Beating the smart meter bullies

[Deleted User]

oliverbrown said:

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.

Given that energy theft is a significant problem, then I would like to think that energy suppliers would look in to all suspicious activity. That said, a meter that has stopped working which was reported by a consumer should not result in any suggestion of wrongdoing. 

oliverbrown

wittynamegoeshere said:

I've no idea what's actually going on

For someone who has no idea of what's going on you were pretty quick to start talking about criminal activity.

EssexHebridean

Are there still boardguides active on this board? 

meinnit

QrizB said:

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).

That's correct. New sign ups and renewals apparently need to provide proof of EV ownership or lease

savers_united

Don't really see any point in refusing a smart meter if yours is EOL or faulty. 

It's a bit different to giving up perfectly good meters, the main reason why people are reluctant to get working meters replaced. 

It's likely if you push for an analogue meter you will only get one if there is stock, it will be a used / refurbed meter that the supplier have a right to charge for as it will mean them having to come back in 2,3,4 years and fit a smart meter at some point, what is an acceptable charge for maybe another 5 years until you have no option but to have a smart meter. 

Once this energy crisis subsides and fixed tariffs are back as the cheapest options it's very likely only those with Smart meters fitted will have access to the cheapest of these tariffs or at least tariffs with TOU that could work out alot cheaper overall.

jimjames

Bark01 said:

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

It's interesting to know how the electricity companies/network operators keep track of meters and when they need replacing. My meter is at least 30 years old, possibly more than 50 years based on the design but I've never had any contact to replace it. Gas meter was replaced around 10 years ago as being out of date.

markjs419

Wow, didn't realise this would spark such a debate.

Disappointing that some would jump to the conclusion that I'm trying to cheat the meter. That's why I told the supplier about it as soon as I was aware of the problem, and I didn't provide electricity readings for the next couple of billing cycles as I knew the reading wouldn't be accurate, and accepted and paid the suppliers estimate instead.

My understanding is that *all* electricity meters, "smart" or not, have some degree of tamper detection features, so this argument looks like a red herring.

I don't want this thread to become political, but my main objection to smart meters is that in the future, perhaps within the next 10 years or so, they are likely to be used to ration electricity, cutting off domestic supplies when you exceed your "quota". I know the energy companies strenuously deny that the meters can or would ever be used in this way, but they almost certainly have the capability to do so, perhaps with an over-the-air firmware update.

The cult of "net zero" simultaneously demands a massive increase in electricity demand through the promotion of electric vehicles and electric heating, while also totally rejecting all reliable forms of electricity generation (nuclear, gas, coal). The government has never provided an explanation as to how they plan to square this circle, the only plausible explanation is energy rationing. I will be shocked if this isn't the case.

There's also the fact that they enable intensive surveillance of household energy usage.

As this seems to be a grey area I suppose I will just have to restate my objection and see how they respond. As the property is rented I can perhaps suggest that the Landlord is unhappy with it as well.




 

[Deleted User]

markjs419 said:

Wow, didn't realise this would spark such a debate.

Disappointing that some would jump to the conclusion that I'm trying to cheat the meter. That's why I told the supplier about it as soon as I was aware of the problem, and I didn't provide electricity readings for the next couple of billing cycles as I knew the reading wouldn't be accurate, and accepted and paid the suppliers estimate instead.

My understanding is that *all* electricity meters, "smart" or not, have some degree of tamper detection features, so this argument looks like a red herring.

I don't want this thread to become political, but my main objection to smart meters is that in the future, perhaps within the next 10 years or so, they are likely to be used to ration electricity, cutting off domestic supplies when you exceed your "quota". I know the energy companies strenuously deny that the meters can or would ever be used in this way, but they almost certainly have the capability to do so, perhaps with an over-the-air firmware update.

The cult of "net zero" simultaneously demands a massive increase in electricity demand through the promotion of electric vehicles and electric heating, while also totally rejecting all reliable forms of electricity generation (nuclear, gas, coal). The government has never provided an explanation as to how they plan to square this circle, the only plausible explanation is energy rationing. I will be shocked if this isn't the case.

There's also the fact that they enable intensive surveillance of household energy usage.

As this seems to be a grey area I suppose I will just have to restate my objection and see how they respond. As the property is rented I can perhaps suggest that the Landlord is unhappy with it as well.




 

All smart meters have built in remote disconnection. In many countries this facility IS used to ration power at peak times. The consumer enters into a contract and agrees to limit his/her instant power demand at certain times of the day (we are talking kWs not kWhs). By doing this, he/she is offered a much cheaper tariff. If the instant power limit is exceeded, the consumer is warned by text; IHD message etc. Failure to respond results in remote disconnection. A dedicated phone number is provided for reinstatement of supply.

No supplier is going to cut off consumers randomly: it will result in deaths. Unless a contract is in place, then a supplier will still have to apply for a Court Order. Disconnections because of supply issues will be carried out by area (as is the case today) as it is easier and people can be notified of rationing times in advance.

I do not buy into the argument that my supplier knowing how much energy I use every 30 minutes is a surveillance issue. As you say, we are now moving away from fixed generation to random renewable generation. The Grid needs 30 minute profiling to better manage renewable supply with demand. Future domestic energy contracts will be time-of-use as is the case already across the World. Ontario, for example, has had this type of tariff for some years.

https://www.endesa.com/en/blogs/endesa-s-blog/time-bands-light-valley-punta-llano

tealady

I have a smart meter.
Couldn't care less who is watching what I use or when.
I have nothing to hide.
Wanted a better tariff and a smart meter was the price.
I think of it as shopping at the "discount" supermarkets as against going to A N Other supermarket.
"You pays your money and you makes your choice" I wanted a cheaper tariff  so accepted the price was smart meters.

Ultrasonic

As someone posted earlier in this thread, it is possible to opt out of readings every 30 minutes. Mine just sends one reading a month I think.