Smart meters - what is the catch?

[Deleted User]

Robin9 wrote: »

Even with Smart Meters you must check the bills you receive - do not assume the meter is communicating with your supplier. Mine packed up and I got an estimated reading for a couple of months - it was quickly rectified with a site visit.

Latest smarts have done away with the sim card, they use a "hub" and work better. We still check smarts.I seem to be checking them once every two years.So far I have nt found one which has been bypassed or tampered with, unlike the prepayment electric key meter, and the card gas meter which are rife with energy theft.These need updating to electric smart prepayment meters quickly.

System

sacsquacco wrote: »

Latest smarts have done away the sim card, they use a "hub" and work better. We still check smarts.I seem to be checking them once every two years.So far I have nt found one which has been bypassed or tampered with, unlike the prepayment electric key meter, and the card gas meter which are rife with energy theft.These need updating to electric smart prepayment meters quickly.

So what happens when a household does not have broadband and the property sits in a 3G hole? I doubt that energy suppliers are going to pay for broadband. As far as roll-out programmes are concerned, this is just about as bad as the now defunct NHS country-wide IT system.

[Deleted User]

Hengus wrote: »

So what happens when a household does not have broadband and the property sits in a 3G hole? I doubt that energy suppliers are going to pay for broadband. As far as roll-out programmes are concerned, this is just about as bad as the now defunct NHS country-wide IT system.

Don t need broadband, 25% don t have broadband. Yes there are plenty of places still which find it hard to use a mobile (Barmby on the Marsh ) springs to mind , where smarts usually fail.I believe the latest spec smarts which use a hub work better.
I think the smart meter experiment is about to fail and would nt be surprised if the Government dump the whole idea. I meet too many on my rounds who either say they re refusing one or they have problems fitting the larger meter in awkward positions. Its costing a fortune fitting them with each supplier fitting their own.Fitters flit around in a chaotic fashion driving big mileage doing only a few a day.

System

Where Germany leads, others may follow:

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2013-08-01/germany-rejects-eu-smart-meter-recommendations-on-cost-concerns

antrobus

Hengus wrote: »

Where Germany leads, others may follow:

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2013-08-01/germany-rejects-eu-smart-meter-recommendations-on-cost-concerns

That was 2013.

In 2014

Smart meters: German energy agency backs installation of 50m units
http://www.metering.com/smart-meters-german-energy-agency-backs-installation-of-50m-units/

In 2015

Expert Interview about the Smart Meter Roll-out in Germany and Wireless Network Technology for Smart Grid
http://smartenergy.e-world-essen.com/en/exhibitor-information/press-releases/single/view/2015/03/10/expert-interview-about-the-smart-meter-roll-out-in-germany-and-wireless-network-technology-for-smart/

[Deleted User]

Interesting sentence from the above link "Germany would require a law for a national smart meter roll out ".
Maybe if the MPs had another vote on making smart meters compulsory the "wets " would be out numbered.The limp wristed Lib Dems have gone and Labour much less in evidence.the vote would go through. Smart meter roll out is hopeless at the moment.EDF and Scot Power have nt even started in my area.Leaving it to all the various suppliers, (First Utility !! ) to fit them is nt working.some of them can t even manage their own businesses. I remember the local DNO switching all the electric card token prepayment meters to the key meters.They did it all in a year or so, cheaply and efficiently . when you have a meter fitter driving over 100 miles a day to fit 4 or 5 smart electric meters its going to take to 2030 at least

victor2

brewerdave wrote: »

The major difficulty with smart meters currently, is their lack of portability.If,like me, you switch fairly often it seems pointless to have them installed when the eg EON meter won't talk to EDF.
Having had my leccy meter changed fairly recently (6 months ago) I asked the fitter whether he was fitting many Smart meters. He said that he hadn't fitted any!

Likewise, I tend to switch regularly and until a standard is established, it wouldn't interest me. An elderly widow I know has smart meters installed by E.On and loves that she doesn't have to attempt to read her meters or put up with estimated reads. The only downside is that she can't switch to a cheaper supplier without losing the benefit of the smart meters.

baldelectrician

Smart meters are really for the benefit of the companies who install them

The draw backs;

• Customers can be switched from Direct Debit (post pay) to pre pay without their permission- OVO have the same meters for both types of supply
• There is no common standard for smart meters, this makes switching harder
• Meters can be without signal (although the new ones have roaming sims which look for the strongest signal)
• There are stories of hackers trying to get in to the system- imagine if somoene hacked and switched your gas and or electricity off.

Benfits

• You don't need to go out to top up your meter- you can use a mobile app and the credit is sent to your meter
• More secure- the meter tells the supplier if somoene has taken the terminal cover from the meter (like people do when they are being naughty)
• The meter tells the supplier if there is a power cut (assuming there is still a mobile signal) letting them know of outages before someone calls in to report
• Good for landlords- LL can have a smart meter installed and have the account transferred to the new tenant and then back again when they move out. This means accurate meter data and people being charged the correct amount.
• No more meter readings- the supplier still has a duty to check and read the meter once a year for safety

patman99

The whole smart meter thing in the UK is a shambles.
If there is going to be a future change in Law requiring these meters to be fitted, then the Law needs to set out certain criteria such as -

Meters must be fully portable between suppliers.

Meters must submit readings via the power lines that the energy comes through in the first place (charge de-coupled modem tech has been in use for years and is 100% secure).

People are very resitant to smart meters, but, depending where their water meter is fitted, they may already have one in their home.
My loacl water supplier fits remotely readable meters where it is not safe or possible to fit them outside the property. The meter read simply drives past and a scanner in the van picks up the meter readins as they go.

Kim_kim

Booked mine in for an install Wednesday week.

Are they a similar size to current meters?

My meters are a bit of an awkward position, will the "smart" bit be cordless rather than part of them meter?