smart meter?

Marvel1

https://www.which.co.uk/reviews/smart-meters/article/smart-meters-explained/getting-a-smart-meter-installed

Scroll down to Should I get a smart meter installed now?

Read more: https://www.which.co.uk/reviews/smart-meters/article/smart-meters-explained/getting-a-smart-meter-installed - Which?

Explains about first gen and second gen meters.

hollie.weimeraner

davidmcn wrote: »

Why would estimated bills necessarily mean you're paying too much? You could have (by accident or design) underestimated bills, in which case (using your logic) a smart meter would cost you money.

It wouldn't cost them money at all. It may bump up the direct debit but all that would do would mean they meet their obligation to pay for what they use without building up a large debt. (Not that I would advocate a smart meter at all though)

G_M

WorldCitizen wrote: »

.... it led me to change electric hob to gas.

How much did the gas hob cost including fitting?


How much cheaper is the gas than the electicity?


My guess is that it will take you decades to actually save money in this way. I might be wrong though. (of course a smart meter might allow you to make the calculation, assuming you can differentiate between gas being used by the hob Vs central heaing boiler, and electricity used by the hob Vs all the other appliances.......)

WorldCitizen

That actually wasn't only because of saving. I wanted to have a gas hob.
Smart meter shows how much energy you use now/every day/month.
When I switched on the electric hob it was showing 3000 kw in use, or even more 5000 if I switched on two zones.
As I have changed hobs recently (about 3 weeks ago), looking at usage history I can predict my savings around £6-7 per month.
the hob cost was £123, installation £250 = total £373.
So it will take 4.5-5 years to cover my costs.
But I wanted the hob to change anyway and I am glad I went to cheaper way!

AnotherJoe

danlewi2 wrote: »

Well i rather my bills be accurate all the time with the added convenience of nothing having to read the meter manually myself. Why should the over-payment sit with my supplier when it could be sitting in my bank account.
Also your daily usage - you can think about how to save some money (oh wait is that not the whole point of this website?) turning lights off - using more efficient bulbs etc etc

You've assumed it will be an overpayment. It could easily be an underpayment.
Why do you need a meter to have you think about useage? Replace bulbs etc anyway, I've done that and don't have a misleadingly named smart meter.
I did also use to have a gizmo that gave an instantaneous display of useage. I never once felt the inclination to see the useage was high and and turn the oven off when I was cooking my Sunday roast nor stop charging my electric car on the grounds I was using electricity.

And from the studies I've read, the experience of people with these display devices is they look at them for a few weeks, turn a few lights off and then stop bothering when they notice that turning a light off makes no discernible difference so it doesn't actually lower people's bills.

The whole thing is a con, we are being forced to pay about fifty pounds a household for no benefit at all. Goodness knows how much has already been staffed away on the first set of meters.

AnotherJoe

WorldCitizen wrote: »

That actually wasn't only because of saving. I wanted to have a gas hob.
Smart meter shows how much energy you use now/every day/month.
When I switched on the electric hob it was showing 3000 kw in use, or even more 5000 if I switched on two zones.
As I have changed hobs recently (about 3 weeks ago), looking at usage history I can predict my savings around £6-7 per month.
the hob cost was £123, installation £250 = total £373.
So it will take 4.5-5 years to cover my costs.
But I wanted the hob to change anyway and I am glad I went to cheaper way!

You omitted the cost of the gas. So longer than 5 years. And as you said you were going to get one anyway so all it let you do was calculate the cost, which you would have spent anyway !

wesleyad

WorldCitizen wrote: »

Actually I like it. I can see how much energy I used and when. Also it led me to change electric hob to gas.

This was a nice revelation for me as well. I've always had one of those DIY electric readers which I found useful, but its the gas usage thats surprised me, in particular how much cheaper gas is. I know gas is a primary fuel vs secondary for electricity, but it never really clicked before.

A couple of examples, I found its cheaper to heat the entire house via gas central heating, than use the electric heater I used to for a single room!

Hot tub, filling out of tap and heating to 38c cost £11, filling from hot tap to same temp costs £2.

Although we recently moved providers so we are back to dumb.

WorldCitizen

AnotherJoe wrote: »

You omitted the cost of the gas. So longer than 5 years.

No it's a total saving of £1.50-1.60/week taking into account gas and electricity costs.

capital0ne

WorldCitizen wrote: »

As they say it is obligatory to do for everyone until 2020 (or 2022?).
At least in Scotland.

You're wrong, smart meters are not compulsory, even in Scotland.
The Queen's Speech in 2017 said "....requirement to every home being “offered” a smart meter – meaning that they are no longer compulsory."

So just say no, they won't save you a penny. It's down to you to be sensible and to turn down your heating, draught proof your house, only boil a cup full of water for a cuppa and so on.

RedFraggle

I liked ours until last week when its evidently substandard wiring caused the main domestic supply fuse ( the one belonging to the DNO) to burn merrily away in its plastic housing. No power til northern power grid came out who were fortunately quick.