The Great Smart Meter Con

GingerBob_3

Interesting article on the BBC this morning:

http://www.bbc.com/news/business-29125809

In a nutshell, we're paying for "smart" meters and we'll probably never get our money back.

Anyway, remember, you are not obliged to have one.

[Deleted User]

in the first paragraph of that article it says we will save approx 2% , thats after installation costs.
The article misses the main benefits of smart meters for the suppliers. Energy theft and non payment of energy by the "professional renter " moving into various properties with no intention of paying energy bills when the property has credits meters.Together this is costing all customers at least £60 a year extra on our bills to cover the theft. Smarts will virtually end the bonanza. In 7 years of reading smart meters since British Gas installed the first one I have never found a bypassed or tampered smart meter.
All meters are going to be replaced anyway, they might as well pay the little bit extra and join the 21 st century

Bluebirdman_of_Alcathays

The average energy bill is not £1328. Not even close.

I gave up after that.

penrhyn

The charge is not put on an individual bill, rather its aggregated over eveyones' accounts.
Anyhoo it pales into insignificance compared to the ridiculous subsidies paid to speculators erecting bat chomping, bird slicing eco crucifix, wind turbines.

Just my fair and balanced view!!

System

How come nations not a million miles apart can come to different conclusions re the potential for savings?

http://www.rtcc.org/2014/06/19/eu-efficiency-set-back-as-countries-delay-smart-meter-rollout/

Apart from faster switching, I am convinced that having a smart meter will save me absolutely nothing.

This is yet another example of the political class thinking that they know better than the people who elected them.

lstar337

Hengus wrote: »

Apart from faster switching, I am convinced that having a smart meter will save me absolutely nothing.

You're probably right, I doubt it will save me anything either.

We (people of this forum) are money savers though, and we keep a close eye on our money and our bills.

Who these meters will probably save money, are the people who don't bother to read their bills and meters. When they are shown in real-time the cost of what they are spending, they may start to think about reducing their usage.

These people are the mass public, the same people who are still with the provider they inherited and are still on a deemed standard tariff.

Smart meters will reduce the bills of some if not most people.

Bark01

lstar337 wrote: »

You're probably right, I doubt it will save me anything either.

We (people of this forum) are money savers though, and we keep a close eye on our money and our bills.

Who these meters will probably save money, are the people who don't bother to read their bills and meters. When they are shown in real-time the cost of what they are spending, they may start to think about reducing their usage.

These people are the mass public, the same people who are still with the provider they inherited and are still on a deemed standard tariff.

Smart meters will reduce the bills of some if not most people.

You guys are forgetting the cost of estimated bills and the associated bad debt write off. This affects everyone's bills.

MeterMan

Based on the amount of smart meters installed, and the amount of people who actually use them, the saving would be about 2% majority of the population wants it cheaper, they don't want to know where they waste it. It doesn't matter that a person has bought a bigger more energy hungry telly, or a louder sound system that uses more electric.

Smart meters enable the consumer to see their useage in real time, if they don't bother trying to be more energy efficient then they wont save anything.

As for the cost of the meters, they need replacing every 10-15 years with a lifespan of 25 years.

Of course the consumer pays for them, the government are the ones 'footing' the bill, but where do they get their money from ?

All this 'free' loft & cavity wall insulation isn't exactly 'free' the money comes from the taxes and levies imposed on energy companies by the government. Nothing is for free.

jclc

Hengus wrote: »

How come nations not a million miles apart can come to different conclusions re the potential for savings?

http://www.rtcc.org/2014/06/19/eu-efficiency-set-back-as-countries-delay-smart-meter-rollout/

Apart from faster switching, I am convinced that having a smart meter will save me absolutely nothing.

This is yet another example of the political class thinking that they know better than the people who elected them.

Couldn’t agree more – my sentiments exactly.


The energy company’s’ are keen to get these smart meters installed as it saves them loads of money by not sending out staff to manually read your meter. I’m OK with that – anything that cuts costs is to be applauded, but to expect consumers to foot the bill is another thing.


They try to convince us that a smart meter will save you money. Personally, I can’t really see that it would with me. If I’m watching a smart meter and observe that my consumption goes up when I switch on my electric kettle, then so what !! What am I supposed to do – give up drinking tea and coffee. Anybody with an IQ of more than 2 knows that a kettle consumes a large amount of electricity and it’s always good practice to just boil what you need rather than fill the whole kettle. I don’t need a smart meter to tell me that.

Smiley_Dan

Anybody with an IQ of more than 2 knows that a kettle consumes a large amount of electricity and it’s always good practice to just boil what you need rather than fill the whole kettle.

That's right, trouble is it doesn't make people change their behaviour. When the in-laws are visiting I regularly find they have left the kettle filled half way of cooling water after pouring out two or three mugs worth of boiling water One of the in-laws is a physics teacher, so ignorance is not the issue!

[Deleted User]

I don't want smart meters. It's just another form of state control. Energy companies being able to just randomly cut you off if you miss a DD payment. Yes please.