Smart Meter Shock Report.

Terry98

'Almost 80% of smart meter users would recommend them to others'

https://www.uswitch.com/gas-electricity/news/2016/08/22/80-percent-smart-meter-users-recommend-them/?ref=email~insight~160822~uswitch&utm_campaign=insight&utm_content=160822&utm_medium=email&utm_source=uswitch&utm_term=energy-content-top

It's certainly not the impression I get from reading some of the comments on here.

JJ_Egan

But the majority of users are not part of the site and those that are happy and MSE users don't post either .These days those that are unhappy for whatever reason are liable to complain .

tattycath

We are supposed to be having one fitted by BG but a friend has a relation who works for BG and he recommends NOT getting one because they are rubbish-allegedly. Confused!
One of our neighbours has smart meters and think they are great.

[Deleted User]

Has anyone read the full report and not just the article?
Some of the report makes you wonder.
For example, the first case study has a user with a 22KW domestic vacuum cleaner! That means at 240V, the vacuum uses 91 Amps of power. I think they really got that wrong, really wrong. The user says he has got rid of the vacuum (good job if it used that much power) because the EU were banning too powerful vacuums. So the smart meter didn't inform his change, but a misunderstanding about the EU legislation on vacuum cleaners.

Another goody is that people who have a smart meter are better able to understand their bill! As the bill is the same regardless of meter type, there is no logic here unless they are saying that as soon as you get a smart meter, you get extra brain cells which help to read a bill. The report is full of lovely puzzling statistics like that.

Carrot007

TBH I miss my smart meter.

Had one in the old property but moved.

Now got an out of cert dial meter that scottish power do not seem to worry about changing!

You would have though I would be at the top of the list given it's actually out of cert but hey ho.

SailorSam

One of my neighbours was telling me he'd just had a smart meter fitted by BG, but he felt like he'd been conned. They told him he'd get free energy at weekends but now found out that comes at a price, as he's gone on an expensive tariff.

Micron

gsmlnx wrote: »

Has anyone read the full report and not just the article?

Well that report was a riveting read, 'full of lovely puzzling statistics' you're certainly not wrong there gsmlnx
As for the IT consultant case study, if he boiled the amount of water he needed at the time he needed it the cost in electricity would be no more than having it boiled all at once and storing it hot, he could have saved himself £80 by not buying the 'thermal hot water boiler, which insulates your water once it’s hot. It uses a fraction of the wattage, so there are no more spikes', who thinks up all this twaddle?

[Deleted User]

gsmlnx wrote: »

Has anyone read the full report and not just the article?
Some of the report makes you wonder.
For example, the first case study has a user with a 22KW domestic vacuum cleaner! That means at 240V, the vacuum uses 91 Amps of power. I think they really got that wrong, really wrong. The user says he has got rid of the vacuum (good job if it used that much power) because the EU were banning too powerful vacuums. So the smart meter didn't inform his change, but a misunderstanding about the EU legislation on vacuum cleaners.

Another goody is that people who have a smart meter are better able to understand their bill! As the bill is the same regardless of meter type, there is no logic here unless they are saying that as soon as you get a smart meter, you get extra brain cells which help to read a bill. The report is full of lovely puzzling statistics like that.

22 kw vacuum cleaner would have to be some sort of huge industrial machine. I think they have missed the decimal point and its 2.2 kw.. which still makes it quite a greedy user of power for a hoover.
I can t believe that 33% of people with smart meters check the IHD gizmo daily..Yes, maybe when they first get their new toy for a few weeks.Then its stuffed in a drawer never to be seen again.

Sosumi

A 22 kW device would attempt to draw over 7 times the 3 kW a conventional 13 amp plug and socket will supply before the fuse blows and/or the trip switch triggers to prevent the ring main and the property’s wiring being overloaded.

Sosumi

SailorSam wrote: »

One of my neighbours was telling me he'd just had a smart meter fitted by BG, but he felt like he'd been conned. They told him he'd get free energy at weekends but now found out that comes at a price, as he's gone on an expensive tariff.

He has been conned: by British Gas.

WILLRUK

I thought I'd add my own recent experience and comments to this thread.
We've just had Electric and Gas Smart meters installed last Saturday via OVO Energy ( A small independent supplier we opted for via the MSE Energy Club). I had an irrational belief that I would get true cost and consumption figures

I contacted OVO earlier this week as I noticed the kW/hr rates showing on the "In Home Display" (IHD) for each fuel are higher those of our contract - curiously the daily standing charge is lower.

This is the text of the email reply I've just received.........

Hello Mr Richardson,

Thank you for your email this afternoon, I have had a look in to your account in regards to your query. I can confirm that you are currently being billed to the the rates that you agreed when you started the contract on the 10th February 2016, these have not changed due to the Smart meter installation.
I have contacted our Smart metering department to find out why the In Home Display is showing different rates. They have advised me that these rates that are showing are variable rates and are not actually based on your consumption. I have asked if we can get these changed for you and unfortunately we can not get them amended.
The In Home display is to just give you an idea of your usage and clocks what you have used since you have had the Smart meters installed.
The best place to see your current rates and usage would be on your My Ovo account or on your monthly Statements.

I hope this has been of some assistance to you, have a lovely week.

Kind regards,


Phyllida
Customer Service Advisor

Where do you start to pull this apart? A smart Meter that can't accurately tell you the cost of the your consumption? what a joke. All I can confidently expect is for the Smart Meters to tell me what the consumption is - which funnily enough is what the old 'dumb' meters used to do.

Has anyone else had this experience? And can anyone suggest where /who to escalate this to? Ofgen?

Thanks in advance