SSE Smart meter

redmalc

Hi Guys

Should we get a smart meter or not.SSE are fitting in our area in a couple of weeks.

Robin9

Your choice - lots of threads on the forum for and against.


At the end of the day its a .

System

redmalc wrote: »

Hi Guys

Should we get a smart meter or not.SSE are fitting in our area in a couple of weeks.

My personal advice is wait until all suppliers are rolling out the new generation of smart meters that comply with the SMETS2 technical specification. These meters offer greater data security and will remain smart if you switch.

You also need to ask yourself what it is that you expect a smart meter to give you. For example, I have just given my suppliers gas and electricity readings and I will get bills based on these readings within the next 7 days. Yes, it is raining, so I suppose a smart meter might have saved me from a minute or so in the rain.

Will a smart meter save me any money? No - it is a meter - nothing more, nothing less. Bills will only fall if energy usage is reduced by the consumer. I accept that an in house device might encourage you to turn off a few lights but this is not likely to make a huge difference to your bill.

As said above, the decision has to be one that only you can make.

PS: please do not make your decision based on the spurious concerns expressed by some about cancer risks; fires etc.

AndyPK

I don't know ifs a new sneaky trick. But SSE posted something through my door, saying they are installing in my area next week, with my post code. And then an appointment style card
...... Morning Afternoon Evening
Mon
Tue

For me to ring them up and choose a slot, and then I would mark it on the card to remind me.


Is it another trick like:
1) THey are in the neighborhood, may as well get it done while they are here.
2) All your neighbors are having them, keep up with the Jones lol

To awnser the OP. No! Unless its an Version 2. or SME2

redmalc

Andy that is what I have had through the door

AndyPK

I'm fairly sure its another marketing trick, but I will keep an eye out next week to see if anyone's having them fitted in the evening

Ken68

Having moved to Scottish Power, my SSE fitted smart meter still works, though not for historical data.It was supplied as SME2 compatible.Just plug it in when readings are wanted, no problem.

D_M_E

Ken68 - if the meter is supplying your new supplier with readings, then no problem.

HOWEVER if you are supplying readings based on the Kwh reading given by the little in home device then you have a BIIIG problem - the electricity readings should be correct but the gas reading will be over 11 times what the actual reading on the meter will be and you will get a hugely inflated bill for gas.

You need to check that the new supplier is using the correct readings.

robin58

I will wait until I am forced to have one.

I had the experience of internet connected meter readings every half hour at a place that I worked over 8 years ago.

In that context it allowed the energy section at head office to question why they saw a high consumption at a certain time of day and find ways of reducing the energy used. It seemed to work as the industry I was in was a high consumer type. In the first year of doing they saved a £1m in energy costs. This is a way of good use of smart metering.

I can understand the smart meters in this setting but not in a domestic setting.

The way they are being advertised as in 'ohh look if you turn this off you could save a few pennies' is insulting.

They would do better if they put the adverting into a fully comprehensive guide on what will save you real money.

Ken68

"You need to check that the new supplier is using the correct readings"

Thanks D....have checked in the past that the readings are the same as the meters( though not lately.) And also have a written history going back several years.

Wizard_of_Id

I have SSE smart meters and guess what? they record how much gas and electricity that I use.