New meter required and told I can only have a smart meter

Ultrasonic

diystarter7 said:

[Deleted User] said:

diystarter7 said:

Ultrasonic said:

For the vast majority of people, smart meters just make things easier by no longer having to send readings to a supplier, and with the in-home display making it easier to monitor usage for those who wish to.

Don't forget, they are running a business. With smart meters as I posted on this forum, we considered and most said avoid then the day after I read re 'variable tariffs during a 24 hour period.'  It's coming and this is why they want to lumber you with a smart meter. Avoid at all costs if possible IMHO.

I guess if you work during the day time like majority of workers, higher prices beween 5am and 10am then 4pm to 8pm - you are going to be properly ..... avoid.

Twenty years ago, most people will have opined that email and chat would never replace pen; paper and stamps. The simple facts are that there are now more smart meters than analogue; there are waiting lists to fit smart meters, and suppliers have a legal right to replace an end-of-life meter with a smart meter. Over time, analogue meters will just not be made as there will be no demand for them.

Consumers who decide to hold out against getting a smart meter may well end up paying higher prices for doing so than those on time-of-use tariffs. For example, in Ontario, the supplier offers Winter and Summer 3 price tiered tariffs for those with a smart meter. For those without a smart meter, the supplier also offers a 2- tiered seasonal/monthly tariff that offers a small number of units at a low price with the rest a high price. Pricing is designed to ‘encourage’ people to get a smart meter. 

In some European countries, consumers can get a low price tariff by agreeing to a maximum kW power limit at certain times of the day. The lower the kW limit: the lower the tariff cost.

These are just two examples of how tariffs will be changing. Moreover, in future, price comparison websites will no longer be based on kWh/year but actual pulled data from a smart meter. The comparison algorithm will then decide which is the best tariff fit for a consumer’s actual consumption. The tool to do this was developed 18 months ago.

They said the same re water meters.
When we are all forced itno smart meters as I said I can see those that go to work lose out big time and its the same people that pay their taxes to keep the country running along with the others that pay taxes.

As somebody else mentioned, those who are out at work all day tend to have lower energy costs than those at home more, due to the latter needing to heat their homes for longer periods in winter.

Also, fundamentally why shouldn't energy cost more when demand is highest? This seems logical to me.

For context I am usually out at work during the day on weekdays.

EssexHebridean

diystarter7 said:

Ultrasonic said:

diystarter7 said:

Ultrasonic said:

diystarter7 said:

Ultrasonic said:

diystarter7 said:

Ultrasonic said:

For the vast majority of people, smart meters just make things easier by no longer having to send readings to a supplier, and with the in-home display making it easier to monitor usage for those who wish to.

Don't forget, they are running a business. With smart meters as I posted on this forum, we considered and most said avoid then the day after I read re 'variable tariffs during a 24 hour period.'  It's coming and this is why they want to lumber you with a smart meter. Avoid at all costs if possible IMHO.

I guess if you work during the day time like majority of workers, higher prices beween 5am and 10am then 4pm to 8pm - you are going to be properly ..... avoid.

The option for time if use tariffs is one benefit of smart meters but far from the only one, as part of a national 'smart grid'. As for your 'business' aspect note it's not the suppliers who are choosing to roll out smart meters.

The "option" you refer to, Have you read my post you quoted about those that go to work?
From that you can see that rather than "option" you put it as, workers on the whole will have little "option." other than to use gas/elec at max rates. Meaning if you work, you are penalised.

Please enlighten me to the other "benefits" of smart meters or than reading them automatically like water meters.

I read your post. To date nobody has been forced onto a time of use tariff but many have chosen to for their own benefit. Hence 'option'.  

In a general sense I actually think charging that varies with demand/supply would likely be a good thing to help with the switch to more renewable power.

Ultrasonic said:

diystarter7 said:

Ultrasonic said:

diystarter7 said:

Ultrasonic said:

For the vast majority of people, smart meters just make things easier by no longer having to send readings to a supplier, and with the in-home display making it easier to monitor usage for those who wish to.

Don't forget, they are running a business. With smart meters as I posted on this forum, we considered and most said avoid then the day after I read re 'variable tariffs during a 24 hour period.'  It's coming and this is why they want to lumber you with a smart meter. Avoid at all costs if possible IMHO.

I guess if you work during the day time like majority of workers, higher prices beween 5am and 10am then 4pm to 8pm - you are going to be properly ..... avoid.

The option for time if use tariffs is one benefit of smart meters but far from the only one, as part of a national 'smart grid'. As for your 'business' aspect note it's not the suppliers who are choosing to roll out smart meters.

The "option" you refer to, Have you read my post you quoted about those that go to work?
From that you can see that rather than "option" you put it as, workers on the whole will have little "option." other than to use gas/elec at max rates. Meaning if you work, you are penalised.

Please enlighten me to the other "benefits" of smart meters or than reading them automatically like water meters.

I read your post. To date nobody has been forced onto a time of use tariff but many have chosen to for their own benefit. Hence 'option'.  

In a general sense I actually think charging that varies with demand/supply would likely be a good thing to help with the switch to more renewable power.

Thank you. I feel you've misunderstood my post. We can expect the suppliers to force all to have varying daily fuel rates throughout the day so peak hours when most workers leave and return home rates are higher. Trust me once there are enough smart meters it will happen as there is more money for the suppliers

Awfully hot here - have a nice day

No, I understood but am not accepting your premise. 

No problem as I've stated what I know about to be true and happy with that. On that note feel free to agree to disagree and nothing will change my mind as things stand.
Enjoy your day.

Great - could you post a link to a factual source of that information then so we can all read it for ourselves. Something from Ofgem would be ideal. Thanks! 

wild666

MarcoM said:

Hi,

My supplier has written to me stating that my meter is old as it is now 15 20 years old.
They tell me: "we can't replace your meters like for like as traditional meters are becoming increasingly difficult to get hold".

I have read that these smart meters can cause issues, do you think I can refuse to have one installed and ask they look for a more traditional meter?

Many thanks for your advice

I have a friend who still has his old analogue meters, his supplier has contacted him many times saying they want to change his meters for smart meters and each time he tells them NO! his meters are still giving roughly the same daily, weekly and monthly readings they gave 40 years ago. 
He hasn't changed his usage over the 40 years, even in exceptionally cold periods, he uses hot water bottles for warmth and a bit of gas heating. He doesn't have any mould or damp in his flat, his monthly usage is around 100 kWh electric and 50 kWh gas in summer and the same electric in winter and approx. 150 kWh of gas per month in winter.

MWT

wild666 said:

I have a friend who still has his old analogue meters, his supplier has contacted him many times saying they want to change his meters for smart meters and each time he tells them NO! his meters are still giving roughly the same daily, weekly and monthly readings they gave 40 years ago. 

.. and he can keep saying 'no' until his supplier decides to force the point at which time they will change the meters regardless of his wish to retain the old ones...

[Deleted User]

My wife had a friend who stubbornly refused to watch TV after they stopped the analogue service. Her husband forced her to give in after a week and he eventually went down to a local charity shop and bought a secondhand STB for £10.