Smart meters not worth the bother?

Chomeur

Just got off the phone to British Gas about installing smart meters for gas and electricity. I understand:

1. Installation of each will take an hour, during which the electricity has to be turned off.
2. British Gas pay for it in full.
3. Once installed British Gas will get meter readings automatically so I won't need to bother.
4. If I switch supplier the meter will still work as a meter but readings won't get sent to the new supplier.
5. I get some sort of monitor so I can see how much gas and electricity I am using.

I couldn't care about the monitor. I switch supplier every three years or so and read the meters about every six months. So staying in for an engineer and having no electricity for two hours will save me from reading my meters about half a dozen times over the next few years. Not worth it is it? If it wasn't for point 4 above I'd do it, but as it is it doesn't seem worth the bother.

Farway

You are pushing at an open door on this forum. Loads of threads on here coming to much the same conclusion, ignoring the tin foil hat brigade of course

NineDeuce

Smart meters in the end will become obligatory, so you will have it done at some point.

Further to what you say though, I can tell that you arent that bothered though. You would save a lot of money if you switched every year rather than every 3.

Carrot007

Of course regardless of wheather you get a smart meter or not you will end up wiating in to get the meter changed at some point. They do not last forever!

Though who knows. nmy meter is 1.5 years overdue a change. Though maybe the government has allowed em this at the moment so they can concentrate on installing smart by area.

Chomeur

NineDeuce wrote: »

Smart meters in the end will become obligatory, so you will have it done at some point.

Further to what you say though, I can tell that you arent that bothered though. You would save a lot of money if you switched every year rather than every 3.

It looks like quite an opportune moment to switch from British Gas now actually. But it sounds like I might make more money than I would save by spending my time inventing a useless product, tacking words like "smart" and "eco" onto it, and lobbying the government to make its purchase obligatory.

Ilona

Chomeur wrote: »

It looks like quite an opportune moment to switch from British Gas now actually. But it sounds like I might make more money than I would save by spending my time inventing a useless product, tacking words like "smart" and "eco" onto it, and lobbying the government to make its purchase obligatory.

I can't understand why you are speaking to BG about Smart Meters, if you don't want one. They are not compulsory yet.

Ilona

Al_Ross

The last I read was they are not even standardized yet. If you change suppliers they might be of no benefit.

I am personally waiting until such time that hopefully they will be.

Chomeur

Ilona wrote: »

I can't understand why you are speaking to BG about Smart Meters, if you don't want one. They are not compulsory yet.

Ilona

I didn't know all this when I spoke to them.

Soot2006

I found it really useful for the first few months, helped me work out how/when we were using too much elec/gas. Haven't looked at it since.

The accurate meter readings are handy I guess, because I'm quite lazy. Other than that ...

Norman_Castle

Chomeur wrote: »

2. British Gas pay for it in full.

Customers pay for them through their bills. They're free for the suppliers.

Ilona

Chomeur wrote: »

I didn't know all this when I spoke to them.

Just tell them that you don't want one. Easy.

Ilona