Do I HAVE to have a smart meter?

matt_drummer

[Deleted User] said:

matt_drummer said:

BrainDrained said:

However, I've just noticed a certification stamp on it that says May 2014, so they are getting slightly ahead of themselves. 

May 2014 is nine years ago.

How are they getting ahead of themselves?

You would expect some months lead time? ‘Your meter certificate lapsed yesterday’ is hardly a good position for the supplier and customer to be in.

You think it's normal

Hello, you're meter certification expired nine years ago, maybe we should replace it soon, just to get ahead of ourselves a little?

It's April 2023, or am I confused?

MultiFuelBurner

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?

Hey braindrained

Out of interest what are your biggest fears/reasons for not wanting smart meters?

Its always interesting what people who don't want them have to say.

Spoonie_Turtle

matt_drummer said:

[Deleted User] said:

matt_drummer said:

BrainDrained said:

However, I've just noticed a certification stamp on it that says May 2014, so they are getting slightly ahead of themselves. 

May 2014 is nine years ago.

How are they getting ahead of themselves?

You would expect some months lead time? ‘Your meter certificate lapsed yesterday’ is hardly a good position for the supplier and customer to be in.

You think it's normal

Hello, you're meter certification expired nine years ago, maybe we should replace it soon, just to get ahead of ourselves a little?

It's April 2023, or am I confused?

Given the apparent shortage, making sure there's time before it expires to arrange an appointment and make sure there are meters available (and allow for any cancellations / problems) would seem to be the sensible way forward.

matt_drummer

Spoonie_Turtle said:

matt_drummer said:

[Deleted User] said:

matt_drummer said:

BrainDrained said:

However, I've just noticed a certification stamp on it that says May 2014, so they are getting slightly ahead of themselves. 

May 2014 is nine years ago.

How are they getting ahead of themselves?

You would expect some months lead time? ‘Your meter certificate lapsed yesterday’ is hardly a good position for the supplier and customer to be in.

You think it's normal

Hello, you're meter certification expired nine years ago, maybe we should replace it soon, just to get ahead of ourselves a little?

It's April 2023, or am I confused?

Given the apparent shortage, making sure there's time before it expires to arrange an appointment and make sure there are meters available (and allow for any cancellations / problems) would seem to be the sensible way forward.

Their meter's certification expired in May 2014.

Maybe the supplier should have contacted them about 10 years ago to allow for any cancellations, problems or shortages?

Maybe the supplier should have contacted them before the meter expiration date?

Spoonie_Turtle

matt_drummer said:

Spoonie_Turtle said:

matt_drummer said:

[Deleted User] said:

matt_drummer said:

BrainDrained said:

However, I've just noticed a certification stamp on it that says May 2014, so they are getting slightly ahead of themselves. 

May 2014 is nine years ago.

How are they getting ahead of themselves?

You would expect some months lead time? ‘Your meter certificate lapsed yesterday’ is hardly a good position for the supplier and customer to be in.

You think it's normal

Hello, you're meter certification expired nine years ago, maybe we should replace it soon, just to get ahead of ourselves a little?

It's April 2023, or am I confused?

Given the apparent shortage, making sure there's time before it expires to arrange an appointment and make sure there are meters available (and allow for any cancellations / problems) would seem to be the sensible way forward.

Their meter's certification expired in May 2014.

Maybe the supplier should have contacted them about 10 years ago to allow for any cancellations, problems or shortages?

Maybe the supplier should have contacted them before the meter expiration date?

Oh you think it expired 9 years ago, I see that now.  Didn't quite register reading your previous post, sorry.  No, it's far more likely the certification date was the date it was actually certified, as it is on ours.  (Certified 2015, but installed 2019.)

[And we're only assuming here the certification period was 10yrs, but the OP seems to have accepted they'll need a smart meter at some point so not sure it really matters now.]

matt_drummer

Spoonie_Turtle said:

matt_drummer said:

Spoonie_Turtle said:

matt_drummer said:

[Deleted User] said:

matt_drummer said:

BrainDrained said:

However, I've just noticed a certification stamp on it that says May 2014, so they are getting slightly ahead of themselves. 

May 2014 is nine years ago.

How are they getting ahead of themselves?

You would expect some months lead time? ‘Your meter certificate lapsed yesterday’ is hardly a good position for the supplier and customer to be in.

You think it's normal

Hello, you're meter certification expired nine years ago, maybe we should replace it soon, just to get ahead of ourselves a little?

It's April 2023, or am I confused?

Given the apparent shortage, making sure there's time before it expires to arrange an appointment and make sure there are meters available (and allow for any cancellations / problems) would seem to be the sensible way forward.

Their meter's certification expired in May 2014.

Maybe the supplier should have contacted them about 10 years ago to allow for any cancellations, problems or shortages?

Maybe the supplier should have contacted them before the meter expiration date?

Oh you think it expired 9 years ago, I see that now.  Didn't quite register reading your previous post, sorry.  No, it's far more likely the certification date was the date it was actually certified, as it is on ours.  (Certified 2015, but installed 2019.)

[And we're only assuming here the certification period was 10yrs, but the OP seems to have accepted they'll need a smart meter at some point so not sure it really matters now.]

Yes, and I think I see now that you are all talking about their electricity meter.

I thought the problem was the 52 year old gas meter from 1971.

Changing that for a smart meter means that they will need a smart electricity meter for it to work.

How this has become about the electricity meter and not the 52 year old gas meter I do not know.


However, I apologise for any confusion I have caused or suggested anybody else has caused

Spoonie_Turtle

matt_drummer said:

Spoonie_Turtle said:

matt_drummer said:

Spoonie_Turtle said:

matt_drummer said:

[Deleted User] said:

matt_drummer said:

BrainDrained said:

However, I've just noticed a certification stamp on it that says May 2014, so they are getting slightly ahead of themselves. 

May 2014 is nine years ago.

How are they getting ahead of themselves?

You would expect some months lead time? ‘Your meter certificate lapsed yesterday’ is hardly a good position for the supplier and customer to be in.

You think it's normal

Hello, you're meter certification expired nine years ago, maybe we should replace it soon, just to get ahead of ourselves a little?

It's April 2023, or am I confused?

Given the apparent shortage, making sure there's time before it expires to arrange an appointment and make sure there are meters available (and allow for any cancellations / problems) would seem to be the sensible way forward.

Their meter's certification expired in May 2014.

Maybe the supplier should have contacted them about 10 years ago to allow for any cancellations, problems or shortages?

Maybe the supplier should have contacted them before the meter expiration date?

Oh you think it expired 9 years ago, I see that now.  Didn't quite register reading your previous post, sorry.  No, it's far more likely the certification date was the date it was actually certified, as it is on ours.  (Certified 2015, but installed 2019.)

[And we're only assuming here the certification period was 10yrs, but the OP seems to have accepted they'll need a smart meter at some point so not sure it really matters now.]

Yes, and I think I see now that you are all talking about their electricity meter.

I thought the problem was the 52 year old gas meter from 1971.

Changing that for a smart meter means that they will need a smart electricity meter for it to work.

How this has become about the electricity meter and not the 52 year old gas meter I do not know.


However, I apologise for any confusion I have caused or suggested anybody else has caused

I think it turned to the electricity meter because those are the only ones that have a publicly available list of certification periods, and after looking at the list OP then responded with the May 2014 information.

I am unsure what the situation is with gas meters, there has been posted information that suggests they don't have certification periods in the same way, although how it's determined when/whether they need replacing I don't know (meter readers' experienced eyes, perhaps, or is it part of the annual boiler inspection?  No idea).

matt_drummer

Carbon dating?

dunstonh

Some of the digital non-smart meters installed in the 2000s have turned out to have problems.  So, they have hit end of life earlier than the analogue meters.

BrainDrained

Glad to have caused some amusement

What's that saying about bowing to the inevitable?

I still would prefer NOT to have a smart meter, and I suppose I don't have any choice about having the existing one replaced, so I'll just have to accept it.

I threw in the comment about the gas meter just to show that the old meters don't have such a short shelf-life, and there doesn't seem to be as much of a push to replace them. Is gas so cheap (or used to be!) that they aren't too bothered if these older meters might be slightly inaccurate after 50 years?  Wonder what their expected lifespan is?

As for changing meters at all...  I had a nightmare getting an accurate bill for about 3 years after the last one was changed,  despite both me and the installer submitting readings the day it was changed.  Apparently the supplier's computer threw up an error due to the first reading on the new meter being lower than the previous one, which stopped a bill being generated. It never occurred to them to use the readings they had from the old meter before it was removed.   It was flagged up for review but repeatedly overlooked until I got fed up with estimated bills and told them I would stop paying until they sorted it out. I never got an apology. I really hope their systems have been improved since then.  Kudos to my current supplier who generate a bill every time I submit a reading.