Switching Supplier & Smart Meter

griffinrob

I have a smart meter with First Utility.

If I switch to another supplier like E.ON, will the meter still work?

[Deleted User]

As a dumb meter it will so you can send E.ON your own readings.
As a smart meter no.

System

google it, this question comes up daily. Its got to the time when I think the question is being planted by Stopsmartmeters.org UK followers just for a chance that posters on here can really get stuck into the smart meter roll out for a good old slagging off..answer to your question is easier to find on Google and if you can t be bothered to do that then I will give you my answer.YES it "will still work "..but remote readings to the supplier will not.You will have to revert back to what you have always done in the past and take 10 seconds to get the reading direct from the meter, and the "meter " is not the In House Display freebie gadget you got with your F.U. smart.

EachPenny

House_Martin wrote: »

YES it "will still work "..but remote readings to the supplier will not.

This of course is the equivalent of a used car salesman saying a car is in "perfect condition" because the engine starts first-time, despite the car having no gearbox, transmission or wheels.

System

Haha, your logic baffles me EachPenny..You are very amusing., odd ,but amusing anyway

EachPenny

House_Martin wrote: »

Haha, your logic baffles me EachPenny..

It shouldn't baffle you, the logic is quite simple. It is misleading to say something "works" when a key feature of the thing is disabled.

gsmlnx answered the OP's question in a clear and simple way. Your post just muddied the water with confusing and irrelevant information.

To continue the used car analogy - gsmlnx's post is the equivalent of saying "well the engine works so the car will be warm and you can listen to music, but forget it if driving to 'B' is what you want".

Your post is the equivalent of saying "Everything's fine. Ok, so if you want to get to 'B' you'll need to push it, but apart from that it is a great little runabout, and don't listen to the pro-car lobbying idiots, driving cars is bad for the environment, pushing is much better for the little bunnies and won't kill lots of children with air pollution. And who would want to go to 'B' anyway? ...[continues for the next 200 words]"

System

OK, I ll spar with you ( are you an ex lawyer ? )..Definition of a meter in my Oxford dictionary "meter -a device which measure and records the quantity,degree,or rate of something "..Smart meter does exactly that, and continues to do exactly the same job when its "extra " usage of remote readings is taken away.It still works as a meter, nickname is "dumb " meter.. Forget your car anology, its not relevent.Thats like saying the car does not work as a car because the cruise control/aircon/air bags/and every other possible extra is nt working.. Its still a car and will transport you from A to B..

EachPenny

House_Martin wrote: »

Forget your car anology, its not relevent.Thats like saying the car does not work as a car because the cruise control/aircon/air bags/and every other possible extra is nt working.. Its still a car and will transport you from A to B..

The ability to communicate back to big brother is what makes a smart meter 'smart'. It's not really an optional extra.

gsmlnx answered the OP's question clearly and accurately in one and a half lines. There was no need to add conspiracy theories about 'planted' questions.

Former_E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc

griffinrob wrote: »

I have a smart meter with First Utility.

If I switch to another supplier like E.ON, will the meter still work?

Hello griffinrob and welcome to the Forums.

I don't know about the smart meters used by First Utility in particular but, when changing supplier with this type of meter, you'll usually lose certain facilities. With our smart meters this includes the ability to send readings remotely. This will mean they'll have to be read manually.

Being able to change supplier without losing smart capability is something the industry has been working on for quite a time now. A centralised database looked after by the Data Communications Company (DCC) is being set up to look after the Smart network for all suppliers. They'll pass readings to the current supplier. Overall, the aim is to make it possible for customers to switch supplier without losing smart capability. We're also looking to introduce a new type of meter (SMETS2) and this will help too.

For now, though, switching to us will more than likely mean your meters will revert to a dumb type and need to be read manually.

Hope this is of interest.

Malc