The Great Smart Meter Con

Pincher

If you want to boil just one cup, just stick it in the microwave.

If you let the tea bag boil inside the microwave, there is no need to stir. It does splatter, so you need a lid.

lstar337

Deleted_User wrote: »

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.

That won't be happening anyway. You will get plenty of warnings and chances just as you do now. You won't be cut off either, you will be converted to prepayment.

In fact I can't think of a more forgiving credit provider. Can anybody else?

MeterMan

Deleted_User wrote: »

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.

British gas smart meters don't have the functionality to cut someone off. It is also illegal to cut off someones gas or electric supply for non-payment, a credit meter would be replaced with a pre-pay meter.

There is talk in the future of one type of meter that can switch between Credit and Prepayment. These are at least 5 years away.

RMS2

GingerBob wrote: »

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

YET.


Wait until they make it compulsory that all new meters fitted are smart meters.

Uxb

as ever you all miss the real objective...
It will allow real time short term tariff changes in the future
So the tariff might even vary several times during the day
If you want to use a lot of energy at peak time then the amount you use will be charged at a higher rates.
This will tend to even out energy use - which given that our supplies are sized for the peak can only be a good thing

RMS2

Uxb wrote: »

as ever you all miss the real objective...

Yes, you miss the real point. It is to shut down power stations and not open new ones.


Then not have enough power at peak time when it is needed, i.e. the evening during the winter. Then sell us cheap energy during the summer night.


All under the guise of GREEN taxes making the rich even richer. Then of course we lease out our new power stations from foreign providers, whilst India and China build power stations every week.

GingerBob_3

Uxb wrote: »

as ever you all miss the real objective...
It will allow real time short term tariff changes in the future
So the tariff might even vary several times during the day
If you want to use a lot of energy at peak time then the amount you use will be charged at a higher rates.
This will tend to even out energy use - which given that our supplies are sized for the peak can only be a good thing

My strategy is to switch off appliances, including lights, I'm not using and switch on those that I need. Over and above that I couldn't be bothered with organising my life around some complex pricing procedure linking appliance use to time of day. I'm just not interested, and I'd wager the vast majority of people are the same.

Richie-from-the-Boro

You can put one in every house on these Islands ASP as far as I'm concerned, do it, and do it now. Cant pay - wont pay and most of the fiddlers, and the fly by nights will be switched from credit facilities and on to prepayment in a second, and a good thing too.

[Deleted User]

Richie-from-the-Boro wrote: »

You can put one in every house on these Islands ASP as far as I'm concerned, do it, and do it now. Cant pay - wont pay and most of the fiddlers, and the fly by nights will be switched from credit facilities and on to prepayment in a second, and a good thing too.

Yes, after 15 years meter reading I ve turned into an old cynic when I see such things as £9000 debt yes £9k ! added to a prepay gas meter ( Pasture Rd Goole to be exact ) . Of course the present new occupier had nt worked out why she only got £2 s worth of gas from her £20 credit (£16 a week debt ). This 9k is dwarfed tho by BG RPU nobbling this year a big 5 bedder with a tennis court and 2 top of range Mercs with £19k backpay on his gas meter fiddle since 2004. Hes now switched to Utility Warehouse and is refusing meter readers
It just shows how long it takes for some suppliers to get on top of fiddles and scams, this must ve been going for years. I dont know the supplier for this particular meter as I was reading the meter next to it.Utility Warehouse and companies like these are abysmal in stopping theft. BG are by far the best, Npower ( I was told by RPU ) are the worst of the big 6. Smart meters are quickly needed now, but a few stupid MPs have been raising their arms and giving the thieving scrotes excuses now to refuse one. Gingerbob and his ilk with their feeble petty excuses hopefully will be billed £60 a year metering costs.. £60 a year is what I m paying now extra to make up for what the fiddlers and rental dodgers are getting away with

Richie-from-the-Boro

sacsquacco wrote: »

Yes, after 15 years meter reading I ve turned into an old cynic when I see such things as £9000 debt yes £9k ! added to a prepay gas meter ( Pasture Rd Goole to be exact ) . Of course the present new occupier had nt worked out why she only got £2 s worth of gas from her £20 credit (£16 a week debt ). This 9k is dwarfed tho by BG RPU nobbling this year a big 5 bedder with a tennis court and 2 top of range Mercs with £19k backpay on his gas meter fiddle since 2004. Hes now switched to Utility Warehouse and is refusing meter readers
It just shows how long it takes for some suppliers to get on top of fiddles and scams, this must have been going for years. I don't know the supplier for this particular meter as I was reading the meter next to it.Utility Warehouse and companies like these are abysmal in stopping theft. BG are by far the best, Npower ( I was told by RPU ) are the worst of the big 6. Smart meters are quickly needed now, but a few stupid MPs have been raising their arms and giving the thieving scrotes excuses now to refuse one. Gingerbob and his ilk with their feeble petty excuses hopefully will be billed £60 a year metering costs.. £60 a year is what I'm paying now extra to make up for what the fiddlers and rental dodgers are getting away with

Pre payment meter scams alone on gas and electric in 2011 were £2.7 mi££ion. Because no work has ever been done on this it will now be £2.7 mi££ion plus all the cost increases over the last 3 years. That of itself is nearly 10 mi££ion pounds + inflation over just the last 3 years, add to that all the other meter scams and by-pass and its a lot of money and you and I are paying for it !

While I personally would like smart meters [I'm E7] and will profit from the install, I don't think there will ever be a blanket install. The case has not been made for the consumer benefits and most of the assumptions used to prove consumer benefit are very very fragile. This is the proper report that the BBC & gingerbob skipped over.