Electric meter faulty - energy supplier wants to fit smart meters

The_Fat_Controller

I want my rotary dial phone back !
Come on people, get with the technology.

vacheron

I can't understand the "I've heard stories" defense.

Can't we appreciate by now that people are only vocal about things (in real life, on the internet and on TV) when they have a serious issue?
This means that the issues you read about are completely disproportionate to the average users experience.

Using this defense:

• I've heard plenty horror stories about people with broadband problems, so I want my ISP to provide me with a dial-up modem.
• There are loads of stories online about people having problems with fuel injected combustion engines, so I'm going to insist on a carburetor on my next new car. 

How many people do you think post on internet forums and write to consumer TV shows to say "My car started fine this morning" or "my internet was satisfactory all day", despite these numbers being in the tens of millions! 

PS, I've had 2 different sets of gas and electricity smart meters fitted for about the last 6 years, and they work just fine.

Telegraph_Sam

Granted that negative reports are likely to outnumber positives, the question becomes whether this is a reason for disregarding the former. I think not, at least until there is general consent that the bugs reported on have been fixed. Gut feeling is to remain in manual control if it comes to disagreements.

molerat

My biggest bugbear is that what idiot decided to specify meters that by default do not show the actual "meter reading" ?  And why can I not read these meters from 6 ft away with a torch like I can with my old fashioned ones ?

molerat

Gerry1 said:

So much for all the promises from several Secretaries of State that smart meters would not be compulsory.  It was all lies right from the start.

You know what they say about when a politician's lips are moving .......

Telegraph_Sam

molerat said:

My biggest bugbear is that what idiot decided to specify meters that by default do not show the actual "meter reading" ?  And why can I not read these meters from 6 ft away with a torch like I can with my old fashioned ones ?

With smarts is there not a visual display that one can take note / a picture of as a cross check on what the technology says are the readings?
And can smarts be imposed even if one's existing dumb meters have not reached EOL status?

45002

Browntoa said:

Unless the rules have changed since I last looked they 

Cannot force you to have a smart meter

They cannot raise a charge to replace "end of life" meters with a non smart

Can my supplier charge me for a Traditional Meter?

Although you can simply refuse a Smart Meter when offered, you can be charged for the installation of an old fashioned traditional meter when your current meter must be replaced because it is faulty or has reached the end of its certified life. In June 2020 BEIS stated that they considered such a charge can be reasonable, for example, if a non-standard metering service is requested by the consumer where a smart meter could be deployed. (Updated: 2020-10-25)

Read more at: https://www.smartme.co.uk/customer-rights.html

jaybeetoo

I don’t understand why anyone would not want a smart meter.  At worst they can work the same as a “traditional” meter.  At best there are no more estimated bills and no going outside in the wind, snow and rain holding a torch, a pen and paper trying to get a reading.

Telegraph_Sam

I am trying to reply (politely) but despite several attempts my "argument 1 has been passed to KeywordBlocker\Library ..." Moderator please note!

vacheron

Telegraph_Sam said:

molerat said:

My biggest bugbear is that what idiot decided to specify meters that by default do not show the actual "meter reading" ?  And why can I not read these meters from 6 ft away with a torch like I can with my old fashioned ones ?

With smarts is there not a visual display that one can take note / a picture of as a cross check on what the technology says are the readings?
And can smarts be imposed even if one's existing dumb meters have not reached EOL status?

Yes, they do. Here are mine which I took this week because, despite having two smart meters installed, my current supplier does not support them!