Meter not compatible for switch

AndyVandy

I'm a bit confused here. just tried to switch to Toto from British Gas, as it is showing up on the cheap energy club as my best option (over£400) a year. Toto told me though that my Smart meter needed upgrading first by British Gas as it wasn't compatible. I called BG but they said it was only installed less than 2 years ago. it says on it (Landis +Gyr E470). So I called Toto back and was told that they couldn't supply this type of meter and that I would probably have this problem elsewhere? Am i now tied to British Gas then? seems a bit odd to me. I might call some others but the next cheap quote from a company with no 'warnings' is 50 quid more.

Any advice much appreciated.

molerat

This has come up before. You should be able to change to any supplier (except Toto) but your smart meter will become just a normal (difficult to read manually) meter.

AndyVandy

Ah OK. Thanks molerat. newbie here. Classic school boy error - should have probably have searched first. Bummer though that I can't use Toto, Avro are next on list then (after Iresa and Economy Energy - who I will give a miss). Again thanks.

House_Martin

Landis and Gyr E470 is The latest electric smart meter which Landis and Gyr say is compatible with SMETS2 if and when the DCC becomes live. It is fine in use as a dumb credit meter with everyone else except those who use the dreadful Secure Liberty smart meters which hail from the U.S.
. Ovo and Utilita and now Eon have been stupid enough to get sucked into fitting these meters because they do not care about their customers, particularly the elderly and the problems they will have in reading them manually.
The problem with the E470 is when it is used in smart prepayment mode. Different suppliers may have their own systems
.Why on earth they don`t all just pick one good designed electric smart meter which is compatible with all suppliers in credit and prepay mode is baffling seeing as how they all used the same dumb electric key/card prepay meter type with dumb meters.
Meter fitters look like they will always be employed constantly switching meters at over £100 a time every time someone switches supplier.

David_RC

I believe you can insist BG take the smart meter away and install a standard meter since to refuse blocks your access to some competitive offers from competing suppliers. I think there is a time limit on this reversal option so you may be out of time to try this.
I had npower visit today to convert my gas and electricity to smart meters. They went away having failed, since there's no mobile phone signal at my meter cupboard. If they had asked before visiting I could have saved them a trip.
The real reason the rush to smart meters is in full flood his not openly discussed much. When pricing can be adjusted on a minute-by-minute basis using smart meters then time-differential pricing will be introduced. This will allow massive savings by lowering the installed generation capacity needed to meet peak demand, since the hope is that people will avoid the 6-8pm usage peak by adjusting behaviour.
Incidentally the use of mobile phone signals is old technology. It is perfectly possible to use the existing mains supply cabling to send meter signals to the power supplier, but vested interests steered the decision away from the one that would have benefitted the consumer the most.

AndyVandy

i think that just because it's too much hassle I am going to stick with meter and change to Avro - if it's possible. This whole smart meter thing just doesn't seem right to me. It seems mad that a company can fit a meter that effectively prevents you from having free choice when you leave. Thanks all though for the replies.

worried_jim

Another reason not to get a so called smart meter installed.

adam_l

I had exactly the same problem.

British Gas refused when I ask them to take away my smart metre and install a old one.

I think toto energy are the real culprits here as I don't think that actually allowed to refuse to take over an account. British Gas said the reason they do that is because they don't want the costs associated with maintaining a smart metre if and when it goes wrong. Not sure if that's correct but that is what they said.

Having said that I do think British Gas should have made customers aware that the smart meter would not transfer to other suppliers before they fitted it. Particularly as they will not take it away. And that it's much more difficult to read manually than your standard dumb meter.


I share your frustration this whole thing is a complete nightmare and a total waste of resource. When is m p smart meter not a smart meter? Right here right now! Crap and Stupid.

System

Why would a supplier agree to change a meter just because a customer wants to change supplier? All smart meters work perfectfully well in a dumb mode. Indeed, it is likely in the future that when a meter change is needed for end-of-life reasons - and the consumer is unwilling to accept a smart meter - that the supplier will just fit a smart meter with the comms hub disabled. I am struggling to see why TOTO will not just accept meter readings. People may be asking the wrong question.

momist

I too have been looking at Toto, and trying to do some research online about them. Many reports say their sales 'engineers' are going around signing people up on the doorstep for smart meters as a way of recruiting new customers. I get the overall impression that their business model is to fit as many smart meters as possible to get the govt. incentives that way, regardless of charging anyone the right amount for their energy usage. Customer service is great while you switch and then falls to zero. They will not be interested in any customer who already has a smart meter, as they wouldn't get the bonus for changing your meter.
I've decided to steer clear of them.

footyguy

David_RC wrote: »

I believe you can insist BG take the smart meter away and install a standard meter since to refuse blocks your access to some competitive offers from competing suppliers. I think there is a time limit on this reversal option so you may be out of time to try this.
I had npower visit today to convert my gas and electricity to smart meters. They went away having failed, since there's no mobile phone signal at my meter cupboard. If they had asked before visiting I could have saved them a trip.
The real reason the rush to smart meters is in full flood his not openly discussed much. When pricing can be adjusted on a minute-by-minute basis using smart meters then time-differential pricing will be introduced. This will allow massive savings by lowering the installed generation capacity needed to meet peak demand, since the hope is that people will avoid the 6-8pm usage peak by adjusting behaviour.
Incidentally the use of mobile phone signals is old technology. It is perfectly possible to use the existing mains supply cabling to send meter signals to the power supplier, but vested interests steered the decision away from the one that would have benefitted the consumer the most.

I am unware of this right, and would welcome any official source you may have to substantiate this belief.

How would that tally with the aim to have everyone on smart meters by 2020?
(I think EDF many years ago offered the option, at least according to their website, to have a smart meter they installed removed, but that that suggestion was removed from their website years ago too)

All the supplier does is turns off the smart function, so that the meter works as a dumb meter (and no data is transmitted to anyone)
If there happens to be an odd supplier that is unable or unwilling to accept this type of meter, that is not the fault of the existing supplier. Most suppliers will accept those with smart meters (but the smart function will no longer operate)