which npower smart meter?

Waldir

teddysmum wrote: »

Trivial matter, but who supplies the batteries ?

Surprisingly enough, the electric meter is connected to a good source of electricity already

That made me laugh though because I had got a similar reaction at first: "Am I the one who is going to pay for the electricity consumed by this smart meter?" ...until I realised that my old meter was probably consuming as much electricity to make its wheel turn.

Actually you're right: there's an optional wireless display that requires batteries. I bet we'll be able to ask for new batteries when those run out. I'll definitely try

[Deleted User]

teddysmum wrote: »

I haven't been offered one and don't want one. I'm quite happy to read my meters and post online where I can see that the readings I posted have been recorded.


Trivial matter, but who supplies the batteries ?

There are no batteries in my In House Display .Runs off the mains and consumes around 60 p a year, so yes ,its a trivial matter.
You may be billed £60 a year when all the smarts are installed.All refuseniks are leaving themselves open to metering costs.This happens in the USA. By refusing to have what your supplier wants you to have you are adding extra costs which they are within their rights to recoup.They don`t want you to stay with yesterdays technology.

Bark01

sacsquacco wrote: »

. By refusing to have what your supplier wants you to have you are adding extra costs which they are within their rights to recoup.They don`t want you to stay with yesterdays technology.

This man speaks the truth, If you stay on the old technology it will end up costing you more. Its basic economies of scale. The less people you have on a system then more per person it ends up costing to run.

You'll essentialy end up on someting equal to deemed or standard and paying 10-20% more than you would if you'd have had a smart meter installed.

Also don't foget your meter needs to be changed every 10 years and there isn't an infinite amount of old style meters out there. It'll get to a point where your old meter will need to be replaced and there won't be an alternative. If you don't accept a SMART meter for free as part of the National roll out, you likely be charged for installing one in the future.

System

Bark01 wrote: »

This man speaks the truth, If you stay on the old technology it will end up costing you more. Its basic economies of scale. The less people you have on a system then more per person it ends up costing to run.

You'll essentialy end up on someting equal to deemed or standard and paying 10-20% more than you would if you'd have had a smart meter installed.

Also don't foget your meter needs to be changed every 10 years and there isn't an infinite amount of old style meters out there. It'll get to a point where your old meter will need to be replaced and there won't be an alternative. If you don't accept a SMART meter for free as part of the National roll out, you likely be charged for installing one in the future.

We are many years off that. The Data Communications Company is due to go live in August. Each main (Big 6) supplier has to install 1500 SMETS2 meters in the first year (and they will be allowed to count some SMETS1 meters towards this total). There are still unresolved problems with high rise flats and connectivity with the DCC, and the chosen communications protocol (ZigBee) is fast becoming out of date. The 2020 roll out target is now deemed to be unachievable. There is nothing wrong with the principle of smart metering: it is the way that it has been managed which should be of concern to consumers who will have to pay.

Finally, I should add that many countries (such as Canada) now wish that they had structured their infrastructure in a different way. TOU tariffs are now 'old hat' and they have failed to achieve the energy reductions that were sought. Canada had to reduce the time period of high cost because consumers found that their bills increased massively: kids wanted their tea at 5pm not 8pm. The new charging model - which we are also unlikely to get - is cheaper and frequently changing unit prices when energy generation is high. This means that when the wind is blowing and the sun is shining, consumers can have cheap/free energy as wind farms are not being paid to close down turbines because of excess supply. As a result of this, peak demand is reduced which means that hospitals, for example, do not have to be paid to use their own generators to reduce the demand on our Grid.

donnajunkie

teddysmum wrote: »

I haven't been offered one and don't want one. I'm quite happy to read my meters and post online where I can see that the readings I posted have been recorded.


Trivial matter, but who supplies the batteries ?

i am sure you will still be able to access your account online and see what meter readings have been recorded.
i was wondering about the power cost of sending readings via wifi or whatever it is it gets sent via. when the cost is on you its annoying. our landlord installed some alarms that are wired into the home supply. they also installed some sort of box in the loft that is supposed to purify the air or something like that. so thats another thing we have to power.

System

donnajunkie wrote: »

npower have told us we will be getting smart meters soon. however they have given 3 different options. optimum, standard and minimum. now it would appear optimum would be the one to go for but is that really the case? i thought i would seek advice before deciding. it just seems odd that if the optimum gives you everything for free why have another 2 options that give you less?

I have just come across the consumer regulations applicable to domestic smart meters (as at March 2016):

New consumer protection laws introduced in March say that energy suppliers can:

Collect everyone’s smart meter data once a month, without requiring consent

Collect smart meter data once a day unless you object

Only collect data more than once a day if you opt-in.

donnajunkie

Hengus wrote: »

I have just come across the consumer regulations applicable to domestic smart meters (as at March 2016):

New consumer protection laws introduced in March say that energy suppliers can:

Collect everyone’s smart meter data once a month, without requiring consent

Collect smart meter data once a day unless you object

Only collect data more than once a day if you opt-in.

I don't mind them knowing what we use, they need to after all. If it helps us get more accurate bills then it's a good thing. Plus no more meter readers always calling when we are not in. No more meter readers only reading the electric meter even though we have dual fuel.
As there are 3 options I thought that was odd and I just wondered if there were any issues with any of them that we are not aware of.

poppellerant

donnajunkie wrote: »

I don't mind them knowing what we use, they need to after all. If it helps us get more accurate bills then it's a good thing. Plus no more meter readers always calling when we are not in. No more meter readers only reading the electric meter even though we have dual fuel.
As there are 3 options I thought that was odd and I just wondered if there were any issues with any of them that we are not aware of.

If only this were true. I've had my smart meters for about 1.5 years and I still continue to get meter readers calling.

The last one I questioned told me they will still come round so they can inspect the meter and ensure it hasn't been tampered with. On my particular visit, this seemed to consist of my readings being taken and perhaps a quick glance around the meters.

[Deleted User]

poppellerant wrote: »

If only this were true. I've had my smart meters for about 1.5 years and I still continue to get meter readers calling.

The last one I questioned told me they will still come round so they can inspect the meter and ensure it hasn't been tampered with. On my particular visit, this seemed to consist of my readings being taken and perhaps a quick glance around the meters.

I m sorry to say but what you say is very true.In the very early days of smart meters first installed by BG 8 years ago it was a regular thing with all meter readers getting into little doorstep rows with us when we asked to view the smart meters. The meter fitters used to say as they were fitting the smarts that they would never see another meter reader again and here we were knocking them out of bed at 8 pm. Some people went bonkers with rage about the stupidity of it. We had no idea and still don t, why we`re sent to view smarts not long after they re fitted. BG only need to view a meter once every 5 years, even a dumb meter.
Sometimes tho the smart has stopped communicating so we have to visit or the 2 year must inspect period is due. One thing is certain tho they don`t get fiddled like the old meters , I have`nt found one yet .

[Deleted User]

Hengus wrote: »

I have just come across the consumer regulations applicable to domestic smart meters (as at March 2016):

New consumer protection laws introduced in March say that energy suppliers can:

Collect everyone’s smart meter data once a month, without requiring consent

Collect smart meter data once a day unless you object

Only collect data more than once a day if you opt-in.

Now I see the future how they will force everyone to have a smart meter. Once a month readings !...no one can complain about that surely ! Another vote in Parliament and its certain to be passed on that basis