Do I HAVE to have a smart meter?

BrainDrained

Please don't try to persuade me otherwise, I DO NOT want a smart meter.

My energy supplier has been sending me regular emails telling me to book an appointment, which I ignore.

Now they are telling me my electricity meter has reached the end of its life and needs to be replaced.  It was replaced in Jan 2015.  I do not know the type but it has a digital display, not a dial like the old one.  (And my gas meter is still the original one, dating from 1971).  There is no suspicion that it's not working correctly, though my energy usage has fluctuated quite a lot over the last 12 months for various reasons (which might look suspicious if their computer analyses customers' energy bills very carefully!).

I thought these meters were supposed to last at least 10 years.

Are they telling me it HAS to be replaced NOW so they can force a smart meter on me?  Any way I can insist on not having a smart meter?

matt_drummer

You could just ignore them?

I am not sure a 52 year old gas meter is a good idea but if you're ok with it just don't respond.

[Deleted User]

BrainDrained said:

Please don't try to persuade me otherwise, I DO NOT want a smart meter.

My energy supplier has been sending me regular emails telling me to book an appointment, which I ignore.

Now they are telling me my electricity meter has reached the end of its life and needs to be replaced.  It was replaced in Jan 2015.  I do not know the type but it has a digital display, not a dial like the old one.  (And my gas meter is still the original one, dating from 1971).  There is no suspicion that it's not working correctly, though my energy usage has fluctuated quite a lot over the last 12 months for various reasons (which might look suspicious if their computer analyses customers' energy bills very carefully!).

I thought these meters were supposed to last at least 10 years.

Are they telling me it HAS to be replaced NOW so they can force a smart meter on me?  Any way I can insist on not having a smart meter?

Suppliers are now allowed to fit smart meters WITHOUT the consumer’s permission when a meter reaches the end of its certified life. They cannot legally bill you if a meter has passed its certified date. Certification is from the date of manufacture not when a meter is fitted. Certification periods can be reduced if in use experience shows a high failure rate.

I would happily place a wager that smart meters will eventually become compulsory. At the moment, demand exceeds supply. Why exactly do you not want a smart meter. They are just meters with a mobile or radio connection which is idle for most of the time. 

matt_drummer

[Deleted User] said:

I would happily place a wager that smart meters will eventually become compulsory. At the moment, demand exceeds supply. Why exactly do you not want a smart meter. They are just meters with a mobile or radio connection which is idle for most of the time. 

They don't want persuading, I'm not sure why you try?

Really, like everybody else who asks this question, just ignore the requests and they'll go away.

Maybe, eventually you'll have no choice, but if you don't want smart meters just ignore any communication you receive regarding them.

Most people will tell you they are great and that there is nothing to worry about, and that is true, but if you don't want them, as you don't, then don't let anybody fit them.

Then you'll be ok.

Swipe

BrainDrained said:

Please don't try to persuade me otherwise, I DO NOT want a smart meter.

My energy supplier has been sending me regular emails telling me to book an appointment, which I ignore.

Now they are telling me my electricity meter has reached the end of its life and needs to be replaced.  It was replaced in Jan 2015.  I do not know the type but it has a digital display, not a dial like the old one.  (And my gas meter is still the original one, dating from 1971).  There is no suspicion that it's not working correctly, though my energy usage has fluctuated quite a lot over the last 12 months for various reasons (which might look suspicious if their computer analyses customers' energy bills very carefully!).

I thought these meters were supposed to last at least 10 years.

Are they telling me it HAS to be replaced NOW so they can force a smart meter on me?  Any way I can insist on not having a smart meter?

I once had a supplier replace a dumb electric meter 12 months after it had been installed to update the old mechanical one. When I told them it didn't need replacing they got all shirty and threatened me with a warrant so I just let them replace it with an identical meter. Even the meter installer agreed it was a pointless exercise.

BrainDrained

matt_drummer said:

You could just ignore them?

I am not sure a 52 year old gas meter is a good idea but if you're ok with it just don't respond.

TBH I wouldn't mind too much if they wanted to replace the gas meter.  They can move it a bit while they are at it.  It's in an awkward place that I struggle to read. 

But no, they just want to change the electricity meter.  

Just goes to show that some of this "new" technology isn't as good as the old.  A gas meter is OK after 50 years, but a new electricity meter only lasts 10 years?  That's progress?

matt_drummer

Just ignore them.

If you are happy that is all that matters.

A smart gas meter does not work on its own as the communication hub is part of the electricity meter, that is why they both need changing.

New technology is there for a reason, because it is new and better.

But, as you don't want persuading there is no point in going through all the reasons why you are wrong.

The simple answer is to ignore it all until something is forced on you.

After all, they are just letters and emails I would assume?

GingerTim

BrainDrained said:

matt_drummer said:

You could just ignore them?

I am not sure a 52 year old gas meter is a good idea but if you're ok with it just don't respond.

TBH I wouldn't mind too much if they wanted to replace the gas meter.  They can move it a bit while they are at it.  It's in an awkward place that I struggle to read. 

But no, they just want to change the electricity meter.  

Just goes to show that some of this "new" technology isn't as good as the old.  A gas meter is OK after 50 years, but a new electricity meter only lasts 10 years?  That's progress?

You can't have a smart gas meter without a smart electricity meter having been installed first (the former sends readings via the latter).

[Deleted User]

BrainDrained said:

matt_drummer said:

You could just ignore them?

I am not sure a 52 year old gas meter is a good idea but if you're ok with it just don't respond.

TBH I wouldn't mind too much if they wanted to replace the gas meter.  They can move it a bit while they are at it.  It's in an awkward place that I struggle to read. 

But no, they just want to change the electricity meter.  

Just goes to show that some of this "new" technology isn't as good as the old.  A gas meter is OK after 50 years, but a new electricity meter only lasts 10 years?  That's progress?

I will give it a go. Smart meters are just a part of a much larger smart grid. A smart grid is needed as renewable energy is infinitely variable so we have to find ways of better managing demand with available supply. This will be achieved by the roll out of time-of-use tariffs. Customers on old analogue meters will not be penalised but why pay 11p/kWh for gas when people like me pay only 5p/kWh. My daughter is on Octopus’ Agile tariff which paid her to use electricity overnight:

DNOs can now use smart meter voltage data to proactively manage over and under voltage situations which can lead to premature failure of lights; TVs and other appliances. The days of choosing the cheapest tariff based on kWh/year are numbered. In future, comparisons will be made on 12 month’s worth of actual smart meter data pulled from the meter. The cheapest tariff will be determined not just on how much energy you use but also when you use it. I could on.

Finally, France is already in the process of rolling out higher standing charges for non smart metered homes. It could well come here.

matt_drummer

[Deleted User] said:

BrainDrained said:

matt_drummer said:

You could just ignore them?

I am not sure a 52 year old gas meter is a good idea but if you're ok with it just don't respond.

TBH I wouldn't mind too much if they wanted to replace the gas meter.  They can move it a bit while they are at it.  It's in an awkward place that I struggle to read. 

But no, they just want to change the electricity meter.  

Just goes to show that some of this "new" technology isn't as good as the old.  A gas meter is OK after 50 years, but a new electricity meter only lasts 10 years?  That's progress?

I will give it a go. Smart meters are just a part of a much larger smart grid. A smart grid is needed as renewable energy is infinitely variable so we have to find ways of better managing demand with available supply. This will be achieved by the roll out of time-of-use tariffs. Customers on old analogue meters will not be penalised but why pay 11p/kWh for gas when people like me pay only 5p/kWh. My daughter is on Octopus’ Agile tariff which paid her to use electricity overnight:

DNOs can now use smart meter voltage data to proactively manage over and under voltage situations which can lead to premature failure of lights; TVs and other appliances. The days of choosing the cheapest tariff based on kWh/year are numbered. In future, comparisons will be made on 12 month’s worth of actual smart meter data pulled from the meter. The cheapest tariff will be determined not just on how much energy you use but also when you use it. I could on.

Finally, France is already in the process of rolling out higher standing charges for non smart metered homes. It could well come here.

That's all great and I agree 100% but the OP said this

`Please don't try to persuade me otherwise, I DO NOT want a smart meter.'


Their best course of action under those circumstances is to ignore any communications they receive and hold out for as long as possible.

They don't want smart meters or persuading why they are a good idea, they just don't want them.

MWT

GingerTim said:

You can't have a smart gas meter without a smart electricity meter having been installed first (the former sends readings via the latter).

It is possible, just uncommon in domestic premises.

The electricity meter does not send anything on behalf of the gas meter, they both connect to the comms hub via the HAN created by the comms hub.

The confusion comes from the placement of the comms hub on top of the electricity meter, but the only direct connection it has is for power, not data.