British Gas anyone with smart meter?

roxy28

They keep phoning me asking to install one, saying its the same tariff nothing will change but will allow you see just how much the cost of the bill will be.
Just not sure what to do, can some one with a smart meter say it is a good or bad move?

penrhyn

I have an electric smart meter, waiting for them to come along and fit the gas meter.
You won't save any money, however BG were talking about having a free electricity day on the weekends.
The in home monitor is accurate, unlike Owls and such like, and monitors both fuels.
You do have to provide your own tin foil helmet to stop your brain being fried by the radio waves from the Trilliant data hub.:D

matelodave

Chain-mail underpants are a must as well:rotfl:

I'd definitely have one if it was avaiable

penrhyn

Too old to bother about procreation.

[Deleted User]

You may as well get one now because eventually all will have to have them. dont believe the rubbish about wifi and remote cutting off by foreign powers etc. The monitor is in a different league from energy monitors, showing very accurate kwhr/cash use per hour/day/week/month.
The only drawback is if you switch from British Gas it stops being a "smart meter "

roxy28

I think i may let them install sooner than later then, i was just asking for any disadvantage to the consumer.
I take it that no meter reading takes place then so saves BG on this aspect of having to knock on the doors for access.

I do have BG dual fuel but no mention of the electric meter.

jessmist

I would think they will be swapping both gas and electric meters at the same time. That's what they usually do.
I am due to have mine changed over next week.

[Deleted User]

We still have a look at them now and again, I have been to at least 6 today. but have heard that BG will eventually go to something like a 5 year inspection. So far I have only found one electric smart which has been tampered with so they do a good job stopping the free energy followers.At the moment you have the right to refuse one although the meter fitters I have met certainly don t ask people that question when they turn up to fit a new meter, they just fit them.

penrhyn

The smart electric meter is wired to the Trilliant hub, this provides the head end connection wan, and the han connections to the ZigBee in home monitor and the gas meter, the latter being powered by a lithium cell.

2latenow

British Gas replaced our old electricity meter with a "smart meter" last summer. Unlike the posters above, it's a Landis/Gyr one and apparently uses mobile networks to send readings back.

As other have said, you dont get any discounts for having it (and saving BG the effort in sending someone to read the meter).

BG touted that I'd be able to see usage, which given it apparently sends daily readings sounded promising. In reality, their website only shows usage in quarterly amounts - so nothing more useful than you can do with a wad of paper bill.

The remote display does show current usage which is useful. However the technology seems old and clunky now we're used to touch screens and nice graphics. It tells you current use and same over 24 & 7 days. And cost per unit. Nothing more, no other history beyond 7 days or ability to scroll back and see details from, say, 3 days ago. Or min or max or the typical base-load measured (say) during the night. It is always pretty much the same as my old CurrentCost "clamp" meter - so useful to benchmark the accuracy of that.

Neither the website, meter or remote display provide any way for you - the customer & bill payer - to download any of the data to a computer should you wish to do more analysis. Chances are you may not want to - though it was something I hoped to get.

Apparently the meter will be treated as "dump" if I switch supplier... But the above benefits (and sticking with BG), for me, are far far far outweighed by saving £80/yr by switching to another provider. Which is 'systemic madness' as for *less* money, my new supplier is going to have to send a human to read the meter and yet somewhere in the "system" of charges (ultimately costing me) the meter owner (Meter Fit 3 Ltd in my case) is presumably still charging a lease fee.

In summary

- if you want to know what you are using (and dont already have a clamp meter -- CurrentCost / OWL / Efergy etc) then it would be useful. Otherwise a smart meter will give you nothing beneficial over a "dumb" meter.

- if you want more detailed usage information, stick with the 3rd party devices as they are more like to output data a computer for you to do <whatever> you want with it.

So I dont think you've anything really to lose - but dont be sold on the benefits because to you, they are marginal.

[Deleted User]

2latenow wrote: »

British Gas replaced our old electricity meter with a "smart meter" last summer. Unlike the posters above, it's a Landis/Gyr one and apparently uses mobile networks to send readings back.

As other have said, you dont get any discounts for having it (and saving BG the effort in sending someone to read the meter).

BG touted that I'd be able to see usage, which given it apparently sends daily readings sounded promising. In reality, their website only shows usage in quarterly amounts - so nothing more useful than you can do with a wad of paper bill.

The remote display does show current usage which is useful. However the technology seems old and clunky now we're used to touch screens and nice graphics. It tells you current use and same over 24 & 7 days. And cost per unit. Nothing more, no other history beyond 7 days or ability to scroll back and see details from, say, 3 days ago. Or min or max or the typical base-load measured (say) during the night. It is always pretty much the same as my old CurrentCost "clamp" meter - so useful to benchmark the accuracy of that.

Neither the website, meter or remote display provide any way for you - the customer & bill payer - to download any of the data to a computer should you wish to do more analysis. Chances are you may not want to - though it was something I hoped to get.

Apparently the meter will be treated as "dump" if I switch supplier... But the above benefits (and sticking with BG), for me, are far far far outweighed by saving £80/yr by switching to another provider. Which is 'systemic madness' as for *less* money, my new supplier is going to have to send a human to read the meter and yet somewhere in the "system" of charges (ultimately costing me) the meter owner (Meter Fit 3 Ltd in my case) is presumably still charging a lease fee.

In summary

- if you want to know what you are using (and dont already have a clamp meter -- CurrentCost / OWL / Efergy etc) then it would be useful. Otherwise a smart meter will give you nothing beneficial over a "dumb" meter.

- if you want more detailed usage information, stick with the 3rd party devices as they are more like to output data a computer for you to do <whatever> you want with it.

So I dont think you've anything really to lose - but dont be sold on the benefits because to you, they are marginal.

All BG smart meters are Landys and Gyr, the latest mark 2 ( with a blue screen ) give more info. How much info does anyone one want ? exact current usage in both hard cash and kwhr is the best point ,plus weekly / monthly use would be enough for anyone. Trying to say that these , inaccurate energy monitors are as good is laughable, and whats so special about touch screens. I hate them , my latest laptop uses it and my work hhc, stabbing away with a greasy finger at a screen is nt the latest technology in my view. As I say, every ones getting one in the end whether you like them or not.