The Great Hunt: How smart is your smart meter?

Former_E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc

allenkj wrote: »

I had two fitted years ago by Eon.

Useful for getting a reading without crawling under the stairs and providing data on usage and cost by various periods.

Since then I must have moved supplier at least ten times and not one has used smart meters, so the costs are all wrong.

They should be fined if they can't use them.

Morning allenkj

As above, at the moment, when you change suppliers our Smart Meters will lose certain features. This includes prices. The Energy Display will not show usage in pounds and pence but will still show it in kWh. You'll also need to go back to taking readings manually and the meter won't be able to report any alarms or alerts.

It's certainly possible to replace the Smart Meters we fitted with ones from your current supplier. If this is something you'd like, have a chat with them and see what's possible.

Hope this is of interest allenkj.

Malc

Former_E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc

Futuristic wrote: »

We got a letter from Eon some 2-3 years ago so applied online (voluntarily), apart from the fact we don't have to submit meter readings I haven't seen any real benefit from it. Nor do we use the home device they gave to plug in.

Still have some Eon bloke come at least once a year to check the meter readings for whatever reason now we don't bother letting them in, they're free to come at a scheduled time in writing.

Futuristic wrote: »

This may be of help to new Eon customers:
https://www.eonenergy.com/for-your-home/smart-meters/smart-register-interest

Morning Futuristic and thanks for posting the link to our website. MSE don't allow company reps to do this.

Sorry you're not seeing any benefits, apart from meter readings, from your Smart Meters and you're not using the Energy Display. Thought it might help if I gave you a bit of information about these set-ups.

The electric meter is the hub of the activity and stores/sends us readings using a text message. It also receives information like tariff prices. The gas meter works through the electricity meter. The display talks to your meters and shows how much energy is being used. This can be seen in real time or by looking back at the last week, month or year. It also provides a guide to what it's costing. It's designed to give as full a picture as possible of the energy usage.

The display has a traffic light system to quickly show how much energy is being used in real time. Green is a small amount, amber is medium and red is a lot. The aim is to quickly highlight changes so customers are alerted to potential drains on energy/money.

There's a lot more information on our website about both Smart Meters and ways to save money by saving energy. In particular, the 'Saving Energy' pages and 'Saving Energy Toolkit' give lots of energy saving advice/tips. It's hoped customers will use these pages along with the information given by the Smart Energy Display to better understand and take more control of their ongoing usage.

Although we'll no longer send a meter reader as often as before, we still need to see the meter every so often. This is to make sure it's safe and working correctly. We can certainly arrange a set appointment for you. Just let us know.

Thanks again for posting the link Futuristic and hope the above is of interest.

Malc

Former_E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc

sue.b wrote: »

I agree with everything you said. I had mine fitted by e.on in June and have found it is of little use except for the remote meter readings. The electricity meter has flashing lights that are bright enough to light up my hall from inside a cupboard with a slatted door. I have had to line the door with cardboard.

Hi sue.b

I'm sorry you don't seem to be benefiting much from your Smart Meter. Hope the information I've just posted in reply to Futuristic (post 53) helps a little. There's also quite a lot more information on our website about both Smart Meters, the Energy Display and ways to save money by saving energy.

Let me know if you need any more details as happy to help.

Malc

Former_E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc

RunningMan wrote: »

We had a smart meter installed by Eon in early September. We find the display extremely useful to be able to see how much energy different items use and I'd say it's definitely helped us reduce our usage.

My only concern is that when we switch companies (which we do regularly) it'll become redundant which seems ridiculous.

Hi RunningMan

Glad you're finding the new Smart Meter and Energy Display useful. Hope the information I posted above is of interest? Particularly the stuff about the traffic lights and how they help highlight potential energy surges.

It's great you've managed to make savings since going smart in September. When you've a minute, have a look at the 'Saving Energy' pages on our website that I was on about. Some good tips there that might help you save a bit more. The 'Saving Energy Toolkit' could help too.

Totally take your point about losing a lot of the smart features following a change of supplier. This is something we're working to fix. Along with the other suppliers, we're looking to use a centralised company or data communications company who will pass meter readings to the current supplier. Not sure, though, when this will be in place.

Let me know if you need any more information as happy to help.

Malc

tinkerbel*79

British gas have asked regularly to arrange appointment to fit a smart metre, and send letters, they have been really pushy, I don't like pushy people! the first question should be would I like one? Whats in it for me? Oh a display that uses electricity? To tell me what is switched on in the house, i already know what is plugged in the, fridge and freezer that's it. I tell them property is rented and you need to speak to my landlord and hang up. They don't phone anymore haha

Saving to buy my own house and live of the grid.

Former_E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc

ollybus wrote: »

I have now moved supplier to EON, who say I can have a smart meter.

What I want to know is why all these different suppliers have to install their own brand of smart meters - why isn't there just one which all energy providers simply 'take over' when a switch is done!

Talk about duplication of effort - no wonder everything costs a fortune

Hi ollybus

It's good you're okay to have a Smart Meter from us and I take your point about being able to switch between suppliers without losing many of the smart features. This is something all the suppliers are working to sort. As in my reply to Running Man above (post 55), we're looking at a type of central database all suppliers can use but there's no time frame yet.

Malc

Vortigern

I had a near miss with OVO. I agreed to let them fit a smart meter, but on the appointed date the fitting was cancelled because it was raining. Understandable because I have external meter boxes. After that they were unable to accept my readings or to bill me correctly. I switched away and I still have my old dumb meters.

Does any supplier fit a smart meter that could be read by a different supplier? Is there a type/brand of smart meter that could be read by every supplier?

Will all the existing smart meters become readable by every supplier when some standard is agreed, or will they all have to be replaced?

Terry98

[QUOTE=Vortigern;69472466
Will all the existing smart meters become readable by every supplier when some standard is agreed, or will they all have to be replaced?[/QUOTE]

I asked a similar question recently and was answered in post 7 here https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/69400239#Comment_69400239

Geoffrey52

About a year ago, EDF offered smartmeters so I thought I would try one. Engineer came, I asked him if it would cause radio interference (I like to listen to short wave radio) he said No. He installed the smart meter, I switched on the radio and heard interference, a loud hiss which wasn't there before. I told him to take it out and install a dumb meter, which he did.
OK I still have to read the meter occasionally but that's no big deal, and much more importantly I have clean airwaves.

lvockings

Got mine from OVO, had a choice of one that plugs into the wall and connects every half hour or so, or one that you set up yourself into your router/modem thingy that sends constant data. As I'm not a technical person (can you tell?!) I opted for the former. The only use I can see is that I don't have to give monthly readings anymore- I can't see how it really helps. i.e its pretty obvious that my gas and electric usage will be higher in the evening when its dark and cold when I get home from work, compared to during the day when its light and I'm out at work!! I'm not going to sit in the dark warming my hands over a candle......

I thought it would tell your usage from month to month but it doesn't. It's more useful to people who have to pre-pay.