E-on are trying to force a Smart Meter on me....and they're making threats.

niktheguru

I really don't understand why all these people are so smart meter averse. You're not being "directly" charged for the privilege, you get an up to date meter which  allows you to go on cheaper tariffs and your bills will be accurate without you having to submit meter readings every month.

I've had a SMETS1 meter for british gas since 2017, it worked fine. Then it went dumb when I left british gas. I upgraded to SMETS2 meters with octopus as I wanted to go on their TOU tariffs due to my electric car. Installation was a breeze, its been working flawlessly and I pay 14p peak and 5p off peak. Win, win. I really don't see what all the fuss is about. 

Ultrasonic

BobT36 said:

Ultrasonic said:

Dolor said:

Dahliaa said:

Both EOn next and Sainsbury tariffs loads of people from here were recently switching to had it written that you agree to have smart meter installed. That’s why I didn’t switch to them.t.

If TOU tariffs help us manage a finite resource more effectively, and in a way that is likely better from a climate change perspective, them personally I find it hard to argue strongly against them.

Heh, you don't really think that monitoring & charging you based on your usage is just the benefit "the climate", do you?

'Just', no, but 'a' benefit, yes.

Edit: and note that what I specifically said was, "If TOU tariffs help us manage a finite resource more effectively, and in a way that is likely better from a climate change perspective, them personally I find it hard to argue strongly against them."

Keep_pedalling

Dahliaa said:

[Deleted User] said:

Dahliaa said:

Both EOn next and Sainsbury tariffs loads of people from here were recently switching to had it written that you agree to have smart meter installed. That’s why I didn’t switch to them.

Why? A prediction. Increasingly, we are going to see suppliers introducing time-of -use tariffs. Many countries already have them; for example, Ontario which has a 2 season 3 tier pricing model. A further prediction. Suppliers already have the legal right to fit smart meters when your present meters are deemed to be end-of-life. You don’t get to say yes or no to a smart meter. Suppliers are constantly pressing BEIS to make smart meters mandatory. For the moment, BEIS is resisting as other ‘marketing’ methods are proving to be successful. Smart meters will, as is the case in most European countries, become mandatory. 

If you want to get the cheapest time-of-use tariff, then you need much more data than just kWhs/year. A smart meter stores this data in 48 by 30 minute blocks each day. This data can be pulled from the meter by your nominated supplier or another DCC User (with your approval). 

Price comparison websites are going to have to change. I mentioned the BEIS tool in my post above yours. Even without this tool, I am able to compare all the Octopus tariffs using my actual usage.

This screenshot compares the billing period cost of the tariff that I am on with Octopus’ Agile tariff:

I have economy 7 wiring and heard that many times smart meters are installed incorrectly in economy 7.
Currently it works for me as I’m able to use wast majority of my consumption on night rate and honestly don’t want any other complicated time of use tariffs.

works great so far so I have no need to change what works.

I can understand that point of view from an existing E7 user, but smart meters do provide a much simpler method old of implementing similar services for the rest of us. We are currently on Octopus Go so get our cheap rate between 00:30 & 04:30, but can be switched alternative options if required at the drop of a hat.

[Deleted User]

How many threads are on this forum about the transposition of day/night readings? If you are an Octopus smart meter customer this cannot happen as Octopus uses half hour usage data for billing not index readings. As others have pointed out it is easy, and free, just to switch to a standard tariff if this would be cheaper during the summer months. Sadly, Go and Go Faster now require an EV or battery storage.

oliverbrown

Dolor said:
Up to a million homes may have “no alternative” but to install smart meters in the next two years as the radio network that operates their current meters is turned off.

Did you mean to hyperlink a Telegraph article with "smart meters"?

Edit: oh I've just spotted the article of relevance in the list of articles.

[Deleted User]

oliverbrown said:

Dolor said:
Up to a million homes may have “no alternative” but to install smart meters in the next two years as the radio network that operates their current meters is turned off.

Did you mean to hyperlink a Telegraph article with "smart meters"?

Edit: oh I've just spotted the article of relevance in the list of articles.

I have removed the link. Thanks.

MWT

BobT36 said:

And sure things may be better for you at the moment, there's got to be some cheese in the trap!

The risk with your approach is that you will inevitably end up in the same trap eventually, whatever you do, but by then, we will have eaten all the cheese...

Tokmon

BobT36 said:

Ultrasonic said:

Dolor said:

Dahliaa said:

Both EOn next and Sainsbury tariffs loads of people from here were recently switching to had it written that you agree to have smart meter installed. That’s why I didn’t switch to them.t.

If TOU tariffs help us manage a finite resource more effectively, and in a way that is likely better from a climate change perspective, them personally I find it hard to argue strongly against them.

Heh, you don't really think that monitoring & charging you based on your usage is just the benefit "the climate", do you? This isn't how companies work. Whatever they will do will be for the benefit of their shareholders, not you, not the climate. That's their purpose in life.

Now monitoring your usage down to the minute (or 30 mins or whatever) will clearly be used to charge YOU more, when you need to use it. Now unless you have very erratic usage times, you're going to be the one smacked in the pocket. "Oh soz m8, your tarrif has a high cost at 6pm just as you arrive home from work and switch the cooker / computer on. Fancy that! Shame though, it's nice and cheap at 1pm while you're out at work all day! oh well..this is all to help the environment after all!"

But yet current time of use tariffs (Economy 7/10) offer cheaper rates at some times so save people money overall when they use their energy more during that time. So you thinking that their purpose is just to charge you more is nothing more than mild paranoia that everyone is out to get you.

If you actually read up on smart meters and how knowing where energy is being used and when will improve the efficiency of the national grid which will make it overall cheaper for everyone. 

Brie

Very interesting to hear that Sainsbury/Eon are insisting on smart meters being installed.  My switch has just been completed and nothing has been said to me about this at all.  Maybe they think I already have one?  If so, where?  And why have Bulb insisted I submit readings for the last 3 years??