npower new smart meter install scare tactics

System

buglawton wrote: »

So we can be clear, can you quote the info source where it says you must compulsorily accept an electronic SMETS1 meter?

Otherwise your post is just there to help the leccy companies do their silly box ticking exercise on behalf of badly thought out government instructions.

Under The Electricity and Gas Acts, suppliers have a statutory right to replace meters when they reach what the supplier deems to be End-of-Life (EoL). Indeed, they would be deemed negligent if they didn't replace said meters.

A replacement meter is nothing more/or less than a device that measures usage. It follows that a supplier could elect to fit a replacement smart meter but with a disabled comms hub given that suppliers will not want to buy in old analogue meters. It is a bit like you buying a smartphone but electing to have data turned off: the smartphone will still act as a mobile phone.The advantage of installing smart-capable meters with an inoperative comms hub is two-fold: one, no meter replacement is required if you ever change your mind and, two, a smart ready meter is installed in the property if it changes hands and the new tenant/owner wants a smart meter. The disadvantage to you as the consumer is that the thing may well be blooming difficult to read.

My uneducated guess is that the larger suppliers still have warehouses full of the old analogue meters - and they will continue to support them in the near term. Newer suppliers may not have access to these stocks so they are more likely to go for a neutered smart meter replacement in EoL situations.

Smart meters by stealth - possibly. Remember, the Government's policy is that all homes WILL have smart meters installed by 2020. Ofgem is a non-Ministerial Government Department and the obligation to fit smart meters is in all Supply Licences. Yes, for the moment, we can say no, but once the number of installed smart meters exceeds the old analogue ones, I suspect that Government policy may well change.

ValiantSon

Hengus wrote: »

Smart meters by stealth - possibly. Remember, the Government's policy is that all homes WILL have smart meters installed by 2020. Ofgem is a non-Ministerial Government Department and the obligation to fit smart meters is in all Supply Licences. Yes, for the moment, we can say no, but once the number of installed smart meters exceeds the old analogue ones, I suspect that Government policy may well change.

I suspect that the government will fail to reach its target; it would hardly be the first time that an infrastructure project overran!

They may decide to make it compulsory, but that would need new legislation. It may be that this could be achieved through an order in council (I don't know the specific details of the primary legislation), but it may require a new act of parliament. If it is the former, then it is a relatively simple matter, but could cause significant backlash. If it is the latter, then they may face significant problems in steering it through both houses.

brewerdave

buglawton wrote: »

So we can be clear, can you quote the info source where it says you must compulsorily accept an electronic SMETS1 meter?

Otherwise your post is just there to help the leccy companies do their silly box ticking exercise on behalf of badly thought out government instructions.

As per Hengus reply - if your meter is end of life ,then the Utility Co. can use any meter they like to replace. ALL the consumer can do ,is refuse the SMART bit!!

System

ValiantSon wrote: »

I suspect that the government will fail to reach its target; it would hardly be the first time that an infrastructure project overran!

They may decide to make it compulsory, but that would need new legislation. It may be that this could be achieved through an order in council (I don't know the specific details of the primary legislation), but it may require a new act of parliament. If it is the former, then it is a relatively simple matter, but could cause significant backlash. If it is the latter, then they may face significant problems in steering it through both houses.

Quite possibly, but the responsible Minister is on record as saying that the rollout programme will be ’turbo-charged’ in the Autumn.

My personal hope is that the forthcoming NAO report on smart meter roll out costs, which is due out in late summer, may give MPs cause for concern/further thought.

ValiantSon

Hengus wrote: »

Quite possibly, but the responsible Minister is on record as saying that the rollout programme will be ’turbo-charged’ in the Autumn.

Yes, but ministers have a habit of talking utter bilge (and not remaining in post long enough to be held accountable for the drivel they have spouted). It may happen, and it may not. My money is on it not happening, but I may turn out to be wrong.

Hengus wrote: »

My personal hope is that the forthcoming NAO report on smart meter roll out costs, which is due out in late summer, may give MPs cause for concern/further thought.

I share that hope, but it is tempered by the low regard in which I hold the vast majority of MPs.

brewerdave

Re Hengus comment on remaining stocks of analogue meters - I had my leccy meter switched by EON just over 2 years ago; I was told by the fitter that they didn't have any of the old rotating dial types left so it would be a cheap digital meter. At the time EON weren't rolling out SMETS1 in our region.

Robisere

Hengus wrote: »

Under The Electricity and Gas Acts, suppliers have a statutory right to replace meters when they reach what the supplier deems to be End-of-Life (EoL). Indeed, they would be deemed negligent if they didn't replace said meters.

A replacement meter is nothing more/or less than a device that measures usage. It follows that a supplier could elect to fit a replacement smart meter but with a disabled comms hub given that suppliers will not want to buy in old analogue meters. It is a bit like you buying a smartphone but electing to have data turned off: the smartphone will still act as a mobile phone.The advantage of installing smart-capable meters with an inoperative comms hub is two-fold: one, no meter replacement is required if you ever change your mind and, two, a smart ready meter is installed in the property if it changes hands and the new tenant/owner wants a smart meter. The disadvantage to you as the consumer is that the thing may well be blooming difficult to read.

My uneducated guess is that the larger suppliers still have warehouses full of the old analogue meters - and they will continue to support them in the near term. Newer suppliers may not have access to these stocks so they are more likely to go for a neutered smart meter replacement in EoL situations.

You must have missed reading the part of my original Post which states that my meters are under 2 years old and are therefore nowhere near EOL. Most of the rest of your post here, is therefore irrelevant, even if correct.

System

Robisere wrote: »

Hengus wrote: »

Under The Electricity and Gas Acts, suppliers have a statutory right to replace meters when they reach what the supplier deems to be End-of-Life (EoL). Indeed, they would be deemed negligent if they didn't replace said meters.

A replacement meter is nothing more/or less than a device that measures usage. It follows that a supplier could elect to fit a replacement smart meter but with a disabled comms hub given that suppliers will not want to buy in old analogue meters. It is a bit like you buying a smartphone but electing to have data turned off: the smartphone will still act as a mobile phone.The advantage of installing smart-capable meters with an inoperative comms hub is two-fold: one, no meter replacement is required if you ever change your mind and, two, a smart ready meter is installed in the property if it changes hands and the new tenant/owner wants a smart meter. The disadvantage to you as the consumer is that the thing may well be blooming difficult to read.

My uneducated guess is that the larger suppliers still have warehouses full of the old analogue meters - and they will continue to support them in the near term. Newer suppliers may not have access to these stocks so they are more likely to go for a neutered smart meter replacement in EoL situations.

You must have missed reading the part of my original Post which states that my meters are under 2 years old and are therefore nowhere near EOL. Most of the rest of your post here, is therefore irrelevant, even if correct.

I didn't think that I was responding to your post. I was making a general point about EoL in response to a post by @buglawton