Smart Meters

sparrowhawk123

Correct me if I’m mistaken, but we are in agreement that smart meters have the potential to be a risk from surveillance, privacy and hacking, and also that each person has a right to make their own decision as to whether or not to install RF-EMF Radiating Devices in, on, or near their homes.
At the deepest level of biology the human body is electric, and every cell in the human body communicates using tiny electric signalling. We have evolved with the natural levels of EMFs produced by both the sun and world around us, over the last one hundred years Non Native Electromagnetic Field Radiation has increased by millions, and the harmful effects of such technologies (and unnatural levels of EMF) are increasingly being recognised and reported.
EMF is a hugely complicated subject for most people (or is that just me) and the electromagnetic spectrum refers to a range of different types of Electromagnetic Radiation all with different characteristics and effects on the human body. There has been a huge increase in the non-native RF-EMF in the last few decades (which seems to be increasing daily), and those responsible seem to be completely ignoring the 100's, if not 1000's, of peer-reviewed published scientific papers demonstrating biological damage at non-thermal levels. 
As an example for almost every well established carcinogen ever  identified, from cigarettes to asbestos, the evidence of risk preceded our understanding of the mechanism by many years, if not decades.
Humans are functionally electromagnetic, and to not follow the “precautionary principle” and to continue to increase our exposure to non-native RF-EMF, and ignore peer-reviewed published scientific research demonstrating biological damage at non-thermal levels is totally irresponsible.

Don’t be put off by the jokes and the mockery of different viewpoints, look at other sources of research and make your own fully informed decisions.

Talldave

If you're so anti anything electrical, why are you on the internet?

sparrowhawk123

I think I've contributed enough on this forum for now, I'll leave it up to those who want to take the subject seriously decide for themselves what choices they feel is right for them and the people around them

G3ZDM

According to Bulb, they can now read my SMETS1 meter
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Good news. We’re now able to take automatic readings from your electricity and gas smart meters. This means you won’t have to send us meter readings again and your statements will be as accurate as possible.

From 6 August 2020, we’ll start automatically taking a meter reading every day.

You can see these readings online in your Bulb account. And we’re working on new ways to show how much you’re using and to help you cut down on your energy usage. We’ll have new features in your Bulb account this summer.

We can take readings more or less frequently
If you’d rather we take a reading every half hour, or only once per month, let us know and we’ll Good news. We’re now able to take automatic readings from your electricity and gas smart meters. This means you won’t have to send us meter readings again and your statements will be as accurate as possible.

From 6 August 2020, we’ll start automatically taking a meter reading every day.

You can see these readings online in your Bulb account. And we’re working on new ways to show how much you’re using and to help you cut down on your energy usage. We’ll have new features in your Bulb account this summer.

We can take readings more or less frequently

If you’d rather we take a reading every half hour, or only once per month, let us know and we’ll change your automatic reading frequency.

The first generation of smart meters couldn’t talk to most suppliers

It’s taken a while for us to be able to read your smart meter because it’s one of the first generation of smart meters, which weren’t able to communicate with most energy suppliers. That’s been fixed now, so we can take your meter readings automatically from now on.

The first generation of smart meters couldn’t talk to most suppliers
It’s taken a while for us to be able to read your smart meter because it’s one of the first generation of smart meters, which weren’t able to communicate with most energy suppliers. That’s been fixed now, so we can take your meter readings automatically from now on.
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 Quite pleased about that as I wasn't expecting any action this year...
Chris Muriel, Manchester

carl.waring

Good news! Confirms it's not just nPower doing this

MothballsWallet

carl.waring said:

No-one has ever actually said that they can, in and of themselves, reduce your energy bills. Certainly not any energy company that I know of. Nor any proponent for their use. It would be complete nonsense to state that as a fact as it is simply not true. So that's not another reason to dislike them because it's simply not true.

There was this from March 2019's Which? about Smart Energy GB (a company set up to represent the industry for smart metering) misleading people in a radio ad about smart meters, a complaint that was upheld.

carl.waring

We all make mistakes. But that was also just down to clarity of message by the looks of it. 

Although Smart Energy GB asserted that the advert qualifies that savings are possible by reducing wastage, not the smart meter itself, the ASA upheld the complaints.

MothballsWallet

carl.waring said:

We all make mistakes. But that was also just down to clarity of message by the looks of it. 

Although Smart Energy GB asserted that the advert qualifies that savings are possible by reducing wastage, not the smart meter itself, the ASA upheld the complaints.

IIRC, they still maintained the line about "smart meters can save you money" in the main section of the ad, only mentioning reducing wastage in the small print (or the very end of a radio ad - I remember these ads well on my local commercial radio station) and only said that when the ASA investigated.

carl.waring

And that's why the complaints were upheld. Like I said, just went about it the wrong way.

AquaCaro

AquaCaro said:

Good afternoon.  
I had a smart meter fitted by EON last year. I was told that these were being installed in the area and that all households would have these provided.  I was not told it was mandatory.  
Since the meter was installed. I have noticed a steady increase in bills(charges) 
Due to Covid 19 i have worked from home so would expect some increase in charge. EON have contacted me recently to say that I need to double my direct debit.
I have now reviewed my bills prior to SMART meter being installed and post.  My direct debit more that met the cost of my quarterly bills. I am taking daily readings now on my SMART meeting to review.  However checking my usage on the smart meter I an unable to make comparisons as the units used are different.  It looks so complicated. I am contacing the citizens advice bureau to discuss.as I do not think the usage reflected in my bills is actually what I am using.  
I have read some of the comments on here and see that some of gone onto special rates. I did not go onto a plan I am on a standard plan.  However I was not advised to go onto a plan by the company.  
Anyone have a similar experience? or can offer any advice.  On my experience I would advise people not to get them put in. 

Just want to update on this.  I switched to Octupus from Eon.  My recent monthly bills are now half what they were with EOn. I would encourage anyone to switch.  I think being at home during lockdown made me realise how little I used and the bills that came in (I was on a standard tariff just kept going up) did not reflect the usage.  If anyone would like to discuss please let me know. it was all automated by Octopus and was relatively straightforward. EON was impossilbe to get hold of on the phone and charged me double for the final bill and reading which I only got back last week.  I switched in July! 

thanks everyone for their replies here.