How would I go about getting a pay as you go electricity meter replaced with a normal billed meter? 30 January at 11:04PM in Energy 71 replies 1.8K views

macman

Referring to them as 'non-verbal' meters does seem a bit long-winded...

EssexHebridean

macman said:

Referring to them as 'non-verbal' meters does seem a bit long-winded...

I was wondering whether we should use "uncommunicative" but at least "dumb" has the advantage that most people can spell it!  



Also - just for form's sake - An Economy 7 meter can be either smart or dumb - just referring to "E7" is uninformative. 

Spoonie_Turtle

macman said:

Referring to them as 'non-verbal' meters does seem a bit long-winded...

Also misleading because the smart ones don't use words to communicate, they send data.

[Incidentally the preferred term for many people is 'non-speaking' because 'non-verbal' implies inability to communicate with language (words) which is wholly inaccurate for the vast majority of people who can't/don't speak.  And 'non-speaking' would certainly not be appropriate to describe a non-smart meter because it would imply the other meters do speak.  There is an accessible IHD being trialled that does speak, but it's still not a meter … ]

deano2099

diystarter7 said:

I won't have a smart meter fro reasons stated as the time will soo come when those o smart meters during power shortages will be have to pay higher rates for peak hours and this will get approved.

The gov and suppliers are pushing for these meters not to help the customers but to help themselves. If they are sayig different, then ask yourself this, can the government and big business lie and you have your answer

You dont have to agree with me but I'm standing by that.

I do agree with you though! I agree these companies and businesses are often ruthless liars. 
What I don't believe, for a minute, is that I'll somehow be able to avoid being ripped off by not having a smart meter. 

Yes, they'll be able to charge me more for usage in peak times. But they'll be able to charge you more *all the time* to convince you to move to a smart meter. Then when you decide you'd be better off with one after all, because the evil lying companies are ripping you off by charging you 90% of the peak rate all the time, they'll tell you "sorry, you declined a smart meter when offered one, it's £500 if you want one now".

You seem perfectly happy to believe that the energy companies are going to rip off those of us with smart meters, so why do you think not having a smart meter will make you immune to that? Why do you think they're above making having a non-smart meter so punishing and expensive that you end up relenting?

(Yes, I'm using some hyperbole here to make a point - the regulator may well draw the line at charging for smart meter installation but hopefully you can see what I'm doing)

diystarter7

deano2099 said:

diystarter7 said:

I won't have a smart meter fro reasons stated as the time will soo come when those o smart meters during power shortages will be have to pay higher rates for peak hours and this will get approved.

The gov and suppliers are pushing for these meters not to help the customers but to help themselves. If they are sayig different, then ask yourself this, can the government and big business lie and you have your answer

You dont have to agree with me but I'm standing by that.

I do agree with you though! I agree these companies and businesses are often ruthless liars. 
What I don't believe, for a minute, is that I'll somehow be able to avoid being ripped off by not having a smart meter. 

Yes, they'll be able to charge me more for usage in peak times. But they'll be able to charge you more *all the time* to convince you to move to a smart meter. Then when you decide you'd be better off with one after all, because the evil lying companies are ripping you off by charging you 90% of the peak rate all the time, they'll tell you "sorry, you declined a smart meter when offered one, it's £500 if you want one now".

You seem perfectly happy to believe that the energy companies are going to rip off those of us with smart meters, so why do you think not having a smart meter will make you immune to that? Why do you think they're above making having a non-smart meter so punishing and expensive that you end up relenting?

(Yes, I'm using some hyperbole here to make a point - the regulator may well draw the line at charging for smart meter installation but hopefully you can see what I'm doing)

Hi

Thank you. You are entitled to your opinion and its a good one. However, as things stand and the info I am getting from some posters and the BBC a trsuted news media and the potential for a government to lie as well as big business along with the turma some face on change over - I'm more than happy, actually very happy with the meter we have the old style

I am also glad I made an offical complaint to our supplier by re-training their staff not to make it sound as though smrt meters are mandatory

Even if we were offered 500 as things stand it would be a no as its not worth the bother and I don't want to be in the first lot of victims that will have to pay higher rates during peak periods and it will come.

Governments lie as does some  big business and that is a fact.  If people think the suppiers are helping them to save money, look at BP blaming the war on rises, hammering everyone and making record pfofits.

Thanks

macman

Do you mean BP, or BG? It's actually Shell who have just announced record profits, albeit 95% of them overseas which we can't tax in the UK anyway. But don't let a little detail like that get in the way of your conspiracy notions.
If war in Ukraine and consequent loss of Russian supply is not responsible for the price increases, do you think BP have arbitrarily put up prices on their own to increase profits? The world market dictates oil and energy prices, not single suppliers, and at present there is a shortage of both. The only way to artificially manipulate the price is by cutting or increasing production, and it's OPEC that does that, not BP.

EssexHebridean

I’m also not convinced that anyone - energy supplier or otherwise - has claimed that the war in Ukraine is as a result of rising energy prices! Indeed - I think pretty much without exception it has been accepted that in fact the situation is the other way round - it is the war which has contributed to the increasing prices, not the other way round! 

cannugec5

I’ve read all the propaganda for and against smart meters. I’ve noted and dismissed the conspiracy theories. 

I decided to get a SM fitted  - and it was installed this week. 

However it refused to communicate. The installer was patient and persistent. He had no other jobs that afternoon - ours was the only installation in the area ( he told us another booking had been cancelled by the customer.) He had travelled ( round trip) 180 miles to install our meter so was very frustrated not to get it working as it should. He removed the communication hub and just left the new meter. 

From our perspective we were not in the slightest bit surprised. We do not have a stable mobile phone signal. We rely on wi-fi calling, and land lines. 

But where does this leave us? I was hoping to sign up for TOU tariffs and look at pretty graphs of my usage. I was also hoping to be able to stop monthly meter readings - although I’ve got myself a selfie-stick so I can photograph the meter rather than climbing up a ladder. Fortunately the new meter needs no button pressing to display the reading .  I guess we will no longer be pestered/invited to apply for a SM.

I note the discussions about terminology. Analogue meter. Dumb meter. Smart meter. Is mine a Digital Dumb Meter? 

Will the country ever have full connectivity? 

MattMattMattUK

cannugec5 said:

I’ve read all the propaganda for and against smart meters. I’ve noted and dismissed the conspiracy theories. 

I decided to get a SM fitted  - and it was installed this week. 

However it refused to communicate. The installer was patient and persistent. He had no other jobs that afternoon - ours was the only installation in the area ( he told us another booking had been cancelled by the customer.) He had travelled ( round trip) 180 miles to install our meter so was very frustrated not to get it working as it should. He removed the communication hub and just left the new meter. 

From our perspective we were not in the slightest bit surprised. We do not have a stable mobile phone signal. We rely on wi-fi calling, and land lines. 

But where does this leave us? I was hoping to sign up for TOU tariffs and look at pretty graphs of my usage. I was also hoping to be able to stop monthly meter readings - although I’ve got myself a selfie-stick so I can photograph the meter rather than climbing up a ladder. Fortunately the new meter needs no button pressing to display the reading .  I guess we will no longer be pestered/invited to apply for a SM.

I note the discussions about terminology. Analogue meter. Dumb meter. Smart meter. Is mine a Digital Dumb Meter? 

Will the country ever have full connectivity? 

There are plans being worked on for alternative communications, as well as upgrades to the comms network. Some already work (fitting an aerial to the comms hub), there are also plans for a small bridge device allowing it communicate using a customers Wi-Fi where they are willing to allow that (data usage would be tiny, under 1MB a week.

As to will we ever have full connectivity, eventually is probably the right answer as there will be ways around meters in basements, remove locations etc. but that will take time. If you mean in general telecoms then yes we already do via satellite phones, Starlink etc. but more limited for other things.

deano2099

diystarter7 said:

Even if we were offered 500 as things stand it would be a no as its not worth the bother and I don't want to be in the first lot of victims that will have to pay higher rates during peak periods and it will come.

You misunderstand. I mean they will jack up the prices of those not on smart-meters to rip-off levels, and then make you pay them £500 for a smart meter, so you can get reasonably priced power.
You seem to be assuming that by not getting one you'll avoid being in the "first lot of victims" - but you should consider that the first lot of victims may well be those without smart meters, not those with them. We're past the tipping point, over 50% have smart meters, there's generally comfort and security in the majority.
Yes, governments and big businesses lie and rip you off. They're not going go "oh, DIY Starter 7 doesn't have a smart meter, lets leave them along and not rip them off"