Smart Meters (again).

Robisere

Today I had an interesting conversation with a "Meter Plus" engineer working on my neighbour's electricity meter.

To put this in context, I have to return to last March, when our Social Housing landlord was at last forced by Environmental Housing, to replace our ancient Economy 7 night storage heaters, with new GCHeating systems in each of several homes in the complex. This brought my heating bill of £175/month, down to its current £65 (Dual Fuel). There was a problem after the new system was fitted, caused by the fact that the electricity meters were not changed from 3-phase, to new single-phase meters. An engineer who should have done this, looked at my meter, said he was not qualified to carry out the work, and would report back that a properly-qualified engineer should attend. It took me two months to get this done, after which I received compensation and sizeable refunds for an even longer total period of overpayments.

I informed all neighbours of the situation and advised them to request new meters from their suppliers. I assumed that this was done, but my immediate neighbour moved soon afterwards. I learned today that he had done nothing about it, when the Meter Plus engineer turned up in response to the new tenant next door calling her supplier regarding her massive bill. Apparently, she was still connected via 3-phase and still paying for Economy7, when she had Dual Fuel! I asked the engineer about his solution: he was fitting a new electricity single-phase meter and completely removing her old meter. After this discussion, I asked him about Smart Meters and this is what he told me:

Smart meters will become compulsory in time. All householders will be told to have them installed. Anyone who refuses, will not initially have any action taken against them, but their details will be placed upon a list. When all the 'voluntary' meters have been fitted, a start will be made upon those listed as refusing. Court Orders will be made to enforce access and the meters will be fitted. However - and this cracks me up - he also said that there is no way that all the 'voluntary' meter fits can be carried out by 2020, as per the government target. He states categorically that it is physically impossible for this to happen in the time frame. At 71, I may not even still be on my perch, by the time this happens!:rotfl:

He also told me that Meter Plus is actually owned by N Power and they carry out engineering work for many other suppliers, although most of the Big Six have their own engineers.

MeterMan

Lets see what happens.

There is nothing anywhere to suggest that smart will be compulsory, or even court ordered.

As for the list of people who declined, I really doubt that suppliers are collecting this list. I have been doing this for 6 years and have never heard such bullcrap.

The 2020 target... yeah its almost impossible to fit them all, but then, the adverts doesn't say have a smart meter fitted by 2020.

SummerFun

Robisere wrote: »

Today I had an interesting conversation with a "Meter Plus" engineer working on my neighbour's electricity meter.

To put this in context, I have to return to last March, when our Social Housing landlord was at last forced by Environmental Housing, to replace our ancient Economy 7 night storage heaters, with new GCHeating systems in each of several homes in the complex. This brought my heating bill of £175/month, down to its current £65 (Dual Fuel). There was a problem after the new system was fitted, caused by the fact that the electricity meters were not changed from 3-phase, to new single-phase meters. An engineer who should have done this, looked at my meter, said he was not qualified to carry out the work, and would report back that a properly-qualified engineer should attend. It took me two months to get this done, after which I received compensation and sizeable refunds for an even longer total period of overpayments.

I informed all neighbours of the situation and advised them to request new meters from their suppliers. I assumed that this was done, but my immediate neighbour moved soon afterwards. I learned today that he had done nothing about it, when the Meter Plus engineer turned up in response to the new tenant next door calling her supplier regarding her massive bill. Apparently, she was still connected via 3-phase and still paying for Economy7, when she had Dual Fuel! I asked the engineer about his solution: he was fitting a new electricity single-phase meter and completely removing her old meter. After this discussion, I asked him about Smart Meters and this is what he told me:

Smart meters will become compulsory in time. All householders will be told to have them installed. Anyone who refuses, will not initially have any action taken against them, but their details will be placed upon a list. When all the 'voluntary' meters have been fitted, a start will be made upon those listed as refusing. Court Orders will be made to enforce access and the meters will be fitted. However - and this cracks me up - he also said that there is no way that all the 'voluntary' meter fits can be carried out by 2020, as per the government target. He states categorically that it is physically impossible for this to happen in the time frame. At 71, I may not even still be on my perch, by the time this happens!:rotfl:

He also told me that Meter Plus is actually owned by N Power and they carry out engineering work for many other suppliers, although most of the Big Six have their own engineers.

Last night, I had an interesting conversation with a bloke down the pub.

He told me that MeterPlus engineers were attempting to outdo the internet for spreading falsehoods.

Who are MeterPlus?


MeterPlus is a distinct and separate part of npower providing services to npower customers in the North of England and the Midlands.

These services include:

• Meter reading - reading electricity and gas meters to make sure we have accurate information about the energy you use.
• Meter installations - fitting a range of electricity meters for our customers, including prepayment key and card meters.
• Meter inspections - carrying out a safety check of your gas and electricity meters, to make sure they're safe to use.
• Visiting customers - helping customers who are finding it hard to pay for their energy.

...

molerat

Suppliers already have the ability to apply for a court order to replace a meter where it is deemed necessary so nothing has changed.

[Deleted User]

The Meter Plus fitter is probably right. It can easily be changed to make them compulsory as they are in most of Europe.
Interesting that in the last Labour Government the Energy Minister, Ed Miliband, introduced legislation to make them mandatory for domestic homes and small businesses by 2014 !
Its probably a good idea because we don`t want to do what California does and charge refusers a $75 one- off payment, and $10 per month ! , that seems like a tad expensive ,but some sort of charge would be fair in the UK for all these people who want to keep the horse drawn plough and reject the tractor. £60 a year is a figure that is quoted for metering costs if some wise people want to keep legions of meter readers in a job that is not really needed.
Prepayment meter customers will lose out badly sticking to the old unreliable meters which need call centres and engineers driving around servicing these abysmal old meters which are always going wrong , people ramming keys in and damaging them and many thousands of people extracting free electricity from them..Smart prepayment meters which are very popular in Northern Ireland are leading the way and showing what is possible with a go ahead supplier like Budget Energy who offer the cheapest prepay electricity in the UK by a long way, much cheaper than the cheapest here , GB Energy, for the average user of 3100 kwhr per annum.
Budget Energy are rumoured to be setting up shop over here..good, they are needed badly

brewerdave

sacsquacco wrote: »

The Meter Plus fitter is probably right. It can easily be changed to make them compulsory as they are in most of Europe.
Interesting that in the last Labour Government the Energy Minister, Ed Miliband, introduced legislation to make them mandatory for domestic homes and small businesses by 2014 !
Its probably a good idea because we don`t want to do what California does and charge refusers a $75 on- off payment, and $10 per month ! but some sort of charge would be fair in the UK for all these people who want to keep the horse drawn plough and reject the tractor.
Prepayment meter customers will lose out badly sticking to the old unreliable meters and not going over to smart prepay as they have done willingly in Northern Ireland with the smart keypad meters giving them the cheapest electricity tariffs in the UK for prepays

...you keep trotting this stuff out -but the fact remains that the centralised data collection system required for a full smart meter conversion is TOTALLY unproven -any bets on when the next delay will be announced?:):)

SummerFun

Ed Miliband? Whatever happened to him? :huh:

I don't think there will another labour governemnt for a very long time. They can't even run their own party just now. God help us if they try and run (or should that be ruin?) the country

misterbarlow

What they will do is when anyone changes supplier it will be hidden in the T's & C's of your new contract, that you agree to have a smart meter fitted.
The 2020 target just says you have to be able to request one, or your supplier offer you one, by 2020!

[Deleted User]

brewerdave wrote: »

...you keep trotting this stuff out -but the fact remains that the centralised data collection system required for a full smart meter conversion is TOTALLY unproven -any bets on when the next delay will be announced?:):)

I trot out the fact that smart prepays will drastically lower the tariffs of some of the poorest in the UK who are stuck with heavy debts and cannot move to credit meters. This is a very important detail which is overlooked by all you people coming out with your b/s about radio waves pulsing through your brains. Smart prepays are proven to work well in Northern Ireland where Budget Energy are the cheapest in the UK by a mile for the average user..The fact is that a smart grid is proven and working fine in Italy and other European countries. Another fact is that some idiot deemed it a good idea ( to try and make smarts more acceptable ) to get the suppliers to fit the things !! when every country in Europe used the DNO s who can swoop down the streets and get all the different suppliers door to door and done quickly, cheaply and efficiently. Of course its going to fail, First Utility, Npower, Scot Power, Spark Energy etc are going to run the show when they can t even run their own businesses properly.
The fact is that leaving Joe Public,( who can be a bigoted idiot ), to decide what sort of meter he gets is a disaster. We did nt need to make that choice in the first place and the sooner it is taken away the better. Having the untrained politicians making decisions about this has messed the whole project up completely..Only in the UK would this happen.

brewerdave

@sacsquacco -I have no worries about "radio waves pulsing thru my brains":rotfl: and I'd be happy to have a SMART meter with two provisos -1. the centralised data systems are proven and 2. the meters worked universally with whichever supplier you choose - but I think that the reality is that such a situation is at least 5 years away!!

Robisere

I am looking for the MeterPlus man to visit again...
http://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/advice/do-i-have-to-accept-a-smart-meter

Appears he was speaking from another orifice, perhaps I should have checked to see if his lips were moving.

This is the official government position:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/smart-meters-how-they-work

It appears that the fitting of smart meters is not (at the moment) legally enforceable. I apologise for starting this Thread, I should have checked facts before posting. Mea Culpa! There is a Code of Practice for Smart Meter installation:
http://www.smicop.co.uk/SitePages/Home.aspx

At least now I am loading up with correct ammunition before firing!