Smart meter

lynnem9

I have just received an email from Shell energy informing me that from March 2023 my electric meter will no longer work because of new technology and that i need to have a smart meter installed is this true and if so will it effect all suppliers or just Shell energy?

Ultrasonic

I'm skeptical it's true but smart meters are nothing to be worried about. Having had mine fitted a couple of years ago the impact on me has only been positive.

Effician

Guessing it's a split rate meter that's switched by the soon to be obsolete radio 4 longwave tele switch

Ultrasonic

Effician said:

Guessing it's a split rate meter that's switched by the soon to be obsolete radio 4 longwave tele switch

I had no idea such things existed! I'd guessed the E7 switchover was done using a timer in the meters themselves.

Effician

 Info here & reference to March 2023 in  ---current status section ---  https://www.energynetworks.org/industry-hub/engineering-and-technical-programmes/radio-teleswitch

As we're also E7 users i was aware this was coming so reluctantly moved to a smart meter, must say though i've not regretted it one bit & helped save me a few quid as well.

[Deleted User]

lynnem9 said:

I have just received an email from Shell energy informing me that from March 2023 my electric meter will no longer work because of new technology and that i need to have a smart meter installed is this true and if so will it effect all suppliers or just Shell energy?

It will impact all energy suppliers. As the supplier has effectively deemed your meter to be end-of-life by virtue of the soon to be obsolete timer, it is now permitted to fit a smart meter without the consumer's permission. Suppliers already have a legal right of entry under The Gas and Electricity Acts to change your meter in such circumstances. It is good that Shell is being proactive: that said, there is no guarantee that the teleswitch switch off will not be delayed again. 

SweatA1Z

Shell have contacted me constantly trying to get me to have a smart meter since I was put with them. Emails almost daily, texts and now phone calls, I didn't realise they were compulsory to have, that explains the tone of their contacts.

Ultrasonic

SweatA1Z said:

Shell have contacted me constantly trying to get me to have a smart meter since I was put with them. Emails almost daily, texts and now phone calls, I didn't realise they were compulsory to have, that explains the tone of their contacts.

They aren't yet compulsory for everyone, but I won't be surprised if they become so. I held of getting one for a few years but after having one fitted I did wonder why. It's an improvement on my old meter in terms of not having to send meter readings to suppliers, and the in-home display makes monitoring my own use easier than going outside to read the meters manually.

Gerry1

lynnem9 said:

I have just received an email from Shell energy informing me that from March 2023 my electric meter will no longer work because of new technology and that i need to have a smart meter installed is this true and if so will it affect all suppliers or just Shell energy?

If Shell have made such a claim then it's highly misleading in several respects - scaremongering !

• Firstly, AFAIK it's not certain that the Teleswitch information will no longer be transmitted on R4 Long Wave after 31 March 2023.  That's when the existing contract expires, but it's been extended several times and it's almost certain to be extended again, in the same way that the smart meter deadline was extended from 31 December 2020 to 30 June 2025.

• Secondly, your electricity meter won't stop working.  It will still record consumption on the day and night registers.  The Teleswitch will still switch the meter over, using its internal quartz clock, so it will simply become the equivalent of a rotary timeswitch with a silver and black disk.  All that will be lost is the ability to change the times slightly from night to night, but most domestic Teleswitches didn't do this, it was always the same times every night.  Just like a digital watch, its clock may drift a minute or two per year but that's no worse than other time switches.  Forumites have reported that they have mechanical timers that are literally hours adrift.

• Thirdly, Ofgem still confirms that "You can choose not to accept an offer to have a smart meter fitted".  It does say that suppliers must install a smart meter if they are replacing a meter but adds "unless there is a good reason not to".  So think of a good reason !

Northern_Wanderer

Gerry1 said:

• Thirdly, Ofgem still confirms that "You can choose not to accept an offer to have a smart meter fitted".  It does say that suppliers must install a smart meter if they are replacing a meter but adds "unless there is a good reason not to".  So think of a good reason !

Would this still apply to tarrifs that require you to agree to having a smart meter fitted?

Ultrasonic

Gerry1 said:

• Thirdly, Ofgem still confirms that "You can choose not to accept an offer to have a smart meter fitted".  It does say that suppliers must install a smart meter if they are replacing a meter but adds "unless there is a good reason not to".  So think of a good reason !

Or decide there isn't one and get smart meters fitted...