Have you got a smart meter? Well look out

[Deleted User]

I have copied this from a newsletter I received from the consumer action group today. There was bound to be a sting in the tail

``Smart meter rip-off
We're told that smart meters will let you manage your energy use, save money and reduce emissions and bring an end to estimated billing.

But it seems that the energy giants are set to use digital smart meters as a way to double the cost of power when families need it most — adding nearly £60 a year to the average bill.

A Money Mail investigation has discovered Britain’s leading power firms are expected to introduce tariffs that charge more at peak times when they roll out new electronic meters which monitor how much energy you use by the second.

It means electricity and gas used in the evenings could cost 99 per cent more than at other times — penalising everyone cooking family meals, watching popular TV shows and heating their homes on chilly winter evenings.

Higher charges will also apply in the morning when people are most likely to be taking baths and showers and having the central heating on.

British Gas has already trialled a tariff that charges more at peak times.``

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thriftwizard

Horrified - but not surprised.

torbrex

some people will believe anything :rotfl:

moneyistooshorttomention

kittie wrote: »

But it seems that the energy giants are set to use digital smart meters as a way to double the cost of power when families need it most — adding nearly £60 a year to the average bill.



]

I read that a few days back and got my usual reaction to Daily Mail wording of "When they say 'families' do they mean 'households' or "families"?"

Am still unclear on how other households besides "families" will be affected - ie couples and single people.

My personal reaction to that was to notice that tariffs like that tend to include one free day per week for fuel usage and decide that, if that is the case, then that is the day single person household me will be doing my washing/ironing/breadmaking/etc and it would probably all about even out for those who aren't "families".

Lynplatinum

Hi

They were putting me under a lot of pressure to have one of these but I refused - on the grounds that I didnt want them to have more info on me. besides there is no guarantee that they wouldnt put your heating on remotely and then claim that you had done it - how could you 'prove' them wrong??? one could be faced with a huge bill - even if it was a mistake!

As we are all offered more remote this that etc from our phones it does make me wonder how safe it all is!!!

jk0

I don't have a problem with paying different amounts at different times. I have been on Economy 7 for years.

My main problem is the emissions from the device. Another problem is that smart meters can be used to ration people's energy use. Both gas & electric smart meters have the ability to be remotely switched off if TPTB think you are using too much.

pigpen

Lynplatinum wrote: »

Hi

They were putting me under a lot of pressure to have one of these but I refused - on the grounds that I didnt want them to have more info on me. besides there is no guarantee that they wouldnt put your heating on remotely and then claim that you had done it - how could you 'prove' them wrong??? one could be faced with a huge bill - even if it was a mistake!

As we are all offered more remote this that etc from our phones it does make me wonder how safe it all is!!!

I think you are confusing smart meters with Hive central heating control system.

I have both.. my electric bill has reduced by £20 a month and my gas by £30 a month.. My solar panels are generating around £45 a month dropping my bill from around £100 to about £35 a month.


My utility tariff is capped until 2018 so they aren't charging anything extra sneakily.. it is all utter paranoia generated by competitors.

The banks could stick a minus at the beginning of your account balance.. but they don't!
Your council could triple your council tax.. but they havent
The 'spy devices' in your phones and tv could start sending you junk mail.. but they don't
The GPS chip in your phone could be used to target a missile into your back pocket.. but no one does..

Just because they CAN do something doesn't mean they will and just because something is a bit different doesn't mean it is scary or evil.. we'd still be living in the dark ages!

moneyistooshorttomention

jk0 wrote: »

I don't have a problem with paying different amounts at different times. I have been on Economy 7 for years.

My main problem is the emissions from the device. Another problem is that smart meters can be used to ration people's energy use. Both gas & electric smart meters have the ability to be remotely switched off if TPTB think you are using too much.

I would rather assume that some people would find ways to manually override any attempts from afar to switch their meters off if that were tried.

I know I would be on the lookout for someone who could do this for me if it were tried and I expect I'd be far from the only one.

I expect that TPTB would avoid switching off our meters remotely (unless we had brought it on ourselves by not paying our bills) precisely because of the number of us who would be asking electricians/our mate down the pub what they would charge to sort that problem out.

VfM4meplse

pigpen wrote: »

Your council could triple your council tax.. but they havent

I wouldn't put it past my LA. It's motto seems to be "Incompetence with no challenge".

C_Mababejive

This is true. The agenda with smart metering is to match up with smart grids. More and more our energy is bought and delivered just in time. Our home grown generating capacity is at a low margin due to lack of investment . We no longer store significant volumes of gas, it is simply bought in for the day.

Any surpluses are sold off and extras are bought in at premium rates so if it suddenly goes cold and more gas is needed, it has to be traded and bought in for more money.

Smart metering will ultimately mean that at times of greater demand,you will pay more for your electric and gas because simply put, thats what the suppliers have to do so it gives them a means of passing on the costs and smoothing out costs and demand.

Freezing night? want your heating on,,ok you will pay more.

Of course if you want it on in summer you will pay less.

That is the smart metering agenda and it is being soft sold to end users by giving them a nice little toy for the mantelpiece (display) and a vague promise that they will save money .

pigpen

C_Mababejive wrote: »

and a vague promise that they will save money .

Well I have.. and not an insignificant amount! I don't have a display gadget thing to go with mine.. I have one for my solar which I practically live by!