Smart Meter Shock Report.

Wilt

I had smart meters installed by BG when I wanted to switch to single rate just after moving house - have since moved to Sainsburys Energy and as they are just a BG white label my smart meters are working fine - including showing the correct rates on the IHD.

So I'm quite happy, count me as part of the 80%.

[Deleted User]

The OVO smart meter is a Liberty Secure model, only used by OVO and Utilita. It is installed a lot when prepayment meter users switch to them when they offer a free smart meter.
I wonder if WILTUK lives in Northern Ireland where the same model of meter, the smart keypad meter made by Liberty, is only a semi smart meter with no actual direct connection with the supplier, so maybe the tariff details can t be updated if they re incorrect.
Here in the UK it gets a lot of bad revues because once OVO have you in their clutches with this meter its very hard to get away from them without a big exit fee. The Liberty meter is not compatible with most of the other suppliers in prepayment mode and has to be changed yet again to be rid of it.

C_Mababejive

Its no surprise that the survey is so favourable since it was commissioned by Smart GB !

Thats like Apple commissioning a survey that says 95% of people think iphones are brilliant.

Saving money on energy is not rocket science and it doesnt require a smart meter to do it.

joncombe

Well if Smart Metering was all about simply saving people from having to take a meter reading and providing an in home display I am not surprised by a favourable result.

That might be all that they are being used for at the moment, but I think that will change. I suspect a survey would give a different result if (or, most likely when) we get "time of use" charging which I think is very likely and what I suspect is the real reason why smart meters are being pushed. In Australia suppliers are already planning to (if not alread implemented) of having "Critical Peak Pricing" where prices can be up to 10 times higher at times of high usage or low supply. It might start with the carrot approach of British Gas of "free" electricity at certain times, but I'm sure the stick will come.

It is not hard to see why this might happen. Many traditional power stations have been shut down. Theresa May appears to be dithering over Hinkley Point. But I don't believe Solar and Wind can ever by a complete alterantive. It is common in the winter (where days are short) to have very cold weather, overcast skies and little or no wind. There might also be a covering of snow on solar panels. At times like this demand will be high (for lighting and heating) and supply low.

Smart Meters also provide the ability for the supplier to remotely shut off the supply or switch to pre-payment. I have concerns over how secure this is, especially over the typial life of a meter (say 20 years). Imagine the chaos if someone works out how to hack this and shut off peoples supply or send fake meter reading. You hear about website being hacked all the time and if a vulnrability is discovered we will then likely have to arrange for a visit so the software can be upgraded to fix it. 0

I'll be opting out for as long as I am able.

MothballsWallet

Perhaps we should all have our own thorium reactors in our back gardens?

[Deleted User]

joncombe wrote: »

Well if Smart Metering was all about simply saving people from having to take a meter reading and providing an in home display I am not surprised by a favourable result.

That might be all that they are being used for at the moment, but I think that will change. I suspect a survey would give a different result if (or, most likely when) we get "time of use" charging which I think is very likely and what I suspect is the real reason why smart meters are being pushed. In Australia suppliers are already planning to (if not alread implemented) of having "Critical Peak Pricing" where prices can be up to 10 times higher at times of high usage or low supply. It might start with the carrot approach of British Gas of "free" electricity at certain times, but I'm sure the stick will come.
It is not hard to see why this might happen. Many traditional power stations have been shut down. Theresa May appears to be dithering over Hinkley Point. But I don't believe Solar and Wind can ever by a complete alterantive. It is common in the winter (where days are short) to have very cold weather, overcast skies and little or no wind. There might also be a covering of snow on solar panels. At times like this demand will be high (for lighting and heating) and supply low.

Smart Meters also provide the ability for the supplier to remotely shut off the supply or switch to pre-payment. I have concerns over how secure this is, especially over the typial life of a meter (say 20 years). Imagine the chaos if someone works out how to hack this and shut off peoples supply or send fake meter reading. You hear about website being hacked all the time and if a vulnrability is discovered we will then likely have to arrange for a visit so the software can be upgraded to fix it. 0

I'll be opting out for as long as I am able.

I m more concerned about a hacker getting into my online banking rather than my leccy bills or my meter .They re welcome to hack away if they like. its a waste of time for them and there is no money in it for them, at least not my money !