'Smart meters will save consumers just £11 a year' - MSE News

Enterprise_1701C

Some time ago someone was giving away meters that were fairly basic, you put a transmitter around the primary power cable and plugged in a meter on which you could read how much you were using. It was not smart, not wifi or anything.

A couple of weeks after getting it I came to the conclusion that there was only one way to save power, I unplugged the meter.

I was suspicious of these smart meters the moment Miliband decided that we should have one, and I know someone that could hack them in his sleep. Also slightly concerned that they could eventually be used to turn off power mistakenly, or even limit the power we could use.

I know they deny this, but they used to deny they wanted a eu army, and all this comes from the eu anyway, really don't know why it is still being rolled out.

Dangle

So, has anyone made a complaint to the Advertising standards authority about the smart meter adverts running on TV, disputing the claim that they save you money? I find them very irritating as I don't believe I would save a penny.

I think one said the saving could power a mobility scooter for over 1,000 miles a year - can that be done for £11?

ProDave

Confirmation that the REAL agendat is half hourly billing with higher prices at peak times (sorry it's the daily wail) http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6008959/Smart-meters-lead-surge-pricing-admits-Scottish-Power.html

I suppose you could save money if you didn't cook or watch tv in the evenings, and did all your washing etc at the cheapest part of the day, but all that would achieve is getting back to where you are now, at great inconvenience.

I guess one day having a smart meter will be mandatory but until that day, I will refuse one.

badmemory

Dangle wrote: »

So, has anyone made a complaint to the Advertising standards authority about the smart meter adverts running on TV, disputing the claim that they save you money? I find them very irritating as I don't believe I would save a penny.

I think one said the saving could power a mobility scooter for over 1,000 miles a year - can that be done for £11?

Yes, I did complain but not about that one, a much earlier one. Their reply saying the ad wasn't misleading (it was) annoyed me so much I got the shredder out especially. Although I did notice I never saw the ad again but I'm sure that was just coincidence.


It appears bare faced lying is acceptable. I'd never complained before & it proved quite an interesting experience & not a good one.

Dangle

badmemory wrote: »

Yes, I did complain but not about that one, a much earlier one. Their reply saying the ad wasn't misleading (it was) annoyed me so much I got the shredder out especially. Although I did notice I never saw the ad again but I'm sure that was just coincidence.


It appears bare faced lying is acceptable. I'd never complained before & it proved quite an interesting experience & not a good one.

Helpfully smartenergygb have provided a link to their saving calculations on the youtube version of the ad "sweet ride".

Seems it is based on a 2% saving (354 kWh per year) [STRIKE]gu[/STRIKE]estimate by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy. So more like £35 than £11


https://www.smartenergygb.org/en/website-terms-and-conditions/legal-information/advertising-claims


Summary of our approach

the average household uses on average 17,690 kWh annually
official government projections: the BEIS impact studies are an average saving of 2.8 per cent for electricity and 2 per cent for gas with a smart meter compared to a traditional meter
we have therefore taken the lowest figure available to us, (2 per cent), for prudence
a 2 per cent saving equates to a 354 kWh per year

Must admit my own experience of complaining to the asa (about a false ISP ad) wasn't good or successful either.

Norman_Castle

Dangle wrote: »

an average saving of 2.8 per cent for electricity

I use 1228kwh annually, 2.8% is about £4.50. Thats assuming I'll save anything as I already use a plug in monitor.

badmemory

I use around 8500kwh/year so I guess that should mean over the £11 pa. but that means I have to decide what to give up. I do mean give up not switch off. I have nothing that I can or will say that I've left it turned on when I shouldn't have. I have changed all my bulbs. My only savings will come when I update my freezer & fridge.


My biggest issue is my ageing eyesight & I can't be the only one. My nightsight (always a problem even in my 20s) is virtually gone & my bladder is on a 6 hour timeline. So my one extravagance is the bathroom light on 24 hours - this is not going to break the bank & will maintain some domestic harmony.


I know that what concerns me most about TOU is whether they will actually use your personal higher time of use for the highest tariff or the normal/average highest. With a smart meter they will all have so much information about how we use whatever we use that will they be able to use this to specify what timed deals are available to us.


For example, would there be anything to prevent them saying that between 10pm & 1am is when I am going to be charged the most - just because they know that that is when I have the highest usage? Is there any way that they could use my meter/account details to prevent me getting any better TOU deals (not restricted to THEIR times) from other suppliers.