Requesting Smart Metre?

theEnd

Are there any energy suppliers that will install a smart meter for me now?

No reason, other than I'm trying to sort out my cupboard and the very, very old meters are in the way and massive.

I asked nPower and they just sent a standard vague response. If I could switch to someone else and request the change, I would.

Ebe_Scrooge

I'm with British Gas - for electricity - and they've been bombarding me with offers of a free smart meter. May be worth a look on their website, see if they'd be suitable for you ?

On_Stanley_on

I'm in the process of switching to BG. They said that it could take upto 10 weeks before they even look at offering appointments to install Smart Meters but they haven't said that its even available in my area.

I'm desperate to get them installed as I seem to be paying way too much on gas and electric and can't work out why?

OSO

50Twuncle

Smart meters are planned for roll out to everyone within 6 years - they will cost about £11 billion - that's 11 THOUSAND MILLION pounds.
At the moment, the roll-out, is being led by the energy companies with no checks in place to make sure that costs don't spiral.- and guess who is going to pay for this ?
Us - The consumer !!

theEnd

50Twuncle wrote: »

Smart meters are planned for roll out to everyone within 6 years - they will cost about £11 billion - that's 11 THOUSAND MILLION pounds.
At the moment, the roll-out, is being led by the energy companies with no checks in place to make sure that costs don't spiral.- and guess who is going to pay for this ?
Us - The consumer !!

That's getting on for £500/household, which sounds very high.

However, would they be due a refresh of the current meters anyway?
I'm surprised mine are still capable of measuring anything. Must be 50 years old. If the new one's last 50 years, it's £10/house/year.

Bluebirdman_of_Alcathays

50Twuncle wrote: »

Smart meters are planned for roll out to everyone within 6 years - they will cost about £11 billion - that's 11 THOUSAND MILLION pounds.
At the moment, the roll-out, is being led by the energy companies with no checks in place to make sure that costs don't spiral.- and guess who is going to pay for this ?
Us - The consumer !!

Who else pays for it? The taxpayer?

I don't think they should be rolled out en masse in this way, they should be installed when old meters reach obsolescence.

jaybeetoo

I've just had an electricity smart meter fitted by First Utility. They get mixed reviews for customer service though!

martinthebandit

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/07/29/are_smart_meters_really_that_smart_adam_afriyie_mp/

buglawton

Trouble is, anyone getting a smart meter installed now gets one that will only ever work with one supplier. Once you switch to a new supplied it becomes a dumb meter.

What is in fact needed is a genuine 'unlocked' smart meter that allows the consumer to hop from supplier to supplier at will, while retaining all smart features.

Ain't gonna happen anytime soon in the UK since clearly the big 4 are lobbying hard and successfully to make it seem insurmountably difficult/expensive. Something which Tory MP Adam Afriyie kind of neglected to mention in his article (link see above).

Looks like just as with the GSM system that enabled one phone to switch networks at the flip of a SIM, we'll have to wait for some EU agency to invent the standard first, then any manufacturer can sell cheap and secure smart meters and the excuses for not fitting them will evaporate.

Advice to OP: Don't bother for now.

[Deleted User]

50Twuncle wrote: »

Smart meters are planned for roll out to everyone within 6 years - they will cost about £11 billion - that's 11 THOUSAND MILLION pounds.
At the moment, the roll-out, is being led by the energy companies with no checks in place to make sure that costs don't spiral.- and guess who is going to pay for this ?
Us - The consumer !!

You have the right to refuse a smart meter at the moment after a commons vote last year. As far as I m aware the cost of the smart meter installation is a 3 way split with consumer, supplier and the local distributor. A figure of £150 has been mentioned in the past on here by insiders split 3 ways.Cost would probably be added to the green energy tax over several years

[Deleted User]

Bluebirdman_of_Alcathays wrote: »

Who else pays for it? The taxpayer?

I don't think they should be rolled out en masse in this way, they should be installed when old meters reach obsolescence.

Thats what seems to be happening in general with British Gas. My old super reliable electric dial meter had reached approx 25 years and was exchanged last year to a smart meter. I d be surprised if the smart go s 25 years problem free.