The Future - SMART Meter and Truly Variable Unit Prices

Former_E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc

brewerdave wrote: »

Just had my elec. meter changed under the auspices of EON - I asked the pleasant young guy doing the job whether he would be fitting a smart meter ...his words were " not this time ,maybe in 20 years...we haven't started fitting any yet !!"

Hi brewerdave

Suspect the guy who did this job doesn't work for us but for another supplier who are the meter operators for your area. Mind you, if he does work for us, he must've been operating from a cave.

We started installing smart meters several years ago. To date, we've put in over 380,000 and are still going strong. We're aiming to top a million by the end of this year. There's quite a bit of information on our website about what we're doing.

Malc

espresso

E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc wrote: »

Hi brewerdave

Suspect the guy who did this job doesn't work for us but for another supplier who are the meter operators for your area. Mind you, if he does work for us, he must've been operating from a cave.

We started installing smart meters several years ago. To date, we've put in over 380,000 and are still going strong. We're aiming to top a million by the end of this year. There's quite a bit of information on our website about what we're doing.

Malc

I have looked at the FAQ on your website here but I cannot find an answer to the obvious question:

What happens if I switch supplier?

Can you answer this? Does the smart meter fitted by e-on then become a dumb meter?

Until all suppliers fit smarts that allow full interoperability between suppliers i.e. the second generation smart meters, I can't see why anyone would want one fitted.

facade

My neighbour has EON smart-meters, and changed supplier to Scottish Power.

No problem with the change, but he reckons Scottish Power can't remote read, and the Meter Reader has to come round. His energy consumption remote display still works though.

Former_E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc

Hi espresso

That bits about half way down the FAQ page you've linked to. It's under 'Your Energy Account.' Thought it might help if I try to flesh it out a little.

Customers with our smart meters who change supplier can still use the meter and display. They may, though, see some changes to how both work. This is only temporary until all suppliers use a central data agency to pass readings to the current supplier. Where we lose a customer, we'll remove our prices from the meter and display too.

For the time being, this will probably mean the meter will need to be read manually. The display will only show usage in kWh rather than in money terms as well and the meter won't be able to report any alarms like a fault. Also, if the display becomes faulty, the new supplier may not be able to replace it.

As an interim measure, we've agreed with some suppliers to send readings we've taken remotely directly to them. It's then up to the new supplier to decide if they want to use them.

Smart meter customers who switch away and then return will have the features of the meter/display restored.

We've dedicated teams looking after the installation of smart meters. Part of the conversation they have with customers going down this route is to let them know about these possibilities.

Hope this helps espresso.

Malc

espresso

E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc wrote: »

Hi espresso

That bits about half way down the FAQ page you've linked to. It's under 'Your Energy Account.' Thought it might help if I try to flesh it out a little...............

Malc

Thanks for pointing out where the question is answered, I admit that I did not look in the 'Your Energy Account" section of the FAQ.

Personally I believe that the roll out of smart meters is a monumental fiasco due to the interoperability between different suppliers problem that you have confirmed. This is a fundamental feature that should have been agreed by the regulator with ALL suppliers, before roll out commenced.

I do not object to the principle of smarts but I will continue refuse to have one fitted until this problem has been properly addressed. The in home display is of no interest to me if I still need to read my own meters and provide readings regularly to my supplier if I choose to switch.

Former_E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc

Hi espresso

Fully understand your reluctance to go down the smart path with different suppliers doing different things at the moment. As above, this is a temporary situation and things are changing all the time. There's a Smart News page on our website to help keep everyone up to speed with developments.

Hope this is of interest.

Malc

GingerBob_3

E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc wrote: »

Hi espresso

Fully understand your reluctance to go down the smart path with different suppliers doing different things at the moment. As above, this is a temporary situation and things are changing all the time. There's a Smart News page on our website to help keep everyone up to speed with developments.

Hope this is of interest.

Malc

Malc, out of interest, how many, if any, remote disconnections for non payment/disputed bills have E.ON made via smart meter technology?

Former_E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc

Hi GingerBob

The smart meters we've installed so far haven't been set up to remotely disconnect. Hope this answers your question.

Malc

System

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201415/cmselect/cmenergy/665/665.pdf

Variable use tariffs. Read paras 36 to 39 of today's report. If you want to know more about the next Government IT debacle then the complete report is worth a read.

MothballsWallet

sacsquacco wrote: »

Don t worry about that, the meter installers are nt trained to that level to be able to condemn that reliable old fuse box. He never looked twice at mine when my smart meter went in.
Personally I would nt be getting in a flap about variable pricing on smarts, by the time that happens the Russians will be in power and we ll do what we re told

According to my wife, a lot of the gas we buy in from Russia comes from the region where she was born and grew up

All hail our new Overlord Putin! He has to be better than that US-worshipping multi-millionaire Eton alumnus we've got now...