Smart Meters

littlerock

This is EDF. They surveyed my cellar around 18 months ago and said not enough signal for a smart meter to work.

pokerpodge2005

Hi All and thanks for all the replys


I spoke with EDF and the £80 a month is a fixed month amount on their blueprice fix promise plan till june 2018 if I wish to take it, my bills would be spread out over 12 months @ £80 a month on direct debit, based on 10500kwh gas 3500kwh electric usage which they took from the meters when I transferred both meters to them in april.


To get off the pre-payments and go direct debit, I would need to have been a EDF customer for 30 days and then they could change me over to credit meters.


I rang EDF on the 31st day and asked for my meters to be changed to credit meters, so I was transferred to the gas and electric department, the gas department advised me I can have a normal credit meter in 2/3 weeks, but when I spoke to the electric department they didn't have any engineer visits available for 6 months, but to ring back a few days later to check for cancellations.


so i rang back a few days later, and there were still no electric visits available, I did this a few times until one customer service adviser told me that they could make me eligible for smart meters and this would take a week or so.


so I waited and received a letter a few weeks ago, advising me that im eligible now, and to book an engineer visit to fit the smart meters.


the problems with smart meters is literally putting me off the whole idea and i'm thinking of just transferring my gas over to normal credit meters and hoping I can get a electric credit meter in the future.


kind regards


Gary

House_Martin

Gary
Its more important for you to get off prepay tariffs asap, before the winter to get onto the cheapest 1 year direct debit fix, which could be 25% less than you are paying now.Doesnt really matter if EDFs smart meter doesnt work smart with other suppliers for the time being..The smaller suppliers are hopeless at fitting smarts anyway and could be 10 years before they get their act together.Meantime you can be doing a yearly switch to whoever offers the lowest tariffs and be saving hundreds, so accept EDFs smart meter, it is normal credit meter when you leave EDF as you surely will when you look at the latest deals on a comp site...I did the same from BG to Robin Hood Energy earlier this year to save 25% on BGs best fix.

EachPenny

pokerpodge2005 wrote: »

To get off the pre-payments and go direct debit, I would need to have been a EDF customer for 30 days and then they could change me over to credit meters.

I rang EDF on the 31st day and asked for my meters to be changed to credit meters, so I was transferred to the gas and electric department, the gas department advised me I can have a normal credit meter in 2/3 weeks, but when I spoke to the electric department they didn't have any engineer visits available for 6 months, but to ring back a few days later to check for cancellations.
...
the problems with smart meters is literally putting me off the whole idea and i'm thinking of just transferring my gas over to normal credit meters and hoping I can get a electric credit meter in the future.

Your situation is a little bit different to the normal position of someone being told they are getting smart meters. You are one of the few people who could genuinely save money by having a smart meter fitted sooner rather than later, albeit the savings only apply for the time period between the meter being fitted and the date you would have been able to get a standard credit meter fitted if you wait.

At the end of the day the choice is yours. If saving money for a few months is important to you then getting whatever meter they can fit asap might make sense. But the problems with the current generation of smart meters remain, despite the protests of some posters that it is all being made up by 'OAP's with nothing better to do.:(

As a consumer I'd be asking myself why EdF were so keen to give me a smart meter, and why they are making it so difficult to have a standard one. Swapping a PP meter for a standard credit one is a simple 5 minute task, fitting a smart meter takes much longer. If it were me I would be complaining to the highest levels of EdF about the delay in getting standard credit meters installed, and be prepared to go to the ombudsman and/or my MP. Energy companies should prioritise swapping PP meters for credit ones, regardless of the type of meter you prefer - after all they do claim it is your choice whether or not to have a smart meter.

In making a decision you have lots of information available to you. Personally, I'd question the advice of someone who appears to be a cheerleader for the company they may (or may not) work for (it is all a bit confusing) and why they feel it necessary to denigrate the suggestions of others using personal comments of the 'OAP' kind.

House_Martin wrote: »

Gary, there are no real problems with smart meters.We have a few posters on here who have made it their hobby to denigrate and run every smart meter positive down and find some negatives to boast about. At first it was electromagnetic radiation which was their number one negative which they now have forgot about.Hacking security was another pathetic attempt too.They are left with just the SMETS1 and SMETS2 excuse as their last stand even though the latest meters available work in SMETS1 and 2
BG have fitted a few million smart meters in the last 10 years with virtually no problems whatsoever. I have been reading their meters all this time and can t remember any user have a problem.They are just a little surprised that BG want to access the meters every few years even though they work faultlessly, and all the latest smart meters they should be fitting operate DEFINITELY in SMETS2 (Landis and Gyr zigbee meters ) whatever some posters might infer in their little anti smart hobby they have developed.Please don t lose money by listening to a couple of outsiders and their latest hobby.They are just a couple of OAPs with nothing better to moan about.
....

Unless, for example, you count the tiny problem of several million meters not being interoperable with other suppliers systems (a bit of a snag given the encouragement we get to switch) - requiring a costly and as yet undetermined remedial action.

pooch

littlerock wrote: »

my electric meter is in basement where no signals are available. (we cannot even get WiFi or phone signal at back of house let alone in cellar. ) EDF who have previously surveyed my cellar and agreed cannot install a smart a meter due to no signal, regularly send me mail shots saying government has told them everyone must be converted to smart meters by 2020 and can they come and fit mine please.

I regularly phone them and explain why it would be pointless and they agree and promise to endorse my account record to say this. Now they have strated up again. Your ,electric meter needs replacing as it is old ( no it is not, and it is working fine but it is not a smart meter ) so we need to come and install a smart meter to replace it. They are now harassing me by email.

Do I just let them come and find out the hard way? or would that be storing up more grief for future?

Your earlier threaed about this can be found here
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=5678568

Best to stick to that one thread or you will only confuse yourself even more :cool:

House_Martin

EachPenny wrote: »

Your situation is a little bit different to the normal position of someone being told they are getting smart meters. You are one of the few people who could genuinely save money by having a smart meter fitted sooner rather than later, albeit the savings only apply for the time period between the meter being fitted and the date you would have been able to get a standard credit meter fitted if you wait.

At the end of the day the choice is yours. If saving money for a few months is important to you then getting whatever meter they can fit asap might make sense. But the problems with the current generation of smart meters remain, despite the protests of some posters that it is all being made up by 'OAP's with nothing better to do.:(

As a consumer I'd be asking myself why EdF were so keen to give me a smart meter, and why they are making it so difficult to have a standard one. Swapping a PP meter for a standard credit one is a simple 5 minute task, fitting a smart meter takes much longer. If it were me I would be complaining to the highest levels of EdF about the delay in getting standard credit meters installed, and be prepared to go to the ombudsman and/or my MP. Energy companies should prioritise swapping PP meters for credit ones, regardless of the type of meter you prefer - after all they do claim it is your choice whether or not to have a smart meter.

In making a decision you have lots of information available to you. Personally, I'd question the advice of someone who appears to be a cheerleader for the company they may (or may not) work for (it is all a bit confusing) and why they feel it necessary to denigrate the suggestions of others using personal comments of the 'OAP' kind.



Unless, for example, you count the tiny problem of several million meters not being interoperable with other suppliers systems (a bit of a snag given the encouragement we get to switch) - requiring a costly and as yet undetermined remedial action.

Did nt you know EachPenny, BG are unique in that they have the largest share of the market by a country mile..They have a very loyal customer base who stick with them regardless of costs..Maybe its because they are still thought of as the "gas board " or the old uns like the moniker "British Gas "..I know what the average customer base is because I ve been chatting to them for the last 20 years. They are mostly.OAPs, like me..I work for BG and others still on agency work now on a "as when required basis ", usually on Friday and Saturday when short staffed, because I retired a few months ago..nothing confusing about that except to you maybe
BG were the first to fit smart meters because it deterred customers from switching and losing the smart function of their fit and forget meters accurately billed year in year out..That counts a lot..I admit that the suppliers still fit useless SMETS 1 s now, when they do not have to fit them, they could buy the latest SMETS2 meters but they have taken the lead of BG entrapping customers, they think, in their smart meters in a bid to keep them from switching..Only BG have that loyal customer base though..EDF dont have it. and I would advise the OP to accept the latest smart meter by EDF even if its an out of date SMETS1 meter and use it as a "dumb " meter .It could be many years down the line before someone turns up with a SMETS2 compliant meter, meantime OP is losing a possible £200 quid a year on good fixed tariff deals .Its no big deal to have a dumb meter anyway for a few years so long as at least 4 reads a year are sent in.
swapping smart meters is nt much different from dumb meters except the fitter has to pair the IHD and also pair the gas meter with the electric meter .I think it would probably be an extra 10 mins if all go`s well on a standard dumb meter swap.They both take much longer than 5 mins each whatever.. I d say 30 mins for a switch with no probs, thats how long my electric meter took, same for the gas smart with system supposed to be purged after the switch.

SpotlandRules

The only thing I use my smart meter for is to take daily readings, to ensure my direct debit is on target.

EachPenny

House_Martin wrote: »

Did nt you know EachPenny, BG are unique in that they have the largest share of the market by a country mile..They have a very loyal customer base who stick with them regardless of costs..

Kind of odd that someone working for BG talks of their 'loyal customer base' but then in the next sentence makes an accusation that BG are 'entrapping customers'

House_Martin wrote: »

...but they have taken the lead of BG entrapping customers, they think, in their smart meters in a bid to keep them from switching..Only BG have that loyal customer base though...

House_Martin wrote: »

I would advise the OP to accept the latest smart meter by EDF even if its an out of date SMETS1 meter and use it as a "dumb " meter .It could be many years down the line before someone turns up with a SMETS2 compliant meter, meantime OP is losing a possible £200 quid a year on good fixed tariff deals .Its no big deal to have a dumb meter anyway for a few years so long as at least 4 reads a year are sent in.

The OP would only lose a 'possible £200' per year for as many additional weeks it takes to get a standard credit meter versus a smart meter. It is up to the OP to make that call - how much are they willing to pay in order to wait the extra time needed to get a non-smart meter.

House_Martin

No, he wants to accept the smart meter and leave EDF pronto for the smaller suppliers with his new smart meter now acting as a "dumb " meter , and dont mess about waiting for EDF to muck him about waiting for a credit meter. They obviously are playing the same entrapment game as BG play. EDF will probably install a SMETS1 Landys and Gyr e470 electric smart meter which is accepted by everyone else as a dumb meter.The big 6 are being thrashed by the little guys and have been for some time.
Eachpenny, I can t see the connection with me commenting on BGs well known loyal customer base and my accusations of slightly underhand tactics by fitting useless SMETS1 still, when SMETS1 and 2 meters are all there ready to take over now. I am not interested if they claim they are "running down old stock ", fitting useless SMETS1 s... send the old ones back to Landys Gyr for the new ones which will work with anyone next year. I often have a go at BG for their little tricks they have played over the years.They are the masters when it comes to marketing..They are one of the most expensive suppliers but still claim easily the biggest share of the UK market..

EachPenny

House_Martin wrote: »

Eachpenny, I can t see the connection with me commenting on BGs well known loyal customer base and my accusations of slightly underhand tactics by fitting useless SMETS1 still, when SMETS1 and 2 meters are all there ready to take over now. I am not interested if they claim they are "running down old stock ", fitting useless SMETS1 s... send the old ones back to Landys Gyr for the new ones which will work with anyone next year. I often have a go at BG for their little tricks they have played over the years.They are the masters when it comes to marketing..They are one of the most expensive suppliers but still claim easily the biggest share of the UK market..

It's quite simple. Your 'insider' knowledge of BG has confirmed what many of us using MSE have known for years. Customers are loyal to the established names in the energy market, yet those very same established names use 'entrapment' and 'little tricks'.

When it comes to things like energy, insurance, breakdown cover, banking etc from a customer viewpoint loyalty now sadly equates to something like stupidity.

Since these established names are so keen to get everyone on a smart meter - yet are the same companies who use 'entrapment' and 'little tricks' - then surely the savvy consumer will find out what the company wants them to do, and then do precisely the opposite?

You want me to have a smart meter because it will take a bit longer for you to fit a standard meter? "No thanks, I think I'll wait".

....That is the though process consumers like the OP really ought to be going through, rather than simply accepting the advice of the big energy companies - and their employees - through any misplaced sense of loyalty.