Smart Meters : E-On sneaky new “end of meter life” tactic

[Deleted User]

Deleted_User said:

[Deleted User] said:

Miser1964 said:

Thin end of the wedge indeed. Next step is premium rates when demand is high.

Clouds and silver linings come to mind. When energy supply exceeds demand, then consumers will get a lower unit cost. I am on Tracker Gas and my gas unit price today is 5.01p/kWh due to low European demand; full reserves and full LNG tankers sitting off our coast.

Initially perhaps - to entice you onto smart meters. 

But once they have a captive 'audience' why would they give you cheap energy at any time? 

More likely energy will be very expensive at all times, and unavailable to most during peak times. If people don't have independent means of getting energy there is no incentive for the  few remaining energy companies to keep prices down. 

I have been on Octopus Energy’s smart meter time-of-use tariffs now for over 3 1/2 years. By shifting my high usage from the high demand/ high cost period (4pm to 8pm), I have saved a fortune. It really isn’t that difficult or that inconvenient. Here are this evening’s Octopus Agile unit prices (for my DNO region) for this evening:

I get it that you don’t like smart meters, but the facts are that consumers can save money on time-of-use tariffs. Octopus Agile even pays consumers to use energy at high supply times to avoid them having to pay wind farm owners to feather their turbine blades.

[Deleted User]

[Deleted User] said:

Deleted_User said:

[Deleted User] said:

Miser1964 said:

Thin end of the wedge indeed. Next step is premium rates when demand is high.

Clouds and silver linings come to mind. When energy supply exceeds demand, then consumers will get a lower unit cost. I am on Tracker Gas and my gas unit price today is 5.01p/kWh due to low European demand; full reserves and full LNG tankers sitting off our coast.

Initially perhaps - to entice you onto smart meters. 

But once they have a captive 'audience' why would they give you cheap energy at any time? 

More likely energy will be very expensive at all times, and unavailable to most during peak times. If people don't have independent means of getting energy there is no incentive for the  few remaining energy companies to keep prices down. 

I have been on Octopus Energy’s smart meter time-of-use tariffs now for over 3 1/2 years. By shifting my high usage from the high demand/ high cost period (4pm to 8pm), I have saved a fortune. It really isn’t that difficult or that inconvenient. Here are this evening’s Octopus Agile unit prices (for my DNO region) for this evening:

I get it that you don’t like smart meters, but the facts are that consumers can save money on time-of-use tariffs. Octopus Agile even pays consumers to use energy at high supply times to avoid them having to pay wind farm owners to feather their turbine blades.

When they're trying to entice everyone into having smart meters installed they'll offer incentives. But once most people are on smart meters why on earth would they give you cheap rates for off-peak energy? 

There are lots of good reasons why people don't want smart meters. They know any bribes and benefits on offer will be short lived. Once you've got a smart meter you're stuck with it. 

Spoonie_Turtle

Dolor said:

Miser1964 said:

Thin end of the wedge indeed. Next step is premium rates when demand is high.

Clouds and silver linings come to mind. When energy supply exceeds demand, then consumers will get a lower unit cost. I am on Tracker Gas and my gas unit price today is 5.01p/kWh due to low European demand; full reserves and full LNG tankers sitting off our coast.

Further to this, our electricity price since October 1st has been well under the EPG thanks to Tracker, most days sitting around the 20p mark, +/- a few pennies.  (We don't actually have a smart meter yet, but to take full advantage of load shifting it would be more convenient.) 

Tariffs such as Agile can even pay people to use electricity when there's so much excess, which does require smart meters.  And not just in a figurative 'it pays' meaning it's cheaper, but literally pays them money to use electricity when the price of electricity goes negative.

Deleted_User said:

Dolor said:

Miser1964 said:

Thin end of the wedge indeed. Next step is premium rates when demand is high.

Clouds and silver linings come to mind. When energy supply exceeds demand, then consumers will get a lower unit cost. I am on Tracker Gas and my gas unit price today is 5.01p/kWh due to low European demand; full reserves and full LNG tankers sitting off our coast.

Initially perhaps - to entice you onto smart meters. 

But once they have a captive 'audience' why would they give you cheap energy at any time? 

The aforementioned tariffs have been going since 2018, partly to give people cheaper energy than fixed or standard variables, but a big part of it is to help encourage load shifting to when renewable energy is more abundant to reduce reliance on fossil fuel generation.  These tariffs don't suit everyone but they're not just a gimmick to get people to agree to smart meters.

[Deleted User]

once most people are on smart meters why on earth would they give you cheap rates for off-peak energy? 

Renewable energy is feast or famine. Without storage, National Grid has no option but to pay what are known as constraint payments to renewable energy generators.

https://www.ref.org.uk/ref-blog/371-constraint-payments-to-wind-power-in-2020-and-2021

By encouraging consumers to use energy when it is in over supply - through lower unit prices - the National Grid can better manage demand with supply and avoid expensive constraint payments. There is nothing short term about this. We need an over provision of renewable generators to maintain an assured level of generation in constantly varying meteorological conditions. 

Smart meters make the passing on of savings to consumers possible. Each smart meter can hold 48 by 30 minute daily tariff rates.

[Deleted User]

[Deleted User] said:

once most people are on smart meters why on earth would they give you cheap rates for off-peak energy? 

Renewable energy is feast or famine. Without storage, National Grid has no option but to pay what are known as constraint payments to renewable energy generators.

https://www.ref.org.uk/ref-blog/371-constraint-payments-to-wind-power-in-2020-and-2021

By encouraging consumers to use energy when it is in over supply - through lower unit prices - the National Grid can better manage demand with supply and avoid expensive constraint payments. There is nothing short term about this. We need an over provision of renewable generators to maintain an assured level of generation in constantly varying meteorological conditions. 

Smart meters make the passing on of savings to consumers possible. Each smart meter can hold 48 by 30 minute daily tariff rates.

When they want to entice people onto smart meters they will control your usage patterns by offering discounts.

Once most people are on smart meters there is no need to offer cheap energy at off-peak hours. They can simply quadruple the price of energy during peak hours. 

Those that are trusting of massive profit making corporations will no doubt flock to get smart meters. But plenty of people will see the potential drawbacks and decide that a few short-lived perks don't make the switch more acceptable to them. 

It's a numbers game. If 99% of the population go for it they could PERHAPS get away with making energy too expensive for those without smart meters. Normally I'd say this would never happen, but I have to concede we've seen some shocking things in recent years. But if enough people refuse to have smart meters they'll need to come up with a plan that people find acceptable. 

That's what free markets are all about - plenty of competition so that everyone can be catered for.

Miser1964

Govt. tempted people to buy diesel cars, now they've been shafted.

It's no secret the usual suspects plan to make electricity a 'luxury' good which has to be rationed and priced sky-high.

double_dutchy

Miser1964 said:

It's no secret the usual suspects plan to make electricity a 'luxury' good which has to be rationed and priced sky-high.

I have no idea what that means, please share your source for this information.

[Deleted User]

double_dutchy said:

Miser1964 said:

It's no secret the usual suspects plan to make electricity a 'luxury' good which has to be rationed and priced sky-high.

I have no idea what that means, please share your source for this information.

I don't know what Miser1964 means, but common sense should tell you that due to net zero goals and shortcomings of renewable energy there isn't enough to go around. 

No one knows for sure HOW energy will be rationed - but it obviously will be.

Smart meters will help central controllers decide who gets the luxury of energy and who doesn't. I personally don't feel comfortable about willingly giving them that control - because something tells me that I won't be getting a fair share.

It makes far more sense to me (and of course it won't be for everyone) to focus efforts on 100% independent energy sources that I control. It's in my best interests for governments and big corporations to have LESS control over my life - not more.

So I'd be utterly gobsmacked if time proves Miser1964 wrong.

double_dutchy

Deleted_User said:

I don't know what Miser1964 means, but common sense should tell you that due to net zero goals and shortcomings of renewable energy there isn't enough to go around. 

No one knows for sure HOW energy will be rationed - but it obviously will be.

Smart meters will help central controllers decide who gets the luxury of energy and who doesn't. I personally don't feel comfortable about willingly giving them that control - because something tells me that I won't be getting a fair share.

This is pure conjecture, where's your evidence?

SAC2334

Brie said:

wasn't there something on another thread about how to block the signal from the smart meter?  something akin to a tin hat so aliens can't eat your brain waves.  or foil in your wallet so thieves can't zap your credit cards?  I mean if she is concerned then let them install and then add in a wodge of foil and see what sparks fly!

But also get her registered as vulnerable so she is dealt with as a priority should there be outages.

Yes, it was to encase the coms in tin foil. I think that may constitute tampering with the suppliers equipment. It also assists  in fiddling the smart  gas meter if an occupier wanted to get round meter removal sensor on the gas meter 
Lousy advice from scarter going on about waiting for a supplier to get a court orders .The court order of approx.  £150 is charged to the occupier who is illegally refusing access to their property so I wish he/she would stop saying it as the OP may believe it .