Smart Meters - let me know the pro's....

[Deleted User]

I keep hearing this argument "You only pay for what you use" , thats great.


So, in summer when your monthly bill is £40, thats easy. But what about in winter, when you get your monthly bill for £150?

victor2

In addition to all these scare stories about there not being enough electricity to keep us going in the lifestyle we're used to, is the push towards electric vehicles. When somehow we have the infrastructure in place to actually charge these vehicles wherever their owners are able to park them, where is all that extra electricity going to come from?
Slightly off the original topic, but the thread seems to be going that way...

poppellerant

DeletedUser wrote: »

I keep hearing this argument "You only pay for what you use" , thats great.


So, in summer when your monthly bill is £40, thats easy. But what about in winter, when you get your monthly bill for £150?

I don't see what's wrong in paying for what you use - unless you're expecting it for free?

But the above is why direct debits exist and set for the average use spread across 12 months. This makes it easier for you to build up a credit in time for winter, for those times of peak use.

[Deleted User]

Exactly! So you are not paying for what you've used.


You are instead paying an 'average' of what the supplier 'thinks' you've used


Is that any different from supplying a reading even just once a year?

prowla

I keep getting messages about smart meter installers being in the area, etc.


But I don't see what they offer me, in all honesty.


And the fact that they are being so persistent just plain makes me suspicious.


I'm sure at some point I'll need to replace my boiler, or something, and I'll consider it then.

AndyCF

DeletedUser wrote: »

I keep hearing this argument "You only pay for what you use" , thats great.


So, in summer when your monthly bill is £40, thats easy. But what about in winter, when you get your monthly bill for £150?

This is why one of my neighbours who has prepay for both supplies tends to keep them well in credit in the summer months, she more or less puts the same monies on them every other week or so. Although in theory its 'money in their pockets not yours' it does mean that come winter time when more energy is used etc, she does not find herself having to either increase the amount she puts in each time or has to top up more often.

Similar in a way for a DD I suppose in that you average it out so you don't end up with a big increase just after winter etc when its realised you're quite a few ££ in debt, obviously does mean in summer time (unless you have A.C **) you tend to stay in credit by what may appear to be a fair chunk.

** Having had one of those vaguely portable (despite its weight) AC units a few years back, it was very alarming to watch it eat kW after kW with a high rate of consumption. If I did not know better I'd actually say it ate more than a 2kW fan heater on a lower setting! Mind you to be fair, the AC was mighty cold when it worked properly.

Si_Clist

One thing I've never understood. I'm up to speed with the alleged benefits of smart meters for electricity, but what about gas? Are there smart meters for gas?

AndyCF

Si_Clist wrote: »

One thing I've never understood. I'm up to speed with the alleged benefits of smart meters for electricity, but what about gas? Are there smart meters for gas?

Yes there are. A few different types as you'd expect, same as the variance in manufacturers for the electric ones.

I'm not 100% sure how they get their power though given in some cases they would be too far to get near the electric supply, that is if they are connected to it at all. Given the relatively long life of NiMH type batteries, this may not be a big issue as I understand it, it can communicate (maybe) with the electric meter to send its readings that way.

Sometimes if you have the same supplier (unsure if it would work with different ones) you have both Elec/Gas on the same 'IHD' (in home display) unit.

The idea is roughly the same though, you have a display in the house ( in the cupboard? back in its box ? ) and the Smart meter doing its own thing under the stairs/outside etc etc

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This does actually pose an interesting question (ignore if it makes no sense) , someone who has a conventional non-smart electric meter and a smart gas meter but who's gas meter is too far from any form of electric supply if its needed, now how well does that work ?

Si_Clist

Thank you for bringing me up to speed! Well, given that I can read a meter and do arithmetic, I don't need a smart meter to tell me how to save my money. It's not a big deal keeping on giving OVO two meter readings every month, so we'll happily stay dumb here until such time as we have to get smart meters to get the cheaper tariffs.

Indout96

silverwhistle wrote: »

The introduction of domestic PV has lowered peak demands by shifting usage; for example I switched on a load of washing today when the sun came out and my panels were producing enough.

Hmmm can see that going down well at work, just nipping home to put the washer on as its cheap leccy time, mind you its a 45 min drive each way so may not be as environmentally friendly as it seems.