Octopus: Action: Your meter is approaching its use-by date

brock_the_badger

greenhill said:

matt_drummer said:

EssexHebridean said:

[Deleted User] said:

Deleted_User said:

Thanks, dolor.  If/when Smart Meters  become mandatory, of course I'll have to accept them.

I have learned a lot from this Forum and the information from pochase  has been really very helpful and reassuring.

For now I am happier, comfortable and pleased to stay with my 'Dumb' meter.

With the greatest respect, that is just plain ‘dumb’. As I post, I am paying 6p/kWh and, at times less this Winter, for gas, and 5p/kWh for electricity.  Over the past 4 years, I have saved £00s on my energy costs. 

If the OP is comfortable paying more for peace of mind, then so long as this is based on a reasoned approach - rather than believing the lies frequently touted by the “anti” brigade - then that’s fine for them, I’d say. We all have to balance off “what suits us” against “what might in fact be best for us” and sometimes there are compromises to be made - either a little inconvenience for (for example) making something more easily affordable, or paying a little more in order to make life more straightforward. 

I’d personally save a big chunk of money right now by switching to EDF for my energy - it’s not going to happen any time soon, though! 

What peace of mind?

Surely he would have more peace of mind knowing that he had electricity and gas meters that weren't forty years old and instead had nice new ones that he knew were recording his electricity and gas usage accurately?

Having the meters replaced won't mean he'll instantly pay less money. If he does nothing but change the meters, nothing will change, they are just meters that record his use of electricity and gas.

You seem terribly obsessed with getting this forum member to change to a smart meter. Why? Leave him/her alone!
No, you don't save money with smart meters so please don't bother saying that.

One of the reasons I don't bother posting much on this forum . It makes you wonder whether the Smart meter advocates have huge shareholdings in the meter manufacturers .
I learned in a previous re-carnation on these forums just how vicious and bullying some regulars  can be .

matt_drummer

brock_the_badger said:

greenhill said:

matt_drummer said:

EssexHebridean said:

[Deleted User] said:

Deleted_User said:

Thanks, dolor.  If/when Smart Meters  become mandatory, of course I'll have to accept them.

I have learned a lot from this Forum and the information from pochase  has been really very helpful and reassuring.

For now I am happier, comfortable and pleased to stay with my 'Dumb' meter.

With the greatest respect, that is just plain ‘dumb’. As I post, I am paying 6p/kWh and, at times less this Winter, for gas, and 5p/kWh for electricity.  Over the past 4 years, I have saved £00s on my energy costs. 

If the OP is comfortable paying more for peace of mind, then so long as this is based on a reasoned approach - rather than believing the lies frequently touted by the “anti” brigade - then that’s fine for them, I’d say. We all have to balance off “what suits us” against “what might in fact be best for us” and sometimes there are compromises to be made - either a little inconvenience for (for example) making something more easily affordable, or paying a little more in order to make life more straightforward. 

I’d personally save a big chunk of money right now by switching to EDF for my energy - it’s not going to happen any time soon, though! 

What peace of mind?

Surely he would have more peace of mind knowing that he had electricity and gas meters that weren't forty years old and instead had nice new ones that he knew were recording his electricity and gas usage accurately?

Having the meters replaced won't mean he'll instantly pay less money. If he does nothing but change the meters, nothing will change, they are just meters that record his use of electricity and gas.

You seem terribly obsessed with getting this forum member to change to a smart meter. Why? Leave him/her alone!
No, you don't save money with smart meters so please don't bother saying that.

One of the reasons I don't bother posting much on this forum . It makes you wonder whether the Smart meter advocates have huge shareholdings in the meter manufacturers .
I learned in a previous re-carnation on these forums just how vicious and bullying some regulars  can be .

I hope you don't think I am a vicious bully?!

I am a mild mannered accountant in the East of England.

I certainly have no financial interest in smart meters, I work for a timber importer!

I was just curios as to why somebody wouldn't want new gas and electricity meters fitted for free when the ones they have now a more than thirty years old.

It seems nobody can really tell me, other than we like what we have, so now I know.

GingerTim

greenhill said:

matt_drummer said:

EssexHebridean said:

[Deleted User] said:

Deleted_User said:

Thanks, dolor.  If/when Smart Meters  become mandatory, of course I'll have to accept them.

I have learned a lot from this Forum and the information from pochase  has been really very helpful and reassuring.

For now I am happier, comfortable and pleased to stay with my 'Dumb' meter.

With the greatest respect, that is just plain ‘dumb’. As I post, I am paying 6p/kWh and, at times less this Winter, for gas, and 5p/kWh for electricity.  Over the past 4 years, I have saved £00s on my energy costs. 

If the OP is comfortable paying more for peace of mind, then so long as this is based on a reasoned approach - rather than believing the lies frequently touted by the “anti” brigade - then that’s fine for them, I’d say. We all have to balance off “what suits us” against “what might in fact be best for us” and sometimes there are compromises to be made - either a little inconvenience for (for example) making something more easily affordable, or paying a little more in order to make life more straightforward. 

I’d personally save a big chunk of money right now by switching to EDF for my energy - it’s not going to happen any time soon, though! 

What peace of mind?

Surely he would have more peace of mind knowing that he had electricity and gas meters that weren't forty years old and instead had nice new ones that he knew were recording his electricity and gas usage accurately?

Having the meters replaced won't mean he'll instantly pay less money. If he does nothing but change the meters, nothing will change, they are just meters that record his use of electricity and gas.

You seem terribly obsessed with getting this forum member to change to a smart meter. Why? Leave him/her alone!
No, you don't save money with smart meters so please don't bother saying that.

That's just not true though, is it? The flexible TOU tariffs which require smart meters do offer considerable capacity for making substantial savings, as @[Deleted User] has pointed out.

matt_drummer

greenhill said:

matt_drummer said:

EssexHebridean said:

Dolor said:

Deleted_User said:

Thanks, dolor.  If/when Smart Meters  become mandatory, of course I'll have to accept them.

I have learned a lot from this Forum and the information from pochase  has been really very helpful and reassuring.

For now I am happier, comfortable and pleased to stay with my 'Dumb' meter.

With the greatest respect, that is just plain ‘dumb’. As I post, I am paying 6p/kWh and, at times less this Winter, for gas, and 5p/kWh for electricity.  Over the past 4 years, I have saved £00s on my energy costs. 

If the OP is comfortable paying more for peace of mind, then so long as this is based on a reasoned approach - rather than believing the lies frequently touted by the “anti” brigade - then that’s fine for them, I’d say. We all have to balance off “what suits us” against “what might in fact be best for us” and sometimes there are compromises to be made - either a little inconvenience for (for example) making something more easily affordable, or paying a little more in order to make life more straightforward. 

I’d personally save a big chunk of money right now by switching to EDF for my energy - it’s not going to happen any time soon, though! 

What peace of mind?

Surely he would have more peace of mind knowing that he had electricity and gas meters that weren't forty years old and instead had nice new ones that he knew were recording his electricity and gas usage accurately?

Having the meters replaced won't mean he'll instantly pay less money. If he does nothing but change the meters, nothing will change, they are just meters that record his use of electricity and gas.

You seem terribly obsessed with getting this forum member to change to a smart meter. Why? Leave him/her alone!
No, you don't save money with smart meters so please don't bother saying that.

I truly couldn't care less whether this person has a smart meter fitted.

I am not obsessed with them or their meter.

I am not even talking to them, I am just discussing smart meters in general with all the other posters.

What on earth do you think I have done to them?

You can save money by having a smart meter, why do you say you can't?

All I ever said was that they are just replacement meters, you don't have to do anything with them or try to save money, they're just new meters, which you have just confirmed you agree with.

Spoonie_Turtle

greenhill said:

matt_drummer said:

EssexHebridean said:

Dolor said:

Deleted_User said:

Thanks, dolor.  If/when Smart Meters  become mandatory, of course I'll have to accept them.

I have learned a lot from this Forum and the information from pochase  has been really very helpful and reassuring.

For now I am happier, comfortable and pleased to stay with my 'Dumb' meter.

With the greatest respect, that is just plain ‘dumb’. As I post, I am paying 6p/kWh and, at times less this Winter, for gas, and 5p/kWh for electricity.  Over the past 4 years, I have saved £00s on my energy costs. 

If the OP is comfortable paying more for peace of mind, then so long as this is based on a reasoned approach - rather than believing the lies frequently touted by the “anti” brigade - then that’s fine for them, I’d say. We all have to balance off “what suits us” against “what might in fact be best for us” and sometimes there are compromises to be made - either a little inconvenience for (for example) making something more easily affordable, or paying a little more in order to make life more straightforward. 

I’d personally save a big chunk of money right now by switching to EDF for my energy - it’s not going to happen any time soon, though! 

What peace of mind?

Surely he would have more peace of mind knowing that he had electricity and gas meters that weren't forty years old and instead had nice new ones that he knew were recording his electricity and gas usage accurately?

Having the meters replaced won't mean he'll instantly pay less money. If he does nothing but change the meters, nothing will change, they are just meters that record his use of electricity and gas.

You seem terribly obsessed with getting this forum member to change to a smart meter. Why? Leave him/her alone!
No, you don't save money with smart meters so please don't bother saying that.

Perhaps that would have been better worded "you don't *automatically save money with smart meters".

Max68

Watching this thread with interest as I have had several emails from Octopus exactly the same.  I take my readings every day on an old style imperial gas meter and digital electricity meter, which I believe is a lot newer because it was replaced when a leak appeared in the garage roof and was leaking close to the meter. Can't remember the gas meter ever being replaced and I've been here since 1998.  I emailed Octopus eventually asking what the dates of expiry were and the came back with

"It appears that your meters were certified until 2012, so your previous supplier should have alerted you to this.

Older meters are at greater risk of fault or creating inaccurate charges, so please let us know when would be suitable to exchange these by booking an appointment on your online account."

Rather odd considering as said above the electricity meter is far newer than the gas one.  When I was with Shell they kept sending emails but nothing to do with the meters life, just because as a Shell customer I had to have them.  Booked several times and they cancelled each time so I've not bothered since.  I was with Octopus three years ago and all the time I was with them they never once mentioned my meters which is odd considering they now say they should have been changed back in 2012!  For me it's just the hassle.  For someone to change them I'd have to move so much stuff out of the garage it's a pain.  So I'll probably wait to the summer if I do get them done.

Astria

GingerTim said:

greenhill said:

matt_drummer said:

EssexHebridean said:

[Deleted User] said:

Deleted_User said:

Thanks, dolor.  If/when Smart Meters  become mandatory, of course I'll have to accept them.

I have learned a lot from this Forum and the information from pochase  has been really very helpful and reassuring.

For now I am happier, comfortable and pleased to stay with my 'Dumb' meter.

With the greatest respect, that is just plain ‘dumb’. As I post, I am paying 6p/kWh and, at times less this Winter, for gas, and 5p/kWh for electricity.  Over the past 4 years, I have saved £00s on my energy costs. 

If the OP is comfortable paying more for peace of mind, then so long as this is based on a reasoned approach - rather than believing the lies frequently touted by the “anti” brigade - then that’s fine for them, I’d say. We all have to balance off “what suits us” against “what might in fact be best for us” and sometimes there are compromises to be made - either a little inconvenience for (for example) making something more easily affordable, or paying a little more in order to make life more straightforward. 

I’d personally save a big chunk of money right now by switching to EDF for my energy - it’s not going to happen any time soon, though! 

What peace of mind?

Surely he would have more peace of mind knowing that he had electricity and gas meters that weren't forty years old and instead had nice new ones that he knew were recording his electricity and gas usage accurately?

Having the meters replaced won't mean he'll instantly pay less money. If he does nothing but change the meters, nothing will change, they are just meters that record his use of electricity and gas.

You seem terribly obsessed with getting this forum member to change to a smart meter. Why? Leave him/her alone!
No, you don't save money with smart meters so please don't bother saying that.

That's just not true though, is it? The flexible TOU tariffs which require smart meters do offer considerable capacity for making substantial savings, as @[Deleted User] has pointed out.

and some people can make substantial savings because they have a new insight into how much certain things actually cost, thus making it easier to make savings by reducing or replacing those items.

EssexHebridean

Aside for general information: Wikipedia has an excellent explainer on mansplaining. It originated from the habit of “some” men (obviously, “not all men” though 😉) in feeling that they needed to explain the simplest things to those who quite clearly already know them - coincidentally often women. 
Second aside for general information : “She/her” in a signature is a pretty good indicator that a person may regard themselves as female. 

@Max68 There is a link further back in the thread where you can check the certification period on your electricity meter. I checked mine last night and it transpires that it is a 20 year one although if we were planning on staying here longer I would be considering booking a SM install anyway due to the possibilities for TOU tariffs other than our current E7. 

TheElectricCow

greenhill said:

No, you don't save money with smart meters so please don't bother saying that.

While it’s absolutely true that the meter itself won’t inherently save a person any money, it’s important not to disregard the potential for savings having one could open up for people who are willing/able to change their energy use habits.

From simple things like being able to see how much energy was used for any given period of the day (identifying areas of wasted energy) to the more involved time of use tariffs coming out, there are certainly plenty of savings to be had should a customer seek them out that would otherwise be unfeasible with a traditional meter.

At the more extreme end of the scale you even have things like the Demand Flexibility Service currently being tested/ran which can allow for some significant gains if you go about it right. That may not be the sort of thing suitable  for everyone, but in under a month I’ve had £140 out of that scheme credited to my energy account already. 

Those are the sort of savings that make a smart meter more than worthwhile for me. Yes, it does require some degree of user understanding and input to save money with one, but to say a smart meter doesn’t offer any savings I feel would be inaccurate.

PotentiallyACat

I've been getting similar messages from Shell Energy. I emailed them since the texts were not specific about which meter was reaching "end of life" (as they were claiming) and asked them if the messages were genuine, and which meter it related to.

A lovely lady from Shell Energy called me this morning and when I asked which meter this was about she looked up my details and said that both meters were fine and neither needed to be replaced.

So the messages were, in fact, a lie. My meters work fine. They are not expired.