Scottish Power Old Non Smart Meter Replacement Question.

EssexHebridean

4kitty_kats said:

Whilst updating DD details with Scottish Power after a bank change, I was told my 1997 meter needs to be replaced.  I was not living at my current address then, so I cannot verify this fact as being accurate.  
I was told it would be a 2nd generation smart meter.
Are they any good? The SMETS2 meter is the latest version smart meter. 
Are they reliable? No reason to think a replacement wouldn’t be - in the same way that if an old dial type meter was replaced with a digital one - it’s just a different type to what you are used to currently. 
I am worried that if something goes wrong it would be hard to prove or get repaired in double quick time. Any repairs or replacements needed would be carried out in the same timeframe as an identical repair or replacement requirement with your existing meter

Is my concern valid? You haven’t really told us what your concerns are, but if they are based on things you have ready online, or been told by friends, probably not! 

Are 2nd generation smart meters fault free? No - in a such as no item of tech is ever going to be absolutely fault free - there is always the potential for having problems be it a mobile phone, a microwave oven, a TV or a smart meter. Thereis no more risk of faults with a smart meter than with any other type though I don’t think. 

Anyone out there know anything about them?  We’ve got smart meters - they work fine, recording our energy use as I would expect. The IHD (in house display) means I can see if we are using more energy that I might expect at any given time at a glance, meaning less risk of items being left on, for example. I can also check readings from that IHD, although I also have the option of doing this directly at the meter. I no longer have to send readings to my supplier either as the smart meter does this form me, so my readings are now just for my own records and so Imcanche k my bills are correct. 
Your knowledge & response  would be greatly appreciated. 

The key thing with a smart meter is that it is a “gateway” to being able to access tariffs which might save you money. Also to being able to participate in things like the winter Demand Flexibility Service which pays you for reducing your energy use, and sometimes free energy sessions when demand -v- supply is out of kilter. 

As it sounds like your current meter is nearing the end of its certification period it will need replacing in any event. 

Reed_Richards

4kitty_kats said:

I am worried that if something goes wrong it would be hard to prove or get repaired in double quick time.

Is my concern valid?

I think this concern is valid but it applies to any meter, be it a new smart meter or an old one from 1997.  Possibly an old one is more likely to go wrong.

4kitty_kats said:

Are 2nd generation smart meters fault free?

If you hear about smart meters being faulty then at least 99.9% of the time the fault is that they fail to communicate their readings.  If so, you have to continue to read the meter yourself and send the readings to your supplier, just as you must do at present.

I have a smart meter.  For me it's great because it allows me access to a tariff that gives me cheap electricity overnight; something I could not have without the smart meter.

4kitty_kats

A big Thank You to EssexHebridean and Reed_Richards for responding.

I don't use much power so a jump in costs, taking the current price into consideration, should be noticeable.
I was worrying that I might get a bill for thousands of pounds if the unit were to go crazy...
Though, hopefully my past record of energy consumption may help to refute an error like that.
If a problem with it communicating the readings arose, that would not be a hardship.  As long as the person installing the new unit will show me how to read the new meter, then I could easily relay the new readings on.

The 'gateway' to other tarifs sounds interesting.  I must look into that.  How it works and how to change back and forth, if required.

I have an electricity meter and a gas meter with Scottish Power.  They did not mention replacing the gas meter, though.  So I suppose that will be another upheaval  on another day.

It was the scare stories in the press and people saying "don't do it..." that had got me worried, not that I have a choice about it, I'm told, as the meter may be getting to it's appointed end of life and only smart meters on the horizon.

As with all things new, technology is great till it fails and as long as you know how to use it....like this phone of mine, I doubt I will ever get to know all that it can do.

Thank you again for easing my mind.
4kitty_kats out.

FreeBear

Reed_Richards said:

4kitty_kats said:

I am worried that if something goes wrong it would be hard to prove or get repaired in double quick time.

Is my concern valid?

I think this concern is valid but it applies to any meter, be it a new smart meter or an old one from 1997.  Possibly an old one is more likely to go wrong.

Nine times out of ten, the fault you hear about is the IHD not displaying data. Occasionally, this is a fault with the comms hub, but more often than not, a duff IHD.

Very, very occasionally, a meter fails, as does any other electronic or mechanical device.

If you read this article - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cz9zqn77ezno - It claims some 4 million meters are not working and only hints that these faults may be little more than communication issues. Digging in to government statistics, we can find this report - https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a803d4940f0b6230269257a/Electricity_Determination_Report_2003-2014.pdf - Whilst covering the period between 2003 and 20014, it shows that of the 2345 electricity meters tested, just 119 were determined to be faulty. Substantially less the the 4m figure quoted by the BBC, and a minuscule percentage of the 40 million meters installed.

4kitty_kats said: The 'gateway' to other tariffs sounds interesting.  I must look into that.  How it works and how to change back and forth, if required.

I'm currently on the Octopus Tracker and all prices quoted are for the East of England - What they call a "smart tariff" where the price of gas & electricity changes on a daily basis. Since joining back in February, I reckon to have saved 15-20% compared to the standard variable rate. Been a bit of a nail biting few days as the prices crept up, but they've dropped back a little to 21.22p for electricity, and 5p for gas (SVR currently 25.21p & 6.16p respectively). Tomorrow, electricity is going to be 19p \o/

Octopus also do Agile where the rates vary by the half hour and can be a real roller coaster, although rates can go negative at times. But prices are much higher from 16:00 up to 20:00 (hitting 50p at one point last Monday).

You can explore the electricity rates here - https://agile.octopushome.net/dashboard

Reed_Richards

4kitty_kats said:

I don't use much power so a jump in costs, taking the current price into consideration, should be noticeable.
I was worrying that I might get a bill for thousands of pounds if the unit were to go crazy...

I recommend you continue to take monthly readings and make a record yourself, even if you get a smart meter and no longer need to do that.  That's what I do.  And I would have thought that if a meter goes crazy then it would be because something inside has failed and that that would be more likely with an old meter than with a new one.    

MikeyPGT

To be honest you're more likely to have a problem with Scottish Power than your smart meter! The most godawful company I've ever come across and their customer service is abysmal.