Scottish Power - Charging for not having Smart Meters installed.

Richie_101

I contacted SP today about switching supplier when my tariff ends at the end of November. I was informed that because I haven't had Smart Meters fitted, and unless I do so before the tariff ends, they will retrospectively charge me for the difference in pence per unit between my current tariff and their standard rate tariff, for the whole duration of the tariff (12 months), which by my quick reckoning will be a few hundred pounds!

The SP rep said that it was stated in my tariff terms and conditions that would be the case, but having checked, it only says that if I don't have them fitted within 3 months (now extended because of Corona restrictions), I would be reverted onto their standard tariff. Nothing about being charged retrospectively.

It's no doubt it's a ploy to get you to install Smart Meters, but I don't see why I should be effectively blackmailed into having them fitted by Scottish Power, especially when I'll be changing supplier at the end of November anyway.

Has anyone else experienced this?

Zellah

May I ask what exactly is the issue with getting smart meters (smets2) installed? Worst case scenario, they don't work as intended (become 'dumb') but you can still take manual readings - so you're no worse off wrt submitting meter readings. Then at least suppliers won't hassle you.

matelodave

If it was a condition of your tariff and you refuses or made it difficult for meters to be installed then they can retrospectively charge you at the standard rate because you have not fufilled your part of the contarct
They didn't "blackmail" you into having smart meters - it was a condition of your contract. Had you specifically not wanted them then you should have taken out a different contract which didn't require them.

If however they failed to install them because they either didn't get around to it or didn't have a meter to do it then they can't because it was them who didn't install them through no fault of yours.
I doubt that Covid would be considered a reasonable excuse for them trying to claim that they were unable to fulfill their part, however I suggest you get it all down in writing just in case you have an argument on your hands and need to refer it to the Ombudsman.

brewerdave

I would tell them that you will have them fitted. Unlikely to happen before the end of your tariff in the current situation - if they don't fit them before you leave that's their problem ,and if they do ,then as per previous post ,they will either continue to work or you will have dumb meters!!

Richie_101

Ok, I'll accept that "blackmail" was a little strong there, but nowhere in the terms and conditions does it state that I'd be retrospectively charged the difference if I didn't have the meters installed. I haven't been contacted at any time over the 12-month period to have the meters installed, it could be because of the Covid restrictions, but most likely because I've been with SP for the last few years and they have stopped asking.

If the SMET2 meters can handle supplier switches, that's fine, I still don't see what the benefit is to me as a consumer right now, it's not that hard to put my meter readings into an app every month or so.

I'll have to have them fitted at some point, I get that. Looking past all the so-called 'green advantages' the government are pushing now, I suspect their long term aim is to provide the energy suppliers with detailed usage data per household which will eventually lead to variable tariffs based on peak usage, ie. more demand = pay at a higher rate per KWh. Charging an EV for example. With usage automatically updated every few minutes it will be possible to calculate when you started charging your EV and for how long.

EV's only make up a small amount of road traffic right now, but as non-electric cars get phased out, the government will need to find some way of clawing back the tax take lost on petrol/diesel sales (currently around 68% of the price per litre), and increasing the KWh rate when charging your EV, or adding an 'EV charging supplement', would be an easy option as the monitoring and charging structure will already be in place if every house has a SMET2 "automated usage monitor". It's cheap to charge an EV now, which is one of the main selling points, but if the charging cost can be changed arbitrarily, just like fuel duty, there may not be any financial advantages at all in the longer term.

Ok, enough from me (in my tinfoil hat)... I'm sure you've got better things to do. Thanks for the advice all!

Zellah

Richie_101 said:

If the SMET2 meters can handle supplier switches, that's fine

They can (mostly). So if SP are offering you a smets2 meter install you might as well accept their offer - in return you won't hassled by them and potentially any future supplier.

MalMonroe

If it's not in your contract, as you say, I don't see how SP can charge you anything. I don't understand why some people here are advising you to kowtow to Scottish Power and do as they say. It isn't mandatory to have smart meters fitted and no energy company in the UK can force you to have them either, no matter what they say. Neither can they charge you for not having smart meters fitted.

I had a call from Scottish Power last week, a rep was trying to persuade me to switch to them and quoted me the highest price I've ever been quoted for energy before but he also said that it would be my decision whether or not I had smart meters if I joined them. We discussed smart meters at my instigation.

However, I am about to leave E.On for Octopus, who will reward me with £100 as a friend who is with Octopus already has recommended me - I get £100 and my friend will get £50. 

I don't have a smart meter. I don't want one yet either. But I'll get around to it in my time, not theirs.

You could do worse than switch to Octopus too (I'm not getting any reward for saying that!). But it really is time that we the public stood up to bullying energy companies.

Zellah

MalMonroe said:

If it's not in your contract, as you say, I don't see how SP can charge you anything. I don't understand why some people here are advising you to kowtow to Scottish Power and do as they say. It isn't mandatory to have smart meters fitted and no energy company in the UK can force you to have them either, no matter what they say. Neither can they charge you for not having smart meters fitted.

Correct, at present no-one is forced to get smart meters installed by any energy supplier. However there are some tariffs - usually with the big 6 providers - which stipulate that either you must have smart meters installed or get them installed after signing up in order to get the lowest prices. So obviously the OP has taken such a tariff. If people don't want to get smart meters installed, then they must be prepared to pay higher prices on a different tariff with the same supplier.  Its not rocket science, it really isn't.

Gerry1

Zellah said:

If people don't want to get smart meters installed, then they must be prepared to pay higher prices on a different tariff with the same supplier.

If people don't want to get smart meters installed, then they must be prepared to pay lower prices on different tariffs with separate smaller suppliers.

FTFY ! 

Zellah

Gerry1 said:

Zellah said:

If people don't want to get smart meters installed, then they must be prepared to pay higher prices on a different tariff with the same supplier.

If people don't want to get smart meters installed, then they must be prepared to pay lower prices on different tariffs with separate smaller suppliers.

FTFY ! 

Really? None of the smaller suppliers can beat the current 2.05p kWh I’m paying to EDF for my gas on a smart meter only tariff.