Smart Meter Upgrade?

Credit-Crunched

Anyone upgraded to a Smart meter for their energy as yet?

Thoughts? Positive, Negative, avoid?

Does this restrict moving providers in the future?

MisterBaxter

Ultimately I suspect that all meters will become smart meters. I'm sure there will be some people who have concerns over privacy and the like but I'm not sure how big of an issue that really is.

For me the biggest issue is that I just don't see how much of a difference they will make; if it is dark and you want the light on you'll put the light on, if you want the TV you will put the TV on, having a smart meter to tell you how much electricity you are using and how much it is costing isn't likely to change your general habits as you already know that electricity costs money and the more you use the more you pay. The same for gas; when it's cold you put the heating on, you will still shower every day, you already know that gas costs money so will having a smart meter change that.

Water meters on the other hand do seem to have an impact on habits but I think that is under the rating system you pay a flat rate and the amount you use doesn't affect cost whereas a meter does.

Rubidium

Avoid until they sort themselves out. The introduction of smart meters is pathetic!

The current timescales issued by DECC have given an end date of 1 August 2017 for the installation of SMETS1 meters, saying it should give suppliers “sufficient time” to transition to the newer specification of meter required for the mass rollout. However it has said the date could be delayed if “significant industry-wide impediments should materialise.”

All domestic suppliers are required to be using the DCC by 1 August 2017, while large suppliers will also have to install 1,500 SMETS2 meters by 1 February 2017.

So it seems that it will be at least 2018 before it is worth accepting smart meters but this will likely be further delayed. There is no point in having a dumb smart installed at the moment.

EssexExile

We've had smart meters for a while. The meter reader doesn't call as often & no estimated bills, that's about it.

[Deleted User]

Hi,

Credit-Crunched wrote: »

Does this restrict moving lenders in the future?

no, it should have no impact on your mortgage or loan.

Credit-Crunched

[Deleted User] wrote:

Hi,



no, it should have no impact on your mortgage or loan.

moment of madness, I meant supplier!

EssexExile

A quick google says no problem if you switch supplier, the smart meter may become dumb though.

MX5huggy

Credit-Crunched wrote: »

moment of madness, I meant supplier!

you can move but the new supplier may not use the smart functions so you will be back to reading the meter and meter men calling.

MisterBaxter

I can't remember the last time someone came to read our meter, we get an email each month asking us to submit our readings. We enter the readings it sorts the billing and gives a nice little chart to show how much energy we have used. We are in effect the smart meter. I think the utility company is obliged to enter your home at least once every two years (think I read that somewhere). If you are just worried about correct billing most companies will allow you to send your own readings.

I wouldn't be in any hurry to have a smart meter fitted; likewise if the utility company said they were fitting one it wouldn't bother me too much.

tim_n

Benefit of a dumb meter on solar with FIT payments is you're getting 50% of your electricity generated as export tarrif - so 4p per unit or somesuch.
With a smart meter, they know exactly how much you're feeding back into the grid, so they could reduce that payment.

torbrex

no difference here, the gas still comes through the pipe and the electricity still comes through the wire.