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

matt_drummer

Annemos said:

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. 

Hi Annemos,

Somebody else posted a detailed reply to this.

The meter is not mechanical, it is digital, an electronic device, but it does not rely on anything other than itself to measure and record your electricity usage. With no internet/wifi or mobile telephone signal it functions as a meter that records your usage, it doesn't do anything else. 

The only thing `smart' about it is the ability to send details of your usage straight to the supplier and for the supplier to communicate with it, if the communication part fails then it's still just an electricity meter.

There is nothing else going on.

The separate display box that you mention is just so you can easily see how much you are using and have used over different time periods. It is just a display, nothing else and it does not send any information anywhere. If it stopped working it has no effect on your electricity or gas meters.

It really is the word `smart' that is the issue. If they just came and fitted a new digital meter I don't think most people would have an issue, the smart reference infers a level of complexity that isn't actually there.

It's like the difference between a modern television or radio, they use modern electronic components that replaced valves and tubes. I never hear anybody saying they don't want a modern television , one of those horrible thin ones, I want one of those lovely big old fat ones with a small screen!

jackieblack

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

Thanks for this, very helpful 
I’ve had a look at the serial number on my meter which is S64 (which is when the house was built), but there is a little yellow sticker on the glass which says ‘certified 02 84’ so I’m guessing it was inspected and recertified 20 years after installation(?)

[Deleted User]

Deleted_User said:

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.

You may be fine until the Government makes smart metering mandatory. They don’t need to do this at the moment as the demand for smart meters is outstripping supply. In France, they have introduced a levy for non-smartmetered homes to encourage consumers to agree to smart meters.

Edit:

For those who believe that this couldn’t happen there is to be a trial in Whitby, Wirral to convert all heating etc to hydrogen. Consumers in the area will not have the option to continue to use natural gas. They can either agree to the trial; switch to an all electric home or sell up and move. The same thing happened when we switched from coal to natural gas many decades ago.

pochase

jackieblack said:

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

Thanks for this, very helpful 
I’ve had a look at the serial number on my meter which is S64 (which is when the house was built), but there is a little yellow sticker on the glass which says ‘certified 02 84’ so I’m guessing it was inspected and recertified 20 years after installation(?)

That would be my guess also. There is the possibility to recertify to my knowledge, it just is more expensive than a new meter.

What meter do you have? There are only 3 Sangamo meters with 40 to 45 years certification, so even 1984 might be at the end of certification now.

[Deleted User]

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.

[Deleted User]

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. 

jackieblack

pochase said:

jackieblack said:

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

Thanks for this, very helpful 
I’ve had a look at the serial number on my meter which is S64 (which is when the house was built), but there is a little yellow sticker on the glass which says ‘certified 02 84’ so I’m guessing it was inspected and recertified 20 years after installation(?)

That would be my guess also. There is the possibility to recertify to my knowledge, it just is more expensive than a new meter.

What meter do you have? There are only 3 Sangamo meters with 40 to 45 years certification, so even 1984 might be at the end of certification now.

It says S 200.16

jackieblack

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.

Ditto to all of the above 

[Deleted User]

There is a process that suppliers follow to identify meters that need replacing:

https://octopus.energy/blog/meter-certification-date/

‘ Just like food, each electricity and gas meter is given a ‘best before’ date when it’s manufactured. In the industry it’s called a certification date, and is set by the Office for Product Safety and Standards (the OPSS). Once a meter has passed its certification date, we need to replace it. This ensures the energy you use is always measured accurately to the levels specified by the OPSS.’

EssexHebridean

[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!