Smart Meter

powerful_Rogue

MikeJXE said:

GingerTim said:

MikeJXE said:

GingerTim said:

MikeJXE said:

That's my opinion anyway for what it's worth so I will be sticking to a dumb meter as I will be sticking to an ICE car for as long as I am able 

Those on dumb meters will end up paying more than anyone on a smart meter, i.e. peak rates 24/7 with no opportunity to shift usage to less expensive times. 

I didn't say they wouldn't 

I'm saying the energy companies have more control over your bill with a smart meter 

But by that logic those on a dumb meter will have even less control, surely?

Very much so,

I did also state smart meters are the future and eventually we will all be on them, thus giving energy companies complete control over every individual whatever ducking and diving you do to get get your usage down. 

I doubt someone at the energy company will be looking at their screen saying 'Mr Rogue uses a lot of electric every 2nd Tueday of each month, lets design a new contract to charge him more'.

Have you actually looked at any smart TOU tariffs?

MikeJXE

Have you actually looked at any smart TOU tariffs?

Yes I have and they look good, you could say a sprat to catch a mackerel

I don't have smart meter and my dumb one isn't broken 

Alnat1

MikeJXE said:

Have you actually looked at any smart TOU tariffs?

Yes I have and they look good, you could say a sprat to catch a mackerel

I don't have smart meter and my dumb one isn't broken 

Your meters aren't broken but they are stopping you getting cheaper energy. How long do you want to pay more for? 3 years? 5 years? 10 years? The longer you hold out, the more YOU are being "ripped off" by the energy companies.

Your choice of being smart or dumb.

powerful_Rogue

MikeJXE said:

Have you actually looked at any smart TOU tariffs?

Yes I have and they look good, you could say a sprat to catch a mackerel

I don't have smart meter and my dumb one isn't broken 

I'm sure there were similar thoughts when those pesky Eco7 meters came out all them decades ago.

Entice people in with those generous low over night rates, then ramp the prices sky high when enough people had changed over............

MikeJXE

powerful_Rogue said:

MikeJXE said:

Have you actually looked at any smart TOU tariffs?

Yes I have and they look good, you could say a sprat to catch a mackerel

I don't have smart meter and my dumb one isn't broken 

I'm sure there were similar thoughts when those pesky Eco7 meters came out all them decades ago.

Entice people in with those generous low over night rates, then ramp the prices sky high when enough people had changed over............

Yes a bit like the days when we were encouraged to have a diesel car. 

[Deleted User]

MikeJXE said:

Yes I have and they look good, you could say a sprat to catch a mackerel

This particular sprat (smart tariff) has been in existence for over 4 years. Look at the prices for tomorrow which for most of the day are much cheaper than the Ofgem Cap. It is even being recommended by the man than used to own this website:

The tariff - Octopus Agile.

MikeJXE

[Deleted User] said:

MikeJXE said:

Yes I have and they look good, you could say a sprat to catch a mackerel

This particular sprat (smart tariff) has been in existence for over 4 years. Look at the prices for tomorrow which for most of the day are much cheaper than the Ofgem Cap. It is even being recommended by the man than used to own this website:

The tariff - Octopus Agile.

I am not disputing tariffs can be very much cheaper if you have a smart meter

What I am say is who knows what will be when everyone has them 

matt_drummer

[Deleted User] said:

matt_drummer said:

[Deleted User] said:

Where does all this nonsense come from?

How can a ‘smart meter give energy companies complete control of what you pay’? A smart meter is just a meter that provides the supplier with readings. The contract - the tariff - is agreed between the customer and the supplier irrespective of the meter type. Suppliers cannot just raise evening rates unless the contract that the customer ‘signed’ allows them to do so.

By allowing those with smart meters to use electricity when the rates are the cheapest they will be able to pay less, those without smart meters won't be able to benefit, therefore those without smart meters will pay the highest rates. I never said rates will be raised, they just won't be able to be lowered.

I thought that I was agreeing with you! 

I'm sorry, I thought you said I was talking nonsense.

My mistake, I apologise.

matt_drummer

MikeJXE said:

What I am say is who knows what will be when everyone has them 

I think most of us agree that however bad it might be for those with smart meters, it will be worse for those without. 

TheElectricCow

MikeJXE said:

Time of use tariffs will be able to be set to an individual account rather than universal, there will be no such thing as person A using 10kwh making the company less income than person B using 20kwh, rates can be adjusted to equals the profit out. 

Energy companies will have the means to take your money no matter what you do to try to cut down, the only way out of this I guess is back to living as we did in the 50s. 

Okay let’s entertain this idea for a moment then, putting aside any potential impracticalities such as the assumption that all energy companies have merged to form one single completely unregulated entity which holds absolute control over consumer energy prices with no corporate competition or intervention from any governing body or the public whatsoever. 

Now in this dystopian future where the British Gas Conglomerate is in charge of the dictatorship of the United Kingdom, there seems to be a simple solution to the problem. 

By following your logic all the low users would need to do is use more energy. Person A could simply increase their consumption to 20kWh instead of 10kWh and their unit rates would have to decrease appropriately as both usage amounts cost the same amount in this scenario. Person A is now getting electric at twice the value of their rates beforehand and can relax in their new hot tub at no additional expense without a care in the world (other than the BG stormtroopers getting ready to kick in the door and seize the money hidden under the mattress, of course). 

We should probably also ignore how much of a terrible business model that would be if their aim was to make money when, with that level of control over prices, they could just as easily charge everyone a higher rate all the time regardless of meter type or actual usage without faffing with smart data.

The whole thing starts to fall a part a bit when you get down into that level of detail.