Ant difference in tarrifs between the manual meter and smart meter ones

Mishomeister

Due to the awkward location of our utility meters we are strongly cosidering switching to the smart meters to save the hassle of having to remove the belongings from the storage room everytime we need to take the meter readings.

I was howevr wondering if the actual tarrifs for those with the smartmeters are more expensive or cheaper than for those without?

I don't belive that the smart meter technology on its own saves any money but I am interested to understand how the tarrifs compare when it comes to price per unit snd standing charge?

Many thanks

Gerry1

Some big companies try to force smart meters on to customers by making their tariffs unattractive if you don't comply.  But many smaller companies offer better rates and don't browbeat you this way.

Just get comparisons from a wide range of companies (not just those that pay commission) and look for the lowest annual cost based on actual meter readings.  Don't forget to check whether separate suppliers are cheaper than dual fuel.  If the cheapest insists on smart meters, just look at the next cheapest combination and so on.

Ectophile

I have never heard of any company that's more expensive with smart meters.

Some companies offer special rates that are only available if you have a smart meter.

Petriix

I wouldn't gamble on any smart meter actually sending readings to your supplier, especially if you switch. It's much harder to manually read a smart meter. People should avoid getting them unless they have a really good reason (like benefiting from a time-of-use tariff). They can't save you money and they aren't free because we all have to pay extra on our bills to pay for them.

Carrot007

Petriix said:

I wouldn't gamble on any smart meter actually sending readings to your supplier, especially if you switch. It's much harder to manually read a smart meter. People should avoid getting them unless they have a really good reason (like benefiting from a time-of-use tariff). They can't save you money and they aren't free because we all have to pay extra on our bills to pay for them.

Well....

1. Yes keep an eye on reading and make sure they are sent regardless of what meter you have. Always Sensible.

2. My smart meters read exactly like any other meter. Forget the IHD crap, electric has the reading on. push a button to wake the gas meter (sensible since it has nothing but a BATTERY). Yes some supplier set meter up stupid and may need multiple button presses. But then many also did that for none smart meters.

3. No sane reason to avoid them. No TOU tarrifs exist yet.
4. Why would a meter save you money. Being obviovious and not careing about your useage helps. Using and IHD for a month before you put it away may help. Probably not though. Some oeople still think (led even) light bulbs use all their electric and have hour long electric showers. Educate or pay.
5. The utility companies wish they did not have to go through the pain of trying to install them and then pay the fine for failing becuase no one wants to have a meter exchange. Blame the government. The government where over 60% of your utility bills tend to go to. The companies are really not making a profit (maybe say £100 for each million invested, think many businesses are happy to do that, and yes they need that sorty of cash backing), only the government is.

But feel free to carry on in your misinformation.

Gerry1

Carrot007 said:

No TOU tarrifs exist yet.

But feel free to carry on in your misinformation.

WRONG !

Bulb have a TOU tariff if you want to pay up to 41.94p/kWh from 5pm to 8pm BST.

Petriix

Carrot007 said:

Petriix said:

I wouldn't gamble on any smart meter actually sending readings to your supplier, especially if you switch. It's much harder to manually read a smart meter. People should avoid getting them unless they have a really good reason (like benefiting from a time-of-use tariff). They can't save you money and they aren't free because we all have to pay extra on our bills to pay for them.

Well....

1. Yes keep an eye on reading and make sure they are sent regardless of what meter you have. Always Sensible.

2. My smart meters read exactly like any other meter. Forget the IHD crap, electric has the reading on. push a button to wake the gas meter (sensible since it has nothing but a BATTERY). Yes some supplier set meter up stupid and may need multiple button presses. But then many also did that for none smart meters.

3. No sane reason to avoid them. No TOU tarrifs exist yet.
4. Why would a meter save you money. Being obviovious and not careing about your useage helps. Using and IHD for a month before you put it away may help. Probably not though. Some oeople still think (led even) light bulbs use all their electric and have hour long electric showers. Educate or pay.
5. The utility companies wish they did not have to go through the pain of trying to install them and then pay the fine for failing becuase no one wants to have a meter exchange. Blame the government. The government where over 60% of your utility bills tend to go to. The companies are really not making a profit (maybe say £100 for each million invested, think many businesses are happy to do that, and yes they need that sorty of cash backing), only the government is.

But feel free to carry on in your misinformation.

Eh? 
TOU tariffs very much do exist (Octopus GO and Agile for example).
It's entirely sane to avoid the unnecessary expense and environmental cost of replacing millions of perfectly functional meters as part of a botched government project which was misleadingly advertised as being able to save households money. Some people have made a lot of money from the smart meter rollout, but that is enter at the expense of us consumers. Where's the misinformation?

Carrot007

Petriix said:

TOU tariffs very much do exist (Octopus GO and Agile for example).
It's entirely sane to avoid the unnecessary expense and environmental cost of replacing millions of perfectly functional meters as part of a botched government project which was misleadingly advertised as being able to save households money. Some people have made a lot of money from the smart meter rollout, but that is enter at the expense of us consumers. Where's the misinformation?

Sort of TOU, but not proper. Nah, not gonna count it. (for what smart means to TOU).

And no one has made any money out of it. Well, maybe the asset comapnies that own the meters, but certainly not suppliers, the government or anybody else.

Highland76

Petriix said:

Carrot007 said:

Petriix said:

I wouldn't gamble on any smart meter actually sending readings to your supplier, especially if you switch. It's much harder to manually read a smart meter. People should avoid getting them unless they have a really good reason (like benefiting from a time-of-use tariff). They can't save you money and they aren't free because we all have to pay extra on our bills to pay for them.

Well....

1. Yes keep an eye on reading and make sure they are sent regardless of what meter you have. Always Sensible.

2. My smart meters read exactly like any other meter. Forget the IHD crap, electric has the reading on. push a button to wake the gas meter (sensible since it has nothing but a BATTERY). Yes some supplier set meter up stupid and may need multiple button presses. But then many also did that for none smart meters.

3. No sane reason to avoid them. No TOU tarrifs exist yet.
4. Why would a meter save you money. Being obviovious and not careing about your useage helps. Using and IHD for a month before you put it away may help. Probably not though. Some oeople still think (led even) light bulbs use all their electric and have hour long electric showers. Educate or pay.
5. The utility companies wish they did not have to go through the pain of trying to install them and then pay the fine for failing becuase no one wants to have a meter exchange. Blame the government. The government where over 60% of your utility bills tend to go to. The companies are really not making a profit (maybe say £100 for each million invested, think many businesses are happy to do that, and yes they need that sorty of cash backing), only the government is.

But feel free to carry on in your misinformation.

Eh? 
TOU tariffs very much do exist (Octopus GO and Agile for example).
It's entirely sane to avoid the unnecessary expense and environmental cost of replacing millions of perfectly functional meters as part of a botched government project which was misleadingly advertised as being able to save households money. Some people have made a lot of money from the smart meter rollout, but that is enter at the expense of us consumers. Where's the misinformation?

Do you think its perfectly sane for lazy/uneducated (delete as appropriate) customers not to to give regular meter readings on standard meters and then end up £1000s in debt? I'm 100% certain smart meters would not exist if everyone gave regular meter readings and actually paid for the energy they used. You only have to see the many threads on MSE where people complain of high energy bills....these are usually the same people who've never provided meter readings in their life and/or leave on electric heating 24/7, still run 300w halogen bulbs, have a 60" plasma TV running 24/7 etc

MWT

Carrot007 said:

Sort of TOU, but not proper. Nah, not gonna count it. (for what smart means to TOU).

What exactly isn't 'proper' about the Octopus Agile TOU tariff?

Prices changes every 30 mins and follows the wholesale energy price for electricity in a predefined manner...

It even goes negative when wholesale prices are negative...

Seems to be the very definition of a smart TOU tariff...

hozza94

MWT said:

Carrot007 said:

Sort of TOU, but not proper. Nah, not gonna count it. (for what smart means to TOU).

What exactly isn't 'proper' about the Octopus Agile TOU tariff?

Prices changes every 30 mins and follows the wholesale energy price for electricity in a predefined manner...

It even goes negative when wholesale prices are negative...

Seems to be the very definition of a smart TOU tariff...

The Agile Tariff is literally what the government and OFGEM wants all suppliers to do in a few years time... I simply don't know what @Carrot007 meant that Octopus' tariff is "not proper"