Your meter is approaching its use-by date and needs to be replaced 24 February at 11:29AM edited 24 February at 11:32AM in Energy 67 replies 3.4K views

Dolor

1socrates1 said:

I received a bill for gas because  "The gas is all set up and sending data, we are just awaiting some more of the electric details to come through from the installation for this to be updated".

In the meantime surely I should be able to see gas usage on the small hand-held monitor? But I am unable to do so.

As I said above, you need to wait a few days until you get the ‘GSME commissioned’ message in the IHD.

smidger_dave

There was a massive drive by all suppliers to get customers to change to smart meters with many customers being told "they had to have them by law" which was totally unfounded, is this not just another ploy to roll out smart meters? Having being a home owner for 40years (all old properties) I have never had an energy company change meters because of age. New does not mean better.

Spoonie_Turtle

smidger_dave said:

There was a massive drive by all suppliers to get customers to change to smart meters with many customers being told "they had to have them by law" which was totally unfounded, is this not just another ploy to roll out smart meters? Having being a home owner for 40years (all old properties) I have never had an energy company change meters because of age. New does not mean better.

Do you know how old those meters were?  The very longest certification period for an electricity meter is 45 years, that's for just one model.  (And the ones with longest periods tend to be commercial meters.)  The majority of the rest are 10-20, 25 years.  I dare say you've simply not been living in those properties at the time the respective meters needing changing.

Source for cert periods: PDF on this page https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/schedule-4-uk-nationally-approved-electricity-meters

Dolor

smidger_dave said:

There was a massive drive by all suppliers to get customers to change to smart meters with many customers being told "they had to have them by law" which was totally unfounded, is this not just another ploy to roll out smart meters? Having being a home owner for 40years (all old properties) I have never had an energy company change meters because of age. New does not mean better.

No one has suggested that smart meters are better than the meters that they replace. That said, all meters have a certified life from the date that they manufactured and certified  - not from the date when they are fitted. The concern is that due to wear and tear in the various wheels and cogs that metering will no longer be accurate. 

The rationale for smart metering is far greater than automatic meter readings. These meters form part of a Smart Grid.

If it wasn’t for technology you would be posting your opinion on a postcard as opposed to a website that can be seen by anybody. 

2010

smidger_dave said:

There was a massive drive by all suppliers to get customers to change to smart meters with many customers being told "they had to have them by law" which was totally unfounded, is this not just another ploy to roll out smart meters? Having being a home owner for 40years (all old properties) I have never had an energy company change meters because of age. New does not mean better.

I have in the past had a meter that genuinely needed changing replaced because of it`s age.

I have also had an email mail from Octopus last year, saying the meter`s coming to the end of it`s certified period and I should request a smart meter.

I treated it as a ploy to get a smart meter fitted, because these types of tactics are well reported in the media.

I ignored the email and have heard nothing since.

The meter, it`s age and whatever the expiry date is has absolutely nothing to do with the customer.

It`s entirely the responsibility of the energy provider to make sure a customer has a legal, working meter and they cannot bill you if it isn`t.

gbhxu

Still have an old fashioned dial meter.

Eon Next keep texting, phoning and emailing me to get a smart meter. 

They've first offered me either a coffee or a tree being planted to have one. Now they've upped it to £50.

I've told them make it £5000 and I might consider it.

pochase

Or wait until certification of your meter runs out and you will get nothing when they change you to a smart meter.