Smart Meter install

castle96

Iresa have told me they will be fitting a smart meter. I have no particular need for one and hear that when you switch suppliers this may cause problems with the new supplier/not compatible.... ?
I can refuse one - yes ?

Robin9

Yes you can - its just a meter that as long as you are with Iresa might save you a bit of hassle with meter readings and estimated bills.

[Deleted User]

I've just signed up with Green Network Energy, they have the right idea:
"we will only start installing smart meters when we consider the right technology is available".

zeupater

jack_pott wrote: »

I've just signed up with Green Network Energy, they have the right idea:
"we will only start installing smart meters when we consider the right technology is available".

Hi

That's pretty much in line with what many are saying .. it only seems to be the government pushing to meet artificial targets and those in the supply industry looking to maximise revenue who are really pushing hard ...

Brief project reasoning & history contained on this blog/site comes to the same conclusion regarding the right technology & timing ... Smart Meters ...

HTH
Z

Ectophile

The rate of this roll out isn't determined by the electricity suppliers. It's another case of the UK Government being over-eager in implementing EU legislation.

They are having problems that they could do without:-

• Not enough people to install the meters. They need vast armies of people trained to do the install, but who would want to train for a job, when most of them will be made redundant in 2020.
• They are being forced to roll out the obsolete SMETS-1 meters, which rely on the mobile phone network, because the SMETS-2 ones aren't ready yet. Neither is the data network that the SMETS-2 meters are supposed to use.

System

Ectophile wrote: »

The rate of this roll out isn't determined by the electricity suppliers. It's another case of the UK Government being over-eager in implementing EU legislation.

They are having problems that they could do without:-

• Not enough people to install the meters. They need vast armies of people trained to do the install, but who would want to train for a job, when most of them will be made redundant in 2020.
• They are being forced to roll out the obsolete SMETS-1 meters, which rely on the mobile phone network, because the SMETS-2 ones aren't ready yet. Neither is the data network that the SMETS-2 meters are supposed to use.

The data network - The Data Communications Company - was up and running over 12 months ago - albeit, some years late. No one is forcing the suppliers to roll out SMETS1 meters. Insisting on SMETS2 meters today would stall the rollout programme as all SMETS2 meters have to meet stringent tests before they are connected to the new network and this testing is still ongoing.

Work in train:

Our role covers a broad range of duties:

Working with service providers and users to establish the test strategy for the smart metering programme
Assuring that DCC systems, including those of the service providers, have been thoroughly tested and are ready for live operation

Establishing and administering the processes by which prospective Users prove they can interface with the DCC service

Providing facilities for Users, meter manufacturers and other categories of test participants to test the interaction of their meters and back office systems against the DCC service

Managing the resolution of issues that arise during testing

The DCC is also looking at ways of adopting all foundation stage smart meters into its systems.

zeupater

Hengus wrote: »

... The DCC is also looking at ways of adopting all foundation stage smart meters into its systems ...

Hi

Which undoubtedly means taking multiple & disparate systems which were developed on bespoke platforms from the energy suppliers, accepting responsibility for maintaining & managing those networks & interfacing them into what would otherwise be an integrated DCC system ... I seem to remember seeing that a huge additional £sum has been allocated for the DCC to do this!

This just shows how eager the industry was to grab for a share of the £12billion money-pot as soon as they could .... a prime example of PPPPPP being overlooked, leaving the ---PPP mess for someone else to clean-up whilst keeping hold of the funds they've been able to grab ...

When it comes down to it, smart-metering in the UK is nothing more than resurrecting a low £investment 1990's meter-reading cost reduction project which was shelved with the advent of on-line account management, re-branding it & then telling the government how complex & costly it would be & everyone else (ie - us!)that it would be free! ... what better incentive for the industry to jump the gun than the possibility of someone in a decision-making position seeing the light & pulling the plug !? ...

HTH
Z

zeupater

Ectophile wrote: »

The rate of this roll out isn't determined by the electricity suppliers. It's another case of the UK Government being over-eager in implementing EU legislation.

They are having problems that they could do without:-

• Not enough people to install the meters. They need vast armies of people trained to do the install, but who would want to train for a job, when most of them will be made redundant in 2020.
• They are being forced to roll out the obsolete SMETS-1 meters, which rely on the mobile phone network, because the SMETS-2 ones aren't ready yet. Neither is the data network that the SMETS-2 meters are supposed to use.

Hi

It's really more a case that there was too much time/effort applied to the consultation stage & too much emphasis placed on the viewpoint of the industry! ...

If you look at the original EU requirements for this project, there's quite a difference between what we're told 'must' be done & what was classed as 'needs' to be done (touched on briefly in previous history link in #4 above) ... this really means that the basic project requirements could have been delivered with little additional cost, within the defined schedule and all done utilising existing resources ... the centralised DCC costs being offset as a centralised service to streamline the customer change process & replace/reduce administrative duplication throughout the energy supply sector ...

... then again, there's probably little potential for a windfall in such a straightforward & logical approach! ... so guess what !?

HTH
Z

Fred56

I have had smart meters and they don't save anything. Any sensible person uses energy intelligently. Energy companies still read the meters occasionally as an audit. The smart gas meter is a slave to the electric meter and the link fails repeatedly. The cost reading is always wrong because it is not based on your tariff but a deemed tariff.
The smart meter roll out is just the enabling engineering to introduce demand based pricing. The idea is that they can make more money by charging more when people need to use their electricity. For example, most of stop working or get home between 5 and 7 in the evening. They want to be able to charge more during high demand hours because you are a captive customer. It's all about exploitation.
You can refuse a smart meter - everyone with a social conscience should refuse.
Spare a thought for everyone trapped in a area with no gas network, they are stuck with electricity in many cases.

zeupater

Fred56 wrote: »

I have had smart meters and they don't save anything. Any sensible person uses energy intelligently. Energy companies still read the meters occasionally as an audit. The smart gas meter is a slave to the electric meter and the link fails repeatedly. The cost reading is always wrong because it is not based on your tariff but a deemed tariff.
The smart meter roll out is just the enabling engineering to introduce demand based pricing. The idea is that they can make more money by charging more when people need to use their electricity. For example, most of stop working or get home between 5 and 7 in the evening. They want to be able to charge more during high demand hours because you are a captive customer. It's all about exploitation.
You can refuse a smart meter - everyone with a social conscience should refuse.
Spare a thought for everyone trapped in a area with no gas network, they are stuck with electricity in many cases.

Hi

So you recognise/understand that as a direct result of smart-meters, the industry will effectively have a 'carrot' in one hand & a 'stick' in the other - using one has a negative impact on their margins, the other a positive one .... assessing this logically, which of the two should we consider as being used with a degree of corporate eagerness? ... :idea: .. I take it that it's not edible then! :eek: .. :wall: ..

HTH
Z

footyguy

castle96 wrote: »

Iresa have told me they will be fitting a smart meter. I have no particular need for one and hear that when you switch suppliers this may cause problems with the new supplier/not compatible.... ?
I can refuse one - yes ?

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/energy/energy-supply/your-energy-meter/getting-a-smart-meter-installed/