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Smart meter

We're all electric, electricity supplier, npower.

For the last few weeks, regular emails / texts from npower, stating on **** date, they'll be replacing our electricity meter with a "new smart meter"

We pay monthly DD, 15 years in the property, quarterly bill is almost accurate.

Is it compulsory we have a "new smart meter"?

Now idea of advantages / disadvantages with a "smart meter"

Looking forward to any replies.
I'm hopeless with technology, in addition, I suffer with MH issues, what may appear simple, I struggle with, may I ask, please be patient, thank you
«13

Comments

  • gardner1
    gardner1 Posts: 3,154 Forumite
    If your happy submitting your own readings and are capable of turning lights off/heating down.........tell them to bog off as they cant make you have one.They are desperate to meet the targets they were given by the government
  • emc
    emc Posts: 264 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts Name Dropper
    Npower state on their What Is a Smart Meter page:

    Are Smart meters compulsory?

    Installing Smart meters is a government initiative and one of the biggest national upgrades ever undertaken in the UK.

    It's not compulsory, but everyone in the UK will be offered a Smart meter... (My bold).
  • Merlin139
    Merlin139 Posts: 7,286 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Just send them an E-mail or ring them up and say No Thank You!
    3.795 kWp Solar PV System. Capital of the Wolds

  • Ken68
    Ken68 Posts: 6,825 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Energy Saving Champion Home Insurance Hacker!
    I have a smart meter, very useful,, stop being such a Luddite.
  • Ken68 wrote: »
    I have a smart meter, very useful,, stop being such a Luddite.

    Ken, I asked if having one installed was compulsory, it appears not, I'll take the advice of others,

    Your opinion is valuable to my question, what's not valuable and quite offensive is being referred to as a Luddite!!
    I'm hopeless with technology, in addition, I suffer with MH issues, what may appear simple, I struggle with, may I ask, please be patient, thank you
  • Ken68
    Ken68 Posts: 6,825 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Energy Saving Champion Home Insurance Hacker!
    Apologies, JPB....the smart meter installed by SSE is very useful, though not the latest model. Even though,Tonic ask for readings every month and give their own estimate which is pretty close to realtime.
    And an instant update on account balance.What's not to like.
  • Im with SSE and they keep on at me to have a smart meter I have had emails texts and phone calls just say No.
    You do not have to have a smart meter at the current time and comments like that from Ken are not helpful.
    To the best of my knowledge the meters being installed currently are first generation and often will not work if you change supplier so you have the problem of yet another meter needing to be changed at some later date.
    Luddite has nothing to do with it just wait until the meters are up to the job.
    I choose the rooms that I live in with care,
    The windows are small and the walls almost bare,
    There's only one bed and there's only one prayer;
    I listen all night for your step on the stair.
  • macman
    macman Posts: 53,129 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Your meter may be due for replacement anyway, smart or otherwise.
    No free lunch, and no free laptop ;)
  • Nick_C
    Nick_C Posts: 7,622 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Home Insurance Hacker!
    Covered ad nauseum on other threads.
  • Nick_C wrote: »
    Covered ad nauseum on other threads.
    Houbara wrote: »
    Amazing how many take the time to come on here and ask " is it compulsory to have a smart meter ? " when professor Google, Alexa, etc will answer in seconds..Simply Google "are smart meters compulsory in the UK " 5 seconds later the answer comes up ! NO !
    Obviously there is no need to go through the rigmarole of registering in MSE to find the answer;... No need to enter MSE energy board at all to get the answer. It is plastered all over the www and in every suppliers T, and C, s.
    Out of the hundreds who do come on and ask the question I have never found one who has ever ended up by saying thanks I want one ", they all go for the refusal .
    Its time that this question should be removed by the board guides, we re sick of it and bored because we all know which way this question ends up., its been this way for years
    Decidedly unfriendly and very patronizing replies above;...IMHO, of course.

    MSE provides an open forum for ‘real people’ to ask other ‘real people’ a question about an issue they need help/advice with.

    It’s not Google or Alexa.

    If you are ‘sick and bored’ of threads such as this then it’s perhaps best to just ignore them;... but if you really can’t resist the urge to reply then at least do it in a civil manner.
This discussion has been closed.
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