MSE Poll: Energy smart meters: what's your view?

astroL

MSE_Petar said:

Poll started 5 April 2022

Over 26 million smart meters have been installed across England, Scotland and Wales. They come with in-home displays showing you information about your energy usage in real time, so can help you identify where you can cut back – especially important right now. Plus they automatically send meter readings to your supplier as often as every half hour, so you don't have to. Yet they're not without issues – for example, older models may go 'dumb' if you switch provider. So what's your opinion of them?

Click here to vote in the poll

Did you vote? Are you surprised at the results so far? Have your say below.
If you haven't already, join the forum to reply.
Thanks!

MSE_Petar said:

Poll started 5 April 2022

Over 26 million smart meters have been installed across England, Scotland and Wales. They come with in-home displays showing you information about your energy usage in real time, so can help you identify where you can cut back – especially important right now. Plus they automatically send meter readings to your supplier as often as every half hour, so you don't have to. Yet they're not without issues – for example, older models may go 'dumb' if you switch provider. So what's your opinion of them?

Click here to vote in the poll

Did you vote? Are you surprised at the results so far? Have your say below.
If you haven't already, join the forum to reply.
Thanks!

fances said:

I wanted to have smart meters fitted 3 years ago when gen2 meters came out and could record energy 7 as well as continuing to work when I switched suppliers
However meters, 1 gas 1 electric, were fitted by Scottish Power, after a day working on them the engineer told me they were not communicating with the network!
3 years on, rulings in my favour from the ombudsman, lots of sympathy from troubleshooting teams
I finally have meters that send reading to the company, sadly the IHD has never worked and I still have to climb the ladder to press buttons to see my meter readings I am not at all convinced that the money they just take out of my account is the right amount.  Through this whole sorry saga I have paid my direct debit every month and have accepted the estimated readings the company have used.
My advice now STEER CLEAR.  I know I am one person with a bad experience but I also know I am not the only one!!!

My  experience has not been good.  I used to take monthly readings during the several previous years.  Then I left it to the s/m.  then I noticed that the bills were all estimated !!!!!!!  I started re-taking readings.  Suddenly the supplier EonNext managed to convert its pronounced surplus of £150 into a magicked £14.  I complained about this but they waffled utter rubbish in their 'reply'.  I complained to the Ombudsman. They ruled in my favour when EonNext admitted that they did not actually use the s/m!!!!  So now I send in readings every 7 days!  Meanwhile they forced me into opting into a fixed rate tariff that changed my e-bill from 17p/kwh in 37p/kwh (!!!) and simultaneously made false claims about supporting ev drivers!  Utter hypocrisy.

badmemory

I just can't see the point of a smart meter.  My meter is inside & I am still physically able to read it & do with monotonous regularity.  Just wish my supplier was as prompt at billing me - BG are quite frankly useless.  A bill every 3.5 months is just NOT acceptable.  They are even worse than they were last time I had the misfortune to select them.  I had no choice this time.  If I'm honest I wouldn't trust them to get the smart meter readings correct & at the very least would still feel the need to check them (& more than once).

manfromroyd

Smart meters are not a pain in my neck – they are a pain in my ears. Agreeing to have them installed is one of the worst decisions of my life so far. For trying to find out which of my appliances are costing too much to run in these times of high energy prices, I now face costs of thousands of pounds to rid myself of tinnitus.

The smart meters were installed 2 months ago and within 24 hours I developed horrendous ringing in my ears and an almost equally horrid pressure feeling on my eardrums. Within 48 hours I was very confident that the meters were to blame as I found that my symptoms would fade when I left my house and return as soon as I walked in through the porch, with the pressure feeling particularly responsive. I’ve since learnt I can reduce the pressure feeling on my ears by unplugging various electrical equipment, particularly audio devices such as the surround sound system for the television and I can improve the abysmal sleep I’m suffering by turning off the bedroom ring main at night. The cause has to be the meters, no other electrical devices have been installed in the house at or since time of installation.

The energy company replaced the electricity smart meter with another model, but unfortunately the new one managed to only reduce the tinnitus slightly but enough to stop me being driven me out of my house which otherwise would have already happened long ago. When the replacement meter was turned on it sent a short sharp pain to both ears making me flinch in my seat in the living room 3m or so away. Two days later the company converted the meters to dumb meters by removing the communications hub, but again to no avail. Since then, the company has insisted that my symptoms cannot be anything to do with their meters because the meters are no longer smart and therefore cannot cause ill health! My problem is almost certainly being caused by a particular part of the electronics that is commonly found in digital electricity meters and has nothing to do with mobile phone and wi-fi signals.

My energy company told me as they are unable to refit analogue meters as they don’t have them in stock, I must switch to another company that will refit one. As switching energy supplier is difficult and extremely expensive at the moment let alone finding a company that will come and undo the smart meter installation, I have asked the Energy Ombudsman for help. The company are currently offering as settlement; a letter of apology and a £50 gesture of goodwill credited to my energy account. The £50 offered will go nowhere to cover the doubling or even tripling my energy costs with the fixed rate contract I would have to agree to, plus costs for changing the meter. It doesn’t even cover the cost of one night away from home for respite. So far I’ve had seven nights away in rented accommodation and I probably should have had a lot more. I’m seriously struggling to sleep and the effect of the tinnitus on my ears cannot be underestimated, it is really really bad and is getting slower to fade when away from home. I have a terrible unusual headache as I write this which paracetamol tablets are having little if any effect.

I’d certainly like to know if anyone else has had similar troubles immediately after having smart meters fitted. It appears it is a rare but not unique reaction. I’ve been in houses with other types of meter fitted without noticing any problems. However, my advice to anyone who has tinnitus already or suffered in the past is to consider my experience very carefully before having smart/digital meters installed. Once installed it is proving a very lengthy, painful and costly task to revert back.

tastyfish

Ever since I was a young lad and my parents used to tell me to keep doors/windows shut I always wondered why meters were tucked away in dark places outside. Surely people want to know how much energy they consume by looking at an easy to understand display inside the house? Oh no, that’s far too clever. It just seemed to sum up the British approach to anything.

Fast forward about 40years and few things have changed. Smart meter rollout was a classic example of the UK government’s botched approach to most things: anything but smart. Firstly, by not developing a standard so that different suppliers can use the same meters.

Then, developing an in-house display (IHD) that was actually useful.

Our IHD is next to useless. It shows me my usage but doesn’t tell me what the current meter reads. I still have to go outside and check the meter, then come back in and look for a Youtube video of how to operate the meter and which A or B buttons to press. Some of my bills still come estimated. So, what’s the point? It also doesn’t break down my usage by circuit. Have we reduced our energy? Only by switching to more energy efficient appliances decisions for which were in no way influenced by the smart meter. So, in my opinion, an utter, colossal waste of money by ministers who are nowhere near that smart.

Demarcation

Had 4 smart meters installed due to switching..... its now just a dumb meter and i'm fed up of it all.

How much has it added to mine and everyone elses bills to keep having these installed..... no wonder bills are so high....

Razoo

I've always maintained that Smart Meters are for dumb people (present company excepted of course, if you already have your Smart Meter) 

Despite all the deceitful hype, Smart Meters were never intended to be of significant benefit to the consumer - they are more about control, snooping and variable tariffs.  That's why there is a power switch built into Smart Meters - so your electricity supply can be disconnected remotely by your energy supplier if the National Grid can't cope (because everyone is charging their electric vehicle), or if you upset your energy provider.

Back in April 2021 I was paying 13.664p/kWh including VAT for electricity at all times, day, night, off-peak, on-peak, whatever (those were the days!).

Octopus Energy were charging their variable tariff 'time of use' Smart Meter customers 13p/kWh (13.65p/kWh including VAT) for electricity at 4pm on Tuesday, 6 April 2021.  By 7pm that same day they were charging 33p/kWh.  How that Smart Meter price hike was supposed to save consumers money, I've no idea.

I suppose consumers will have to sit and intently watch the ridiculous Gaz & Leccy whenever they are running a high power device, so that it can be quickly switched off if the price per kWh suddenly jumps.  Just imagine having to check the price per unit every time you want to switch something on, just in case the price per kWh is ridiculously high.  That has to be a lot more hassle than having a traditional meter and sending a monthly reading.

Eventually I expect everything will be Smart (Smart washing machines, Smart tumble dryers, Smart kettles, Smart toasters, Smart fridges/freezers, you name it).  Electric vehicle chargers are already Smart, probably in anticipation of adding fuel duty to the charging units used, or controlling the time or rate of charge.  Soon your energy suppler will be able to control your life.  And don't tell me energy suppliers won't use every trick in the Smart Meter first and foremost to enhance their profits.

If you ever wanted proof that Smart Meters are primarily for the benefit of the supplier and not the consumer, read the following questions and weasel-worded answers:

Q:  Will my smart meter data be used by my supplier or third parties for marketing purposes?

A:  Energy UK’s Data Guide outlines how suppliers can and can’t use smart meter data, and aims to ensure control of the data and how (or even if) it’s shared remains with the household.

Choices you personally make around your energy smart meter data include:

How much data your energy supplier collects from your smart meter, e.g. monthly, daily or half-hourly meter reads;
Whether your supplier shares details about your energy consumption with other organisations;
Whether your supplier can use your meter reads for sales and marketing purposes;
How you can access information about your energy use and get the most benefit from it.

Once you have made your choice on any of the above, you can change your mind at any time.

So the correct answer is "Yes" the energy supplier can and most likely will try to use your Smart Meter data for sales and marketing purposes and anything else they can get away with.  It will probably be down to the consumer to actively opt out, if they can find the means of doing so.

Q:  Does having a smart meter mean my supplier can shut off my [electricity] supply whenever they want?

A:  No, you are protected by strict regulations around your energy supplier disconnecting your energy supply.  This is the same protection that is in place for standard meters.

So the correct answer is "Yes," but they are not supposed to.  With traditional meters an engineer would have to visit and enter your home and remove the cutout fuse.  With Smart Meters (which have a built-in switch) the energy supplier can simply shut the supply off remotely from the comfort of their computer keyboard.  This has already happened to some consumers and one was featured on Rip-Off Britain.  The consumer was away on holiday when the energy supplier remotely shut the supply off destroying all the food in their freezer.  The dispute was over bill payment and it transpired that the energy supplier, not the consumer, was at fault.

Q:  Do smart meters mean gas and electricity will cost more when demand is higher?

A:  Some media reports have speculated that energy suppliers will use smart meters to introduce ‘surge’ or ‘time of use’ pricing for their customers.

They already have!

For example, the gas and electricity you use would cost more if you were using it when there was high energy demand from households, such as in the evenings when people are typically cooking their dinner and watching TV.

In the future, smart meters will help households take advantage of any tariffs which do encourage you to use energy when there is less demand, for example automatically charging up electric vehicles in the middle of the night.

Energy customers would be able to see the details of any such tariff if suppliers were to offer them, so they could make an informed decision about whether they wished to choose that deal.

So the correct answer is "Yes" Smart Meters are designed to permit variable tariffs to be imposed on the consumer.  Smart electric vehicle chargers communicate with Smart Meters so that the charging rate can be reduced if demand is high.  They could also enable an additional tax to be applied to the electricity used to charge cars to replace the fuel duty lost by motorists moving away from petrol and diesel.


Don't be fooled - free Smart Meters are not free as the cost (around £400 per customer so far) has already been added to your bill.  Smart Meters are primarily about Big Brother control.  The 'magic' savings Smart Meter users are supposed to benefit from don't exist either.  Smart Meters will not autonomously reduce your bill, although the usage display might frighten you into switching something off.  The estimated saving per household has been downgraded from the original and modest £26/year, to just £11/year.

According to the government, having a Smart Meter is not compulsory.  However, most of the more easily deceived consumers have now had their Smart Meter installed, so the energy suppliers are up against the more astute refuseniks.  Their solution is to resort to threats and blackmail.  Many energy suppliers (especially the main suppliers) now insist that as a condition of being on their less expensive tariff, the consumer must agree to having a Smart Meter fitted.  Otherwise the consumer has to be punished and put onto an overpriced tariff.

The government statement; "Smart meters put consumers in control of their energy use" should of course read; "Smart meters put suppliers in control of consumers' energy use."

Never become involved with anything prefixed either 'Smart' or 'Euro'! 

______

Razoo

Tula100

I don't want my supplier to be able to switch off my meter remotely, and I have no trouble in submitting monthly readings online.  As has been pointed out, each meter costs about £400 to install and the cost of these is spread across all our bills.  So all us refuseniks are keeping everybody's bills down! You can pay attention to your consumption without having a smart meter.