Switching with a Smart Meter

dawnriser

I am switching from British Gas to E.ON.
I have a BG smart meter - it works fine - very pleased with the way it works.
E.ON told me nothing about what happens to it when I switch to them as my supplier, so I called them.
I was told it wouldn't send the readings to them automatically but my remote display would still work.
According to Ofgem all suppliers using smart reader technology should be able to access Smart Meter readings after switching by the end of 2013. E.ON says they won't be able to.
Has anyone else experience of switching with a Smart Meter?

C_Mababejive

I dont think your smart meter data will be ported across. I think your podule will still work but no data will flow to the new supplier. Your meter will function simply as a credit meter and you will have to supply readings.

Further, if the meter develops problems..it will not be swapped for a smart meter but with a dumb one. At that point, there will be no gas useage data to your podule.

DragonQ

What a waste of time (and money) smart meters are if they stop working when switching supplier.

Former_E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc

dawnriser wrote: »

I am switching from British Gas to E.ON.
I have a BG smart meter - it works fine - very pleased with the way it works.
E.ON told me nothing about what happens to it when I switch to them as my supplier, so I called them.
I was told it wouldn't send the readings to them automatically but my remote display would still work.
According to Ofgem all suppliers using smart reader technology should be able to access Smart Meter readings after switching by the end of 2013. E.ON says they won't be able to.
Has anyone else experience of switching with a Smart Meter?

Hi dawnriser

At the moment, we don't have the ability to retrieve information from smart meters installed by other suppliers. This will, though, be sorted as part of our smart meter roll out.

In the meantime, if you switch to us, your BG smart meter will revert back to a standard credit meter or, as C_Mababejive says, a dumb meter. This means we'll still need to read the meter although we're happy to accept customer's readings.

The Smart Energy Display will continue to work. However, it will show BG prices. It can, though, still be used to monitor usage.

Hope this is helps.

Malc

[Deleted User]

All this sounds like a very good reason not to accept a smart meter when one is offered. It all sounds like a total fiasco!

[Deleted User]

dawnriser wrote: »

I am switching from British Gas to E.ON.
I have a BG smart meter - it works fine - very pleased with the way it works.
E.ON told me nothing about what happens to it when I switch to them as my supplier, so I called them.
I was told it wouldn't send the readings to them automatically but my remote display would still work.
According to Ofgem all suppliers using smart reader technology should be able to access Smart Meter readings after switching by the end of 2013. E.ON says they won't be able to.
Has anyone else experience of switching with a Smart Meter?

I switched my electric smart over to Npower from BG. Monitor stopped sending info also. Smart switching seems to be a year or two away

[Deleted User]

Deleted_User wrote: »

All this sounds like a very good reason not to accept a smart meter when one is offered. It all sounds like a total fiasco!

Bit of an over reaction, its still an excellent meter. Smart switching will be available soon

C_Mababejive

The back office software and support systems for smart meters should all have been agreed between suppliers before any smart meters were rolled out. A good repository/pathway for this data and support would be perhaps XOserve as they are a common system administrator.

[Deleted User]

Lets not forget that smart meters don't save customers any money directly (according the Eon's website) unless they encourage you to turn things off - and you can do that anyway without a smart meter.

Also, the cost of all those meters that will be fitted by 2020 will be born by the customer in increased energy charges.

I'm not against technology - I manage my energy account online but I think that it's easy to manage my usage by just walking round the house and turning off anything that's not needed.

I don't need a gismo to encourage me to do that, the energy bill is sufficient incentive!

[Deleted User]

Deleted_User wrote: »

Lets not forget that smart meters don't save customers any money directly (according the Eon's website) unless they encourage you to turn things off - and you can do that anyway without a smart meter.

Also, the cost of all those meters that will be fitted by 2020 will be born by the customer in increased energy charges.

I'm not against technology - I manage my energy account online but I think that it's easy to manage my usage by just walking round the house and turning off anything that's not needed.

I don't need a gismo to encourage me to do that, the energy bill is sufficient incentive!

Smart meters are not there primarily for the customers, there are many other important reasons for the fitting of smart meters. The ability for them to operate in either credit or prepayment mode is something all suppliers would benefit from. No longer would the professional serial house renter be able to flit from property to property running up huge unpaid bills on credit meters, free credit for a couple of years or maybe longer. Once a credit of say £300 is reached it could then be switched to prepay automatically. Having just seen a prepay electric key meter with over £9000 of debt on the meter it just shows how much they can get away with. The original debtor ( Polish or Russian ) had departed. This is happening throughout the country, along with, of course the serial bypasser. Smarts promise to end the free energy bonanza and should be applauded by all .

C_Mababejive

The long term outlook for smart meters is to be part of wider smart grids and the more effective distribution,management,usage and charging of energy. Unfortunatly,being Britain,its all messed up.