye in the sky' in your own home, I think.

Please believe me that the suppliers are useless at monitoring anything or anyone, thats why theres a vast ammount of prepay meters and credit bypassed .Technically the suppliers should be able to spot the normal useage pattern and send someone to check, but I guarantee to you they do nothing.How else does 100% of the home grown cannabis get to market on the backs of free energy. If no one gos to the shop to top up thats as far as it go s. There is a degree of monitoring and activity by various Revenue Protection people but in my area BG only have one man covering a very large area. multiply by 10 and that might stop it, e.g. we had a bypassed meter in a local gypsy site which was untouched 9 months after first reported

sheffield_lad

LIMore wrote: »

This thing will monitor your usage i.e. your habits, times you come home and such every half hour and relay it to the 'mothership' daily.

Is it just me, but this info could be exploited for all sorts of unintended/undeclared purposes, not to mention if it falls in the wrong hands. How safe is my private data stored. What guarantees do I have it won't be sold forward to various other establishments and I end up being targeted for products or services or banded by some machiavelic algorithm...

It's like inviting the 'eye in the sky' in your own home, I think.

lol, yes just like EPC certificates were banded as a 'burglars charter' as someone 'may' obtain info on if your windows are dg or not. :doh:

Please don't have nightmares

pimento

I'm having my meters changed to smart meters by British Gas in July (I asked for the long lead time).

At the moment I have a smart monitor on my electricity meter but the only place in the whole house where a signal can be picked up is outside in the lobby (meters are in the garage).

Are the smart meter monitors different? They're be no good to me if I have to go outside to see what I'm using.

turnbui

what concerns me is the reports from stateside saying they are hackable and you might find your supply cut off remotely.

Ecodave

I know this isn't a very responsible approach, but I am quite relieved that my energy company don't know how much money I owe them at the moment, they would be sending the boys round. Much better for them to remain blissfully ignorant for a few more months (unless meter man comes round, then I am hiding behind the sofa like my dad taught me). Quite like my dd at the amount it is set at currently, and will 'volunteer' my meter readings at the end of the summer if I have got away with it that long.

teajug

SailorSam wrote: »

There are a couple of people on here who i think work for utility companies and fit them, they may be best to answer if they come on later. I thought they sounded like a good idea 'cos i'm out a lot but i've read a lot on the Internet that people have had trouble with them giving wrong readings.

I have heard that there is a health hazed with them, has anyone else heard this, I will Google later to see its true. :T

Found one link

http://www.earthcalm.com/emf-dangers-2/smart-meter-radiation-risks/

martinthebandit

turnbui wrote: »

what concerns me is the reports from stateside saying they are hackable and you might find your supply cut off remotely.

I think you have every right to be concerned, but the energy suppliers should be even more concernd

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/04/30/smart_meter_hacking/

arthur2

I am with first:utility, and they (their agents) installed a smart electricity meter five weeks ago. It is excellent.

They could not give a date for when the gas meter could be changed, so I am stuck with sending monthly readings online still - which in March was not used due to a "validation error"!

Anybody know why there is a hold-up on smart gas meters? I was led to believe BG are still installing them - i.e. both gas and electricity.

Candy53

To the people who already have smart meters:

Does your utility company inform you of the date they take the readings, so you can check them yourself, so you know your bills are correct?


Candy