Should I get solar PV, or a renewable energy supplier?

Verdigris

Perhaps, but they should be open and honest about the real reasons, not pretend that smart meters are the best thing since sliced bread.

I agree they originally tried to sell the concept on self-interest - money saving - no meter reading etc. And let's face it, we're all self-interested to some degree. The current advertising emphasises that it is for the common good, to help keep the lights on, which is more honest. As the transport system electrifies it will become even more important to get a more granular picture of demand. Trouble is, most people haven't got much clue about how the grid system works - as long as the leccy comes out of the wall, they're happy.

Gerry1

Verdigris said:

Perhaps, but they should be open and honest about the real reasons, not pretend that smart meters are the best thing since sliced bread.

Trouble is, most people haven't got much clue about how the grid system works - as long as the leccy comes out of the wall, they're happy.

They won't be so happy when the Smart Meter Says No and they have to choose between the kettle, the oven, the washing machine or the tumble dryer (Load Limiting), or the lights and everything else go off (Load Shedding).

matelodave

I doubt very much that they'll load shed on individual meters, they'll do it the way they do it now, shut down an area via the substation.
You are almost becoming the archetypical conspiracy theorist regarding smart meters - why?

Verdigris

I doubt very much that they'll load shed on individual meters

They will, with connected devices. Electric cars already request charge at times where advantageous rates are available. Refrigeration can be switched off for an hour or two without harm. This happens in more advanced countries, like South Korea and Japan. I'm all for smart meters, even though I was a meter reader before I retired.

Gerry1

matelodave said:

I doubt very much that they'll load shed on individual meters, they'll do it the way they do it now, shut down an area via the substation.

Yeah, right.  And knock out all the vulnerable people on kidney dialysis machines, etc.

You wouldn't be making such wild personal accusations if you had bothered to read the smart meter specifications, you'd have seen that Time of Use Tariffs, Block Tariffs, Load Limiting, Load Shedding have all been included.

For example, Load Limiting is defined in Standard Licence Condition 1 of the Electricity Supply Licence as meaning ‘the practice by which the licensee limits the number of kilowatts or kilowatt hours supplied to a Domestic Premises in accordance with a Domestic Supply Contract.  It's all part of Demand Side Reponse.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/smart-meters-and-demand-side-response

Do you honestly believe all this expensive control functionality was built to smart meters just because the designers had nothing better to do one wet Wednesday afternoon?

How GB smart metering will support Demand Side Response

Note the pricing and control and facilities on Page 8:Meter functionality (Electricity meters):

•Tariffs

  •Time-of-Use;

  •Block;

  •Load limiting;

  •Max demand registers;

But don't bother to find out the facts, it's much more fun to to make unjustified scaremongering allegations.