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

[Deleted User]

pochase said:

@crimson what is the type of the elictricity meter and what are the first 3 characters of the meter serial number? 

It should be a letter and two numbers, and for recent meters the two number show the date (year) of certification. Or maybe you just know when the meter was installed.

A list of the certification periods for the different meters can be found here.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1126202/schedule-4-december-2022.pdf

This is from my Electricity Bill:  

Electricity Supply number xxx  198  or this number:  Energy Charges for Meter Pxxxxxxxx561

Could this be the electricity meter serial number, pochase?

Octopus were proposing a Gas Smart meter as well as the electricity Smart meter -  I think (from my bill) this is the Gas meter:  Energy Charges for Meter G4xxxxxx14

(It is M3 on the Gas meter)  

pochase

It is the second one. 

Please remove the complete numbers, you can be identified by them.

Your meter was certified in 1990. WHat type is it?

matt_drummer

Annemos said:

matt_drummer.   What I don't like is that once we have a smart meter, it seems to be that we are then pushed into managing our accounts on-line. 

I really dislike getting lots and lots of unnecessary mails. I always have a worry when I have to open them up, that they could be a security concern. Are they valid mails etc etc. And all these companies send LOTS of mails, once they have you! 

I have always been incredibly happy with a text massage that said send us your readings by text....and then getting my paper bills in the post twice a year. I LOVE that system. 

Also I have a niggling doubt that one day all of our Wi-fi systems will go down. Would the smart meters stop working and stop showing the readings? 

Yes, I understand concerns about emails, but that is not connected to getting a smart meter, I don't think the two are connected.

Companies want to correspond electronically and it's easy to understand why. It's quick, efficient, cheap and good for the environment.

I work as accountant, I haven't sent paper invoices to customers for years, we use less paper, less ink, less electricity, no postage and no envelopes and I know the customers have their documents, what's not to like?

Smart meters don't work by wifi so no issue there.

Even if the smart meter did stop communicating with the supplier, you just have to send manual readings as you do now.

You should be checking meter readings whatever type of meters you have, having a smart meter can be no worse than not having one.

A lot of people also seem confused about what the smart meter actually is, it is not the display you might have somewhere in your house, that's just an information unit.

The smart meter will be where your old non smart meters are, they are the actual meters, not a screen on your kitchen work top.

Finally, online accounts give you so much information, helpful information. Who really wants to be billed six monthly, I want my bills more frequently and I want to know how much energy I have used and how much it cost. Technology helps with that.

But if somebody chose not to avail themselves of all this functionality and information that is up to them, having smart meters does not mean you need to do any of this, they are just meters that record your usage just like the ones you have now.

[Deleted User]

pochase said:

It is the second one. 

Please remove the complete numbers, you can be identified by them.

Your meter was certified in 1990. WHat type is it?

Thanks very much, pochase.  I'll go out now and check what type of meter it is:

I took a photograph of the meter and there seem to be a lot of numbers:  I'm not sure which one is the type of meter.  Could it be:  kWh  AC watt hour meter or s 200 31
Sangamd Weston ltd?  I'm sorry to be so vague - there are other nunbers too.

Is any of that any good, thanks pochase?

pochase

I have on;y information how to identify the certification date for the electricty meter. Yours starts with a P90, so ot should be certified in 1990.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meter_serial_number

THere are only a handful meter with more than 30 years certification, so very likely certification has expired.

Annemos

You have cleared something up for me, matt_drummer.

Are you saying that the actual meter reading that we can see on a Smart meter is still totally mechanical, as it ticks around? 

And that the Smart bit is just for communication with the Gas/ Electricity Company or your mobile phone or that separate display box that you might have lying around to show you what happens when you switch a kettle on?

I was thinking the actual meter reading itself was somehow very sophisticated and digital. 

pochase

Deleted_User said:

pochase said:

It is the second one. 

Please remove the complete numbers, you can be identified by them.

Your meter was certified in 1990. WHat type is it?

Thanks very much, pochase.  I'll go out now and check what type of meter it is:

I took a photograph of the meter and there seem to be a lot of numbers:  I'm not sure which one is the type of meter.  Could it be:  kWh  AC watt hour meter or s 200 31
Sangamd Weston ltd?  I'm sorry to be so vague - there are other nunbers too.

Is any of that any good, thanks pochase?

Yes, that is a Sangamo S200.31. It is the meter with the longest certification - 45 years.

So you should be fine for this meter until 2035.

[Deleted User]

Yes - that is the meter.

I am so very appreciative of all he great help you have given, thank you very much pochase.  It is reassuring to know that it should be fine until 2035 - that is a remarkable.  45 years.

I can't thank you enough, pochase - please believe me.

pochase

Here is the line with the info

Annemos

Pochase.... do you have the similar pdf file for the gas meters certification?