Advantage of having smart meters

agentcain

wittynamegoeshere said:

littlemoney said:

wittynamegoeshere said:

Why would anyone would want to buy other equipment, muck about with meters or keep spreadsheets to do the thing that a free thing provided by your supplier does better than anything else?

I'd rather put my time and effort into things that are actually worth caring about.

I don't want another organisation knowing when I am or not at home by tracking my usage. I am yet to be assured of the security of something that sends such data.

Do you have a phone?

A car?

Walk down a street?

Use the internet?

There are far bigger privacy issues to worry about.  I couldn't care less if some mysterious shadowy figure can work out how many cups of tea I've had per day.

It's just internet conspiracy nonsense.  Care about what's worth caring about.

Just because of other services handle data undesirably, arguing that it's no big deal to let suppliers do the same is a fallacy at best. 

I would agree that we don't need the supplier to have data on our actions via our consumption. However, I recognize the desire of some to have the convenience of auto reading submission. Therefore I suggest that everyone should be offered the installation of a configurable meter that allows the reading to be submitted however often they want. On a practical level, no the smart meter does absolutely nothing for the monetary benefit of the consumer. If anything, their costs are passed onto them. 

Personally, I choose not to fit them because I don't want to give them this data. Just as I choose to have Google track me. If I choose to, I can shut this off too. But ultimately, the choice should be the consumer's. 

QrizB

agentcain said:

Therefore I suggest that everyone should be offered the installation of a configurable meter that allows the reading to be submitted however often they want.

You'll be pleased to learn, then, that this is pretty much what happens. You the customer get to choose whether your meters report half-hourly, daily or monthly.

https://help.bulb.co.uk/hc/en-us/articles/360005136951-Choosing-how-often-your-smart-meter-sends-readings

https://www.ovoenergy.com/help/monthly-bills-statements

(OVO suggest hourly is an option too.)

Keep_pedalling

agentcain said:

wittynamegoeshere said:

littlemoney said:

wittynamegoeshere said:

Why would anyone would want to buy other equipment, muck about with meters or keep spreadsheets to do the thing that a free thing provided by your supplier does better than anything else?

I'd rather put my time and effort into things that are actually worth caring about.

I don't want another organisation knowing when I am or not at home by tracking my usage. I am yet to be assured of the security of something that sends such data.

Do you have a phone?

A car?

Walk down a street?

Use the internet?

There are far bigger privacy issues to worry about.  I couldn't care less if some mysterious shadowy figure can work out how many cups of tea I've had per day.

It's just internet conspiracy nonsense.  Care about what's worth caring about.

On a practical level, no the smart meter does absolutely nothing for the monetary benefit of the consumer. If anything, their costs are passed onto them. 

Those of us charging or EVs and home battery systems at very cheap off peak rates would have to disagree with you on that point.

agentcain

QrizB said:

agentcain said:

Therefore I suggest that everyone should be offered the installation of a configurable meter that allows the reading to be submitted however often they want.

You'll be pleased to learn, then, that this is pretty much what happens. You the customer get to choose whether your meters report half-hourly, daily or monthly.

https://help.bulb.co.uk/hc/en-us/articles/360005136951-Choosing-how-often-your-smart-meter-sends-readings

https://www.ovoenergy.com/help/monthly-bills-statements

(OVO suggest hourly is an option too.)

As I said, having the option is everything

agentcain

Keep_pedalling said:

agentcain said:

wittynamegoeshere said:

littlemoney said:

wittynamegoeshere said:

Why would anyone would want to buy other equipment, muck about with meters or keep spreadsheets to do the thing that a free thing provided by your supplier does better than anything else?

I'd rather put my time and effort into things that are actually worth caring about.

I don't want another organisation knowing when I am or not at home by tracking my usage. I am yet to be assured of the security of something that sends such data.

Do you have a phone?

A car?

Walk down a street?

Use the internet?

There are far bigger privacy issues to worry about.  I couldn't care less if some mysterious shadowy figure can work out how many cups of tea I've had per day.

It's just internet conspiracy nonsense.  Care about what's worth caring about.

On a practical level, no the smart meter does absolutely nothing for the monetary benefit of the consumer. If anything, their costs are passed onto them. 

Those of us charging or EVs and home battery systems at very cheap off peak rates would have to disagree with you on that point.

How does a "smart" meter help you with that? A simple notification on your phone would work wonders. 

Plus I don't consider the niche market of EVs and home storage to be for the benefit of everyone. Only those who can afford them.  Yet everyone's paying for the meters.

Keep_pedalling

agentcain said:

Keep_pedalling said:

agentcain said:

wittynamegoeshere said:

littlemoney said:

wittynamegoeshere said:

Why would anyone would want to buy other equipment, muck about with meters or keep spreadsheets to do the thing that a free thing provided by your supplier does better than anything else?

I'd rather put my time and effort into things that are actually worth caring about.

I don't want another organisation knowing when I am or not at home by tracking my usage. I am yet to be assured of the security of something that sends such data.

Do you have a phone?

A car?

Walk down a street?

Use the internet?

There are far bigger privacy issues to worry about.  I couldn't care less if some mysterious shadowy figure can work out how many cups of tea I've had per day.

It's just internet conspiracy nonsense.  Care about what's worth caring about.

On a practical level, no the smart meter does absolutely nothing for the monetary benefit of the consumer. If anything, their costs are passed onto them. 

Those of us charging or EVs and home battery systems at very cheap off peak rates would have to disagree with you on that point.

How does a "smart" meter help you with that? A simple notification on your phone would work wonders. 

Plus I don't consider the niche market of EVs and home storage to be for the benefit of everyone. Only those who can afford them.  Yet everyone's paying for the meters.

So exactly how would a phone notification help me get 5p a kWh between specific times of the day? 

Apart from those niche markets, smart meters are a much better and cheaper solution in providing E7 type tariffs than twin dumb meters. Might not help existing homes but will be good for all electric new homes. 

littlemoney

Smart meters are an expensive way of paying for the lack of common sense to reduce consumption.  It's common sense to turn off lights when you leave a room, to turn off/turn down heating when not needed, to reduce draughts, improve insulation, put on more clothes when cold rather than turn up the heating, plan cooking to make the best use of the oven.

To those of us who grew up when times were hard and money short, we do such things automatically.

lohr500

Keep_pedalling said:

agentcain said:

Keep_pedalling said:

agentcain said:

wittynamegoeshere said:

littlemoney said:

wittynamegoeshere said:

Why would anyone would want to buy other equipment, muck about with meters or keep spreadsheets to do the thing that a free thing provided by your supplier does better than anything else?

I'd rather put my time and effort into things that are actually worth caring about.

I don't want another organisation knowing when I am or not at home by tracking my usage. I am yet to be assured of the security of something that sends such data.

Do you have a phone?

A car?

Walk down a street?

Use the internet?

There are far bigger privacy issues to worry about.  I couldn't care less if some mysterious shadowy figure can work out how many cups of tea I've had per day.

It's just internet conspiracy nonsense.  Care about what's worth caring about.

On a practical level, no the smart meter does absolutely nothing for the monetary benefit of the consumer. If anything, their costs are passed onto them. 

Those of us charging or EVs and home battery systems at very cheap off peak rates would have to disagree with you on that point.

How does a "smart" meter help you with that? A simple notification on your phone would work wonders. 

Plus I don't consider the niche market of EVs and home storage to be for the benefit of everyone. Only those who can afford them.  Yet everyone's paying for the meters.

So exactly how would a phone notification help me get 5p a kWh between specific times of the day? 

Apart from those niche markets, smart meters are a much better and cheaper solution in providing E7 type tariffs than twin dumb meters. Might not help existing homes but will be good for all electric new homes. 

I agree totally with you Keep-pedalling.

Smart Meter technology has opened the door to some innovative "time of use" tariffs, which, if selected and used wisely can save the consumer significant amounts of money. You don't need an EV or banks of batteries to get the most out of these tariffs.

Astria

QrizB said:

You'll be pleased to learn, then, that this is pretty much what happens. You the customer get to choose whether your meters report half-hourly, daily or monthly.

https://help.bulb.co.uk/hc/en-us/articles/360005136951-Choosing-how-often-your-smart-meter-sends-readings

https://www.ovoenergy.com/help/monthly-bills-statements

(OVO suggest hourly is an option too.)

Some say that whatever you choose, the meter will still "phone home" and will still report your usage every 30 minutes, but it's then only stored every hour, day, week, whatever.

Others say people have proven that the meter does "communicate" regularly throughout the day, but they've not actually proven what data is transferred as it's all encrypted, they just assume it's usage data.

agentcain

Keep_pedalling said:

agentcain said:

Keep_pedalling said:

agentcain said:

wittynamegoeshere said:

littlemoney said:

wittynamegoeshere said:

Why would anyone would want to buy other equipment, muck about with meters or keep spreadsheets to do the thing that a free thing provided by your supplier does better than anything else?

I'd rather put my time and effort into things that are actually worth caring about.

I don't want another organisation knowing when I am or not at home by tracking my usage. I am yet to be assured of the security of something that sends such data.

Do you have a phone?

A car?

Walk down a street?

Use the internet?

There are far bigger privacy issues to worry about.  I couldn't care less if some mysterious shadowy figure can work out how many cups of tea I've had per day.

It's just internet conspiracy nonsense.  Care about what's worth caring about.

On a practical level, no the smart meter does absolutely nothing for the monetary benefit of the consumer. If anything, their costs are passed onto them. 

Those of us charging or EVs and home battery systems at very cheap off peak rates would have to disagree with you on that point.

How does a "smart" meter help you with that? A simple notification on your phone would work wonders. 

Plus I don't consider the niche market of EVs and home storage to be for the benefit of everyone. Only those who can afford them.  Yet everyone's paying for the meters.

So exactly how would a phone notification help me get 5p a kWh between specific times of the day? 

Apart from those niche markets, smart meters are a much better and cheaper solution in providing E7 type tariffs than twin dumb meters. Might not help existing homes but will be good for all electric new homes. 

The tariff pricing changes on your supplier's side, nothing to do with your meters. If your supplier tells you that you are now consuming price X per kWh, then you make the decision of whether to plug in your car, your washing machine etc. Yes I agree they need to know what you're consuming and when for this to work, but not all need this option, hence the best solution of having a choice. What we are seeing now is a push towards everyone having it, no matter their needs. 

How are meters helping make this cheaper? The twin dumb meters might have a 2nd circuit feeding storage heaters, a boiler, the car etc. However all this can nowadays be automated with bespoke switchers, e.g. a ZigBee relay. Many car chargers are also IoT enabled. If you are looking to automate consumption, a "smart" meter is anything but.