Smart meter

brewerdave

Gerry1 wrote: »

Why do you think people are having to pay £450 for smart meters that may just save them a mere £11 per year? The same result could be obtained by giving everyone a £30 energy monitor instead. It just doesn't add up.

Think about it and you'll soon see the hidden agenda; energy monitors can't enforce expensive Time of Use tariffs and remote disconnection (load shedding).

I think you are spot on about ToU tariffs -they will come in within the next 3 or 4 years (evening meals at 3pm or midnight!!:() HOWEVER, can't see remote load shedding via the meter ,ever being acceptable - too many critical pieces of equipment in customer's homes eg medical gear and too many homes totally dependent on leccy - no alternatives for heat and light.

Gerry1

brewerdave wrote: »

I think you are spot on about ToU tariffs -they will come in within the next 3 or 4 years (evening meals at 3pm or midnight!!:() HOWEVER, can't see remote load shedding via the meter ,ever being acceptable - too many critical pieces of equipment in customer's homes eg medical gear and too many homes totally dependent on leccy - no alternatives for heat and light.

You won't have to wait 3 or 4 years - Time of Use tariffs have already started. Join Bulb if you can't wait to pay 41.94p/kWh from 4pm to 7pm ! :eek:
People with medical gear will be on the Priority Services Register and won't be switched off remotely.

Load shedding - coming to you if you have a smart meter !

Smart_Energy_GB

Gerry1 wrote: »

Please do get a smart meter. When there's not enough electricity for everyone, your smart meter will be remotely instructed to cut you off. That means there'll still be enough for me !

Hi Gerry1. Regards to your concern about disconnection. You’re protected by strict regulations against your energy supplier switching off or disconnecting your gas or electricity supply. This protection remains as strong with smart meters as it is with traditional meters.

RelievedSheff

brewerdave wrote: »

Are you saying that your In House Display is actually giving the true gas meter reading in m3 ? I've been told that it only gives kwh which is an approximation because the true calorific value is unknown. I wouldn't be happy accepting the Utility Cos. figures transmitted from the smart meter in m3 unless I could cross check.

Yes. Ours gives Kwh, £ and m3 depending on which setting you have it on.

If we really feel the need to cross check we can go in the meter cupboards and find out if the IHD is giving the same readings as the meter.

RelievedSheff

Smart_Energy_GB wrote: »

Hi Gerry1. Regards to your concern about disconnection. You’re protected by strict regulations against your energy supplier switching off or disconnecting your gas or electricity supply. This protection remains as strong with smart meters as it is with traditional meters.

Why let the facts get in the way of a bit of scare mongering?

brewerdave

Gerry1 wrote: »

You won't have to wait 3 or 4 years - Time of Use tariffs have already started. Join Bulb if you can't wait to pay 41.94p/kWh from 4pm to 7pm ! :eek:

The reasons I suggested 3/4 years:-
1. The rollout programme is far from complete - the two small utility Cos. I'm with haven't even started yet!!
2. Millions of SMETS1 meters have been installed -their wholesale adoption into the DCC is highly unlikely to be achieved - a considerable number will need to be replaced in the fullness of time (by 2023??)
3. Nobody really knows how many properties will ultimately be unsuitable for Smart metering ( physical siting difficulties or signal issues)

Gerry1

Smart_Energy_GB wrote: »

Hi Gerry1. Regards to your concern about disconnection. You’re protected by strict regulations against your energy supplier switching off or disconnecting your gas or electricity supply. This protection remains as strong with smart meters as it is with traditional meters.

Absolutely true, but absolutely meaningless: load shedding has always been possible when demand exceeded supply. The first stages were two voltage reductions of 3%, and if they weren't sufficient then whole areas had to be disconnected. Smart meters will just enable these disconnections to be fully granular, down to individual meters rather than whole neighbourhoods.

And in the highly unlikely event that load shedding by smart meter is not allowed by existing legislation, then the law will be changed accordingly.

You know very well that every smart meter can be remotely disconnected: it's fully detailed in the specification. I note that your 'reassurance' refers only to the energy supplier disconnecting (because of unpaid bills or theft), but you are silent about the network operator who would be instigating load shedding because of lack of generating capacity.

So would you care to state unequivocally that smart meter load shedding will never be used, i.e. that remote disconnection will be used only in cases of theft or non-payment?

The_Fat_Controller

EDF offer Direct Debit (Whole Amount) Monthly and this works fine for me with my smart meter and not being in my house 50% of the year.

The readings are taken automatically once a month and the bill is created, the DD is taken about 2 weeks later.

I absolutely love paying for my energy use in arrears and never being in credit on my account.

nigelbb

The_Fat_Controller wrote: »

EDF offer Direct Debit (Whole Amount) Monthly and this works fine for me with my smart meter and not being in my house 50% of the year.

The readings are taken automatically once a month and the bill is created, the DD is taken about 2 weeks later.

I absolutely love paying for my energy use in arrears and never being in credit on my account.

Of course this is the way that we all used to pay for energy except it was quarterly in arrears.

Nowadays the cash flow of the small energy suppliers is so dodgy that they need to borrow money from their customers at 0% interest to stay in business.

BLaird

I would be delighted to have a smart meter as it would save me having to send meter readings every month. It won't save you many but as someone else said it will save you a lot of hassle. Please note that the problem with smart meters is that when you go to switch other suppliers may not be able to read the meter so what I would do is ask if this will be a problem in the future if you decide to move elsewhere.