Smart Meters

Horseunderwater

macman wrote: »

Well, EDF are currently installing them, to name but one.
How does it 'limit your provider'? if you switch suppliers then it just works as a conventional 'dumb' meter.

I said I was not aware of any others - I did not say there were not any others. Slight difference.

macman

So how does it limit your provider?

happenstance

matelodave wrote: »

There some nutters out there who really do get some strange ideas and others who actually believe them as well:rotfl:

Having critical thinking and questioning is hilarious?

martinthebandit

Smart metres - crap computers in a crap box, what could possibly go wrong.

After all no one needs to worry about security for stuff connected to the internet do they?

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

Road_Hog

atlantis187 wrote: »

What do u guys reckon?

This guy summed up their main usage.

"There is no benefit to consumers. The entire 'Smart Meter' proposal was part of the 'carbon-saving' initiative. The idea was to make people use less energy when the windmills weren't turning, because that was the only way that renewable energy could operate.

To make this happen, energy was to be priced differently every 10mins or so, and people were to be provided with equipment that let them use energy depending on the price. That's what a Smart Meter is.

All of this would only work, and can only be justified, if energy prices are kept high. If energy prices drop, and energy is readily available, there is no point in having a sophisticated metering technique. So obviously energy prices will be kept high, moving to very high.

Not for actual business reasons, but for idealistic green reasons."

The meters also aren't free, you the customer are paying for it through your energy bills. Other downsides, it allows the energy company to gather data on you which would probably be used for third party marketing purposes. It is another device in your home transmitting microwave radiation waves.

It will also allow them to control your supply and to turn the available energy down or off. Currently if you get into financial difficulty then they have to work with you orgo to court to get a warrant to force entry and install a key meter. With a smart meter they can instantly cut you off for non payment.

Now, they say, but we still need to get a warrant and then sopmwhere down the road, that clause will quietly be removed, under the guise that it is an uneccesary extra cost and that the courts have more important things to do.

Abd you can switch off mobile phones, wifi etc., your smart meter will be running 24/7/365. Lastly, there is always the chance that criminals will hack the system and will be able to monitor it and learn when people go on holiday, by the lack of usage. There is little benefit to the customer in the installation of a smart meter.

derrick

Buzby wrote: »

But I understand it is not in your power to reject a smart meter as the switchover is mandated by the Govt.

ihateyes wrote: »

Rubbish. The government has said all houses must have them by 2020.

They are not mandatory!

From HANSARD:-

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he plans to take to ensure smart meters are provided to all residential gas and electricity customers. [82634]

Charles Hendry: The Government will place regulatory obligations on energy suppliers that will require them to take all reasonable steps to install smart meters for all their domestic and smaller non-domestic customers by the completion date in 2019.


Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether households will be able to choose not to have a smart meter installed if they have concerns about the health effects of exposure to radio frequency, such as non-thermal health effects. [82918]


Charles Hendry: We expect the benefits of smart meters, such as providing consumers with control over their energy usage and an end to estimated bills, will lead to demand for them from consumers.


To ensure that all customers are able to benefit from smart meters, we will require suppliers to take all reasonable steps to install smart meters. However, we recognise that there may be some circumstances where it would not be practical to install a smart meter.


We have made it clear that we do not expect suppliers to seek an entry warrant simply to fit a smart meter and it will not be an offence for householders to refuse to accept a smart meter.


From Consumer Focus:-

I don’t want a smart meter do – do I have to have one? (Please note, this information only applies to gas and electricity smart meters, not to water smart meters).

Smart meters are expected to be rolled out across the country by 2019. However, there will not be a legal obligation on individuals to take one The rollout of smart meters is an important national modernisation programme. Government believes this will bring benefits to consumers and the nation.



And from Department of Energy & Climate Change:-

Do consumers have to have a Smart Meter?

Smart meters will be rolled out as standard across the
country by 2020, but there will not be a legal obligation on
individuals to have one.

Energy companies will be required to install smart meters
and take all reasonable steps to reach everyone. However,
we do not expect energy companies to take legal action to
fit a smart meter if they cannot get the householder’s
co-operation.


.

flyingscotno1

If my experience is anything to go on you'll never get one installed.

British Gas were at my house 3 times after they wrote to me to replace my meters with smart meters. They haven't managed it yet and customer service keeps palming me off. to SP Energy Networks when it isn't anything to do with them.

SP Energy Networks to be fair came round and told us why- apparently the fitters are not paid by the hour but by the job, so if the job looks too difficult and will take long they just leave and blame something.

Road_Hog

I suspect that they will introduce a two tier pricing system to force people to have smart meters.

macman

My install failed (upon site inspection) because the meters are in a cellar and there is no adequate mobile signal to the SIMs. I can't believe that this issue isn't commonplace.

matelodave

I can't see smart metering working properly until they can communicate with the meters directly over the electricity network.

We live out in the wilds where mobile signals are a bit iffy and you've got to choose the right provider - 3g is useless, so until they can get a reliable way of communicating with them then there will be places where it just won't work