Beating the smart meter bullies

[Deleted User]

Ultrasonic said:

[Deleted User] said:

Consumers who do agree to have smart meters may find that they will be subject to increased marketing and higher energy prices as the rollout completion date approaches. 

Did you possibly mean 'do NOT agree' there?

Mea culpa! 

oliverbrown

MWT said:
 No, that is not a 'good reason' as made clear by the BEIS statement

Until such time as the consumer-focused Ofgem site is "clarified" , if that is indeed justified, I shall interpret it as customer refusal being a valid reason. 

emmajones1976

meinnit said:

I've found my smart meter very useful. Seeing my usage in real time helps me to reduce my usage and I don't get any nasty surprises when the monthly bill comes through

Also with Octopus Go (5p off peak rate) I'm paying an average of 10p/kWh for electricity

Looking at this rate now, thinking it might not be a bad option even without having an electric car (can time the washing to come on overnight etc)

Do they require proof you actually have an electric car and charging port or do they just take it on trust that you do?

GingerTim

"bullies" 

MWT

meinnit said:

I've found my smart meter very useful. Seeing my usage in real time helps me to reduce my usage and I don't get any nasty surprises when the monthly bill comes through

Also with Octopus Go (5p off peak rate) I'm paying an average of 10p/kWh for electricity

The rules will continue to evolve and the ability to avoid them will become more and more constrained.

But the irony here is those rejecting smart meters without good reason, are going to end up paying more for their energy than necessary, if not now, then soon...

QrizB

emmajones1976 said:

meinnit said:

I've found my smart meter very useful. Seeing my usage in real time helps me to reduce my usage and I don't get any nasty surprises when the monthly bill comes through

Also with Octopus Go (5p off peak rate) I'm paying an average of 10p/kWh for electricity

Looking at this rate now, thinking it might not be a bad option even without having an electric car (can time the washing to come on overnight etc)
Do they require proof you actually have an electric car and charging port or do they just take it on trust that you do?

Octopus reportedly ask for proof now (they never used to).

Bark01

There aren't many legacy meters in the supply chain so if you absolutley insisted on getting one and your supplier agreed (very doubtful), the only chance you have of getting one is  by your supplier reusing an old one from storage. The old one will probably only have a few years left before it hits its recertifcation date and needs to be replaced anyway.

Most electricity meters have a 10 year life span and suppliers stopped ordering new ones around 2016. You'd be lucky to find any legacy meters that don't need to be replaced again by 2026, at which point smart will be your only option

You are completly wihtin your rights to have a smart meter installed and have its smart functionality turned off, but you can't refuse to have a smart meter installed.

[Deleted User]

Bark01 said:

There aren't many legacy meters in the supply chain so if you absolutley insisted on getting one and your supplier agreed (very doubtful), the only chance you have of getting one is  by your supplier reusing an old one from storage. The old one will probably only have a few years left before it hits its recertifcation date and needs to be replaced anyway.

Most electricity meters have a 10 year life span and suppliers stopped ordering new ones around 2016. You'd be lucky to find any legacy meters that don't need to be replaced again by 2026, at which point smart will be your only option

You are completly wihtin your rights to have a smart meter installed and have its smart functionality turned off, but you can't refuse to have a smart meter installed.

In the latest BEIS smart meter consultation, the Government has accepted that suppliers have the right to raise a charge for the costs associated with, A, fitting an analogue meter and, B, when a consumer asks for the smart meter to be removed.

I do not believe that a non-smart smart meter exists. The installer has to fit a comms hub etc to commission the meters; the supplier has to send out and update security certificates to protect the meter from third-party intervention; the gas meter has to report back battery life; the supplier has to push out firmware updates etc. A person in the industry told me a few months ago that the only difference for the consumer is that the supplier doesn't pull smart meter data for billing: that is, it still requires manual meter readings. In all other respects, the comms hub remains connected to the DCC network.

oliverbrown

wittynamegoeshere said:
So by having one you are protected from being accused of this sort of activity.

Yes, that, and libel / slander laws.

oliverbrown

wittynamegoeshere said:

No libel or slander involved, if your meter keeps stopping then someone may turn up with a search warrant demanding to have a look at it, which would be a bit of an annoyance to say the least.

Yes, and people like you might start inferring that there was criminal activity involved.