Reasons to give for refusing a smart meter

[Deleted User]

No, you're suggesting that people deliberately start to be obnoxious about perfectly simple requests from a supplier attempting to comply with their licence conditions and legal duties, in the hope/expectation that it will bully the supplier into doing things the way an arbitrary customer wants.

[Deleted User]

[Deleted User] said:

No, you're suggesting that people deliberately start to be obnoxious about perfectly simple requests from a supplier attempting to comply with their licence conditions and legal duties, in the hope/expectation that it will bully the supplier into doing things the way an arbitrary customer wants.

I'm suggesting that customers that don't want a smart meter WRITE to their energy company to find out exactly what the policy is. They can then make an informed decision about what to do next.

There is no reason why an honest company should feel 'bullied' by a customer asking for clarification about procedures and policy. These things should always be open and transparent. That way people wouldn't need to go onto discussion forums to speculate about what policy/procedures might be. 

[Deleted User]

Obfuscation and whataboutery.

To summarise your argument - you recommend that the customer writes something along the lines of:

"Yes, I'm aware that my meter has come to end-of-life.  I'm also aware that you have the legal right and the statutory duty to replace it.  I understand that you may be in breach of your licence conditions if I refuse.  I understand that the designated, preferred, and potentially only replacement option is a smart meter, which you are required and instructed to fit by both the government and the regulator.

However, I have some vague objection to companies having more power, and an unfounded suspicion that you would decide to randomly and inappropriately disconnect me at an unspecified point in the future.  Because of this, I would like you to explain to me in writing what will happen if I obstruct you from performing your statutory duties."

[Deleted User]

[Deleted User] said:

Obfuscation and whataboutery.

I'm sorry if I wasn't clear. Things get convoluted when people are going off on different tangents. I'll try again to be precise and clear.

In answer to the OP's question - I am suggesting that the best thing they can do is to write to their energy company to tell them that they are adamant that they won't have a smart meter. They should ask them to state their policy and procedures in cases such as this. That way, they can make an informed decision about what to do next. Which makes more sense than getting in a tizzy over the random and quite possibly incorrect speculation on discussion forums and social media.

They might get a pleasant surprise. The energy companies might actually care about their customers and be willing to accommodate them with an old-style meter. 

[Deleted User]

Deleted_User said:

In answer to the OP's question - I am suggesting that the best thing they can do is to write to their energy company to tell them that they are adamant that they won't have a smart meter. 

In answer to the OP's question - the best thing they can do is have a smart meter fitted.

[Deleted User]

I don’t get the resistance to have a smart meter installed. At the end of the day, it is just an energy meter with the ability to send usage data. 

Someone on my road closed their energy account with BG but a !!!!!! up meant my serial number was linked to their account and my gas account was terminated instead. My gas meter isn’t smart but I was still affected by a mix up so things happen regardless of whether a meter is smart or not. I have been “Smart” on my electric for 3 years now but never worried about EDF remotely switching me to PAYG mode. 

I agree with others posters that people should write to and explain their concerns with their energy companies but sometimes I think people don’t fully understand what it is they are  refusing. The benefits of a smart meter out way the possibility that their tariff could be remotely changed. Tesco Mobile could cut of my mobile phone if they so wished but it doesn’t put me off using it. Not that they will because the bills up to date but it has happened before due to an error on their part.

My dad is the same. I will walk on the moon before he will have a smart meter. I just don’t get it. 

[Deleted User]

Deleted_User said:

I agree with others posters that people should write to and explain their concerns with their energy companies

Would you write and explain to the Police that you would quite like to be allowed to use your phone when driving?

Or to Royal Mail and say that they should continue delivering 2nd class letters specially to you on Sundays?

The entire crux of this suggestion (which comes up quite often) is that just because suppliers are not vociferous about jumping for court orders and "punishing" people (of course a good thing), you should be able to ask them to ignore the rules for you.  That's just nonsense.

[Deleted User]

Deleted_User said:

I don’t get the resistance to have a smart meter installed. At the end of the day, it is just an energy meter with the ability to send usage data. 

Someone on my road closed their energy account with BG but a !!!!!! up meant my serial number was linked to their account and my gas account was terminated instead. My gas meter isn’t smart but I was still affected by a mix up so things happen regardless of whether a meter is smart or not. I have been “Smart” on my electric for 3 years now but never worried about EDF remotely switching me to PAYG mode. 

I agree with others posters that people should write to and explain their concerns with their energy companies but sometimes I think people don’t fully understand what it is they are  refusing. The benefits of a smart meter out way the possibility that their tariff could be remotely changed. Tesco Mobile could cut of my mobile phone if they so wished but it doesn’t put me off using it. Not that they will because the bills up to date but it has happened before due to an error on their part.

My dad is the same. I will walk on the moon before he will have a smart meter. I just don’t get it. 

It always amazes me when people aren't concerned. This is the best way that I can explain it.

Technology can provide tremendous power to solve problems - from ID cards to digital currency, smart meters etc. There are all sorts of things that can be achieved and few would dispute the potential benefits. But when you hand power to anyone you have to consider the potential that power gives them to do harm. Either through error, incompetence, malice, prejudice or even just due to differing political beliefs.

Setting aside all the intentional harm that can be done - just plain old bugs or human error can devastate lives (e.g. the multiple innocent post masters that ended up in prison because the Post Office managers had blind faith in their software system).

Even if you completely trust the people that wield that power now - you have no clue who will wield it tomorrow. (e.g. twitter ownership lurching from one political extreme to the other.)

We have seen big corporations use their power to harm people that they disagree with. Not criminals that have been found guilty in a court of law, but people that they just don't approve of. - people that don't share their political beliefs. PayPal recently announced that they would FINE customers who said things they didn't agree with!! Banks have closed down the accounts of people they don't approve of - including the former POTUS. No judge and jury - just big corporations throwing their weight around.

This is why a lot of people simply do not want to give ANYONE centralized control of anything. They aren't stupid; they aren't luddites. They just know a little bit about history and it's tendency to repeat itself. And they know human nature.

A lot of people just want to have control over their own lives and not be at the mercy of governments and corporations that seem to be lurching from one hairbrained scheme to the next; one political battle to the next.

We just want to live our lives as we see fit without all the utter craziness and control freakery.

Maybe it's a tiny minority that are alarmed by this. In which case it will happen and those that don't like it will need to either find a way to get off grid or else just suck it up.

But maybe it's a lot of people - in which case government and energy companies will need to re-think their strategy. We aren't living in a dictatorship and **IF** a big percentage of the population aren't happy with the trajectory we're on then it has to change.

But maybe a simple letter to the energy company will be all that's needed. Bottom line is - if the paying customer isn't happy with the service and the energy companies don't give a damn....then we have a problem.

[Deleted User]

Deleted_User said:

Bottom line is - if the paying customer isn't happy with the service and the energy companies don't give a damn....then we have a problem.

Nonsense.  It's not social welfare, it's not a monopoly, and it's not a mandatory service.  It is the entry into a voluntary contact with a company for a particular service.  If a paying customer doesn't like the service a company is offering them in an open market - they change company.

The regulator is there to make sure there isn't exploitation of this, and the regulator has said "give everyone a smart meter".

However much you wish to live in a libertarian Dreamland, or complain about corporate power, this is the actual real world here.

70sbudgie

Btw, electricity suppliers don't cut off power. They have to apply to the DNO to do that. I believe that the most the supplier can do is switch the tariff and therefore effect the way you pay for your electricity.

The suppliers are being heavily incentivised by the government to fit smart meters. The roll out has been going on so long now that I believe Ofgem has introduced penalties for not meeting smart meter install targets. (The carrot hasn't been working, so they're moving to the stick).

(A greater up take in smart meters would enable the electricity networks to be more flexible and more able to avoid blackouts)