Re Scottish power saying meters need changing?

[Deleted User]

markavfc2 said:

If electricity meter is at end of certified life and has to be changed do they have to change the gas meter at the same time if this is a none smart meter or can you refuse on the grounds the gas meter is fine?

It makes perfect sense from a cost point of view to change both meters at the same time. Smart meters are not free: at the last audit, £12.67Bn is being added to our energy bills to pay for the programme. I struggle to see why anybody would choose to say no to new meters. These meters are built to the same standard as your old meters and are certified by the UK Government Office for Product Safety and Standards. Worst case, if communications fail, then can be read manually as is the case now.

On this forum people often talk about ‘my’ meters as if they had ownership of them. The meters are wholly the responsibility of your supplier. Suppliers have a responsibility to ensure that you have working and certified meters so that your bills are correct.

My advice: let them change both meters and then you can see for yourself the information that these meters provide to consumers.

[Deleted User]

joesoap1264 said:

Dolor said:

.joesoap1264 said:

My original question was not about the benefit of new smart meters.
it was the e mail.
URGENT WARNING !
your meter is over 15 years old and urgently needs changing, it could be a safety hazard!!!
we will do your gas as well if dual fuel, so the emphasis is on the lecky metering would have thought gas would be more dangerous than lecky?

the first batch of smart meters are 12 years old.
are they all due to become dangerous and need changing in 3+ years time?
I have no problems with smart meters, it’s SP ,s e mail that is the bone of contention.
Why  is it that when someone asks a civil question, now,the “  wokery” on here seem to know best? 
it never used to be the case it was a good advice site.
My lecky meter is 28 years old, why is it suddenly dangerous now.
please stop giving advice to the benefits of SM’s, it has been done to  death !
I was in on the first round of it if one cares to look.
I know the pros and cons, they are not an issue, being conned by an E mail is.
if SP need to change my meter, for safety reasons, good,they can phone me as I do them, just don’t disguise it in an E mail.

Meters do not suddenly become dangerous. Over time the accuracy of meters begins to drift due to wear and tear in the meter components. This why meters have a certified life from the date of certification not when they are fitted to a property. During the time that a meter is in service, the certified life is reviewed by The Office of Product Safety and Standards.  Based on further testing of in use meters and by looking at meter failures, the OPSS can, and does, change the certification period.

Under The Gas and Electricity Acts, suppliers have to change meters that are approaching the end of their certification period. Indeed, under the same Act suppliers are not allowed bill against a meter that is past its certified life. In extremis, these Acts allow suppliers to apply to a Court for a Warrant of Entry to a property to make the meter change.

The email that you have received will have been generated automatically by SP’s systems using meter data obtained from OPSS. Given that CS time does not come free, do you seriously expect someone to call you - to discuss what exactly? The supplier will be dealing with thousands of end-of-life meter replacements each year. Most people will do the right thing and just make a meter change appointment.

PS: Just to be clear, homeowners do not own the meters.

Thanks very much for the data, already knew that, I can read , and research.
I am not most people, I am an individual , who is exercising my choice, until I have no option but to conform .
my meter according to the data has been  out of I date for quite a lot of years, keep getting billed though.
if it is law, energy companies are required to change meters, when out of certification, why has it taken them till now to let me know, are they not also not breaking the law by not informing me sooner ?
Perhaps I am just a cynical old so and so, but forgive my for disagreeing with you that I should just follow your , and others recommendation and book an appointment asap, as the e mail says.
give me one good valid reason why I should ?
like I stated I’m my post, seems the wokerati have taken over this site, like elsewhere.
don’t do as I do, do as I say.
seems there are others having the same round robin e mail from SP et.al
strange!
is it quota time for the fines for them.
as you are so well informed, well in excess of me it seems according to your post,
perhaps you could enlighten me when the Gov decides to fine them ?
presume it will apply to all companies at the same time !
that’s something I don’t know .
I know I do not own the meter, who said I did .
I own the property it,s in though, and nobody gets to change anything without my permission, or a court order.
until then, I will exercise my rights and ignore the e mail, until SP decide to exercise their rights and force my hand.

Smart meter rollout fines. Just one example:

‘SSE Energy Services missed its target to install gas and electricity smart meters for customers in 2019. Ovo Energy, which acquired SSE Energy Services in January 2020, will pay out £1.2 million for SSE Energy Services' historic issue.

Under the Government’s smart metering implementation programme, suppliers are required by their licence to take all reasonable steps to rollout smart meters to all homes and small businesses by mid-2021.

To work towards this, suppliers set individual annual targets for smart meter installations and Ofgem monitors performance against these targets.’

Source: Ofgem.gov.uk

Suppliers do not need a Warrant of Entry if the meters are mounted externally on a house wall.

FWiW, I do think that you are over-reacting to what is a very quick and simple meter change procedure.

GingerTim

joesoap1264 said:

[Deleted User] said:

.joesoap1264 said:

My original question was not about the benefit of new smart meters.
it was the e mail.
URGENT WARNING !
your meter is over 15 years old and urgently needs changing, it could be a safety hazard!!!
we will do your gas as well if dual fuel, so the emphasis is on the lecky metering would have thought gas would be more dangerous than lecky?

the first batch of smart meters are 12 years old.
are they all due to become dangerous and need changing in 3+ years time?
I have no problems with smart meters, it’s SP ,s e mail that is the bone of contention.
Why  is it that when someone asks a civil question, now,the “  wokery” on here seem to know best? 
it never used to be the case it was a good advice site.
My lecky meter is 28 years old, why is it suddenly dangerous now.
please stop giving advice to the benefits of SM’s, it has been done to  death !
I was in on the first round of it if one cares to look.
I know the pros and cons, they are not an issue, being conned by an E mail is.
if SP need to change my meter, for safety reasons, good,they can phone me as I do them, just don’t disguise it in an E mail.

Meters do not suddenly become dangerous. Over time the accuracy of meters begins to drift due to wear and tear in the meter components. This why meters have a certified life from the date of certification not when they are fitted to a property. During the time that a meter is in service, the certified life is reviewed by The Office of Product Safety and Standards.  Based on further testing of in use meters and by looking at meter failures, the OPSS can, and does, change the certification period.

Under The Gas and Electricity Acts, suppliers have to change meters that are approaching the end of their certification period. Indeed, under the same Act suppliers are not allowed bill against a meter that is past its certified life. In extremis, these Acts allow suppliers to apply to a Court for a Warrant of Entry to a property to make the meter change.

The email that you have received will have been generated automatically by SP’s systems using meter data obtained from OPSS. Given that CS time does not come free, do you seriously expect someone to call you - to discuss what exactly? The supplier will be dealing with thousands of end-of-life meter replacements each year. Most people will do the right thing and just make a meter change appointment.

PS: Just to be clear, homeowners do not own the meters.

my meter according to the data has been  out of I date for quite a lot of years, keep getting billed though.

give me one good valid reason why I should ?

If your meter certification expired a number of years ago, then potentially you have been overbilled by an inaccurate meter for all that time. 

CSI_Yorkshire

joesoap1264 said:

Dolor said:

.joesoap1264 said:

My original question was not about the benefit of new smart meters.
it was the e mail.
URGENT WARNING !
your meter is over 15 years old and urgently needs changing, it could be a safety hazard!!!
we will do your gas as well if dual fuel, so the emphasis is on the lecky metering would have thought gas would be more dangerous than lecky?

the first batch of smart meters are 12 years old.
are they all due to become dangerous and need changing in 3+ years time?
I have no problems with smart meters, it’s SP ,s e mail that is the bone of contention.
Why  is it that when someone asks a civil question, now,the “  wokery” on here seem to know best? 
it never used to be the case it was a good advice site.
My lecky meter is 28 years old, why is it suddenly dangerous now.
please stop giving advice to the benefits of SM’s, it has been done to  death !
I was in on the first round of it if one cares to look.
I know the pros and cons, they are not an issue, being conned by an E mail is.
if SP need to change my meter, for safety reasons, good,they can phone me as I do them, just don’t disguise it in an E mail.

Meters do not suddenly become dangerous. Over time the accuracy of meters begins to drift due to wear and tear in the meter components. This why meters have a certified life from the date of certification not when they are fitted to a property. During the time that a meter is in service, the certified life is reviewed by The Office of Product Safety and Standards.  Based on further testing of in use meters and by looking at meter failures, the OPSS can, and does, change the certification period.

Under The Gas and Electricity Acts, suppliers have to change meters that are approaching the end of their certification period. Indeed, under the same Act suppliers are not allowed bill against a meter that is past its certified life. In extremis, these Acts allow suppliers to apply to a Court for a Warrant of Entry to a property to make the meter change.

The email that you have received will have been generated automatically by SP’s systems using meter data obtained from OPSS. Given that CS time does not come free, do you seriously expect someone to call you - to discuss what exactly? The supplier will be dealing with thousands of end-of-life meter replacements each year. Most people will do the right thing and just make a meter change appointment.

PS: Just to be clear, homeowners do not own the meters.

Thanks very much for the data, already knew that, I can read , and research.
I am not most people, I am an individual , who is exercising my choice, until I have no option but to conform .
my meter according to the data has been  out of I date for quite a lot of years, keep getting billed though.
if it is law, energy companies are required to change meters, when out of certification, why has it taken them till now to let me know, are they not also not breaking the law by not informing me sooner ?
Perhaps I am just a cynical old so and so, but forgive my for disagreeing with you that I should just follow your , and others recommendation and book an appointment asap, as the e mail says.
give me one good valid reason why I should ?
like I stated I’m my post, seems the wokerati have taken over this site, like elsewhere.
don’t do as I do, do as I say.
seems there are others having the same round robin e mail from SP et.al
strange!
is it quota time for the fines for them.
as you are so well informed, well in excess of me it seems according to your post,
perhaps you could enlighten me when the Gov decides to fine them ?
presume it will apply to all companies at the same time !
that’s something I don’t know .
I know I do not own the meter, who said I did .
I own the property it,s in though, and nobody gets to change anything without my permission, or a court order.
until then, I will exercise my rights and ignore the e mail, until SP decide to exercise their rights and force my hand.

You would not change your opinion regardless of any reason you are given - you have made that perfectly clear.

Please stop insulting other forum members with ridiculous terms like "wokerati" and claiming that they have "taken over".  They come here to try and help people, of their own free will and in their own free time, volunteering their knowledge and experience which in some cases has been gained over decades.

2010

GingerTim said:

joesoap1264 said:

[Deleted User] said:

.joesoap1264 said:

My original question was not about the benefit of new smart meters.
it was the e mail.
URGENT WARNING !
your meter is over 15 years old and urgently needs changing, it could be a safety hazard!!!
we will do your gas as well if dual fuel, so the emphasis is on the lecky metering would have thought gas would be more dangerous than lecky?

the first batch of smart meters are 12 years old.
are they all due to become dangerous and need changing in 3+ years time?
I have no problems with smart meters, it’s SP ,s e mail that is the bone of contention.
Why  is it that when someone asks a civil question, now,the “  wokery” on here seem to know best? 
it never used to be the case it was a good advice site.
My lecky meter is 28 years old, why is it suddenly dangerous now.
please stop giving advice to the benefits of SM’s, it has been done to  death !
I was in on the first round of it if one cares to look.
I know the pros and cons, they are not an issue, being conned by an E mail is.
if SP need to change my meter, for safety reasons, good,they can phone me as I do them, just don’t disguise it in an E mail.

Meters do not suddenly become dangerous. Over time the accuracy of meters begins to drift due to wear and tear in the meter components. This why meters have a certified life from the date of certification not when they are fitted to a property. During the time that a meter is in service, the certified life is reviewed by The Office of Product Safety and Standards.  Based on further testing of in use meters and by looking at meter failures, the OPSS can, and does, change the certification period.

Under The Gas and Electricity Acts, suppliers have to change meters that are approaching the end of their certification period. Indeed, under the same Act suppliers are not allowed bill against a meter that is past its certified life. In extremis, these Acts allow suppliers to apply to a Court for a Warrant of Entry to a property to make the meter change.

The email that you have received will have been generated automatically by SP’s systems using meter data obtained from OPSS. Given that CS time does not come free, do you seriously expect someone to call you - to discuss what exactly? The supplier will be dealing with thousands of end-of-life meter replacements each year. Most people will do the right thing and just make a meter change appointment.

PS: Just to be clear, homeowners do not own the meters.

my meter according to the data has been  out of I date for quite a lot of years, keep getting billed though.

give me one good valid reason why I should ?

If your meter certification expired a number of years ago, then potentially you have been overbilled by an inaccurate meter for all that time. 

Or under billed.
I would have thought a worn out meter would go slower rather than faster.

QrizB

2010 said:

GingerTim said:

joesoap1264 said:

Dolor said:

.joesoap1264 said:

My original question was not about the benefit of new smart meters.
it was the e mail.
URGENT WARNING !
your meter is over 15 years old and urgently needs changing, it could be a safety hazard!!!
we will do your gas as well if dual fuel, so the emphasis is on the lecky metering would have thought gas would be more dangerous than lecky?

the first batch of smart meters are 12 years old.
are they all due to become dangerous and need changing in 3+ years time?
I have no problems with smart meters, it’s SP ,s e mail that is the bone of contention.
Why  is it that when someone asks a civil question, now,the “  wokery” on here seem to know best? 
it never used to be the case it was a good advice site.
My lecky meter is 28 years old, why is it suddenly dangerous now.
please stop giving advice to the benefits of SM’s, it has been done to  death !
I was in on the first round of it if one cares to look.
I know the pros and cons, they are not an issue, being conned by an E mail is.
if SP need to change my meter, for safety reasons, good,they can phone me as I do them, just don’t disguise it in an E mail.

Meters do not suddenly become dangerous. Over time the accuracy of meters begins to drift due to wear and tear in the meter components. This why meters have a certified life from the date of certification not when they are fitted to a property. During the time that a meter is in service, the certified life is reviewed by The Office of Product Safety and Standards.  Based on further testing of in use meters and by looking at meter failures, the OPSS can, and does, change the certification period.

Under The Gas and Electricity Acts, suppliers have to change meters that are approaching the end of their certification period. Indeed, under the same Act suppliers are not allowed bill against a meter that is past its certified life. In extremis, these Acts allow suppliers to apply to a Court for a Warrant of Entry to a property to make the meter change.

The email that you have received will have been generated automatically by SP’s systems using meter data obtained from OPSS. Given that CS time does not come free, do you seriously expect someone to call you - to discuss what exactly? The supplier will be dealing with thousands of end-of-life meter replacements each year. Most people will do the right thing and just make a meter change appointment.

PS: Just to be clear, homeowners do not own the meters.

my meter according to the data has been  out of I date for quite a lot of years, keep getting billed though.

give me one good valid reason why I should ?

If your meter certification expired a number of years ago, then potentially you have been overbilled by an inaccurate meter for all that time. 

Or under billed.
I would have thought a worn out meter would go slower rather than faster.

OTOH there was a thread a couple of days ago where someone's aged digital meter jumped up 20000 units in a month.

See:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6448866/massive-spike-in-electricity-usage-octopus-energy-customer

joesoap1264

[Deleted User] said:

joesoap1264 said:

Dolor said:

.joesoap1264 said:

My original question was not about the benefit of new smart meters.
it was the e mail.
URGENT WARNING !
your meter is over 15 years old and urgently needs changing, it could be a safety hazard!!!
we will do your gas as well if dual fuel, so the emphasis is on the lecky metering would have thought gas would be more dangerous than lecky?

the first batch of smart meters are 12 years old.
are they all due to become dangerous and need changing in 3+ years time?
I have no problems with smart meters, it’s SP ,s e mail that is the bone of contention.
Why  is it that when someone asks a civil question, now,the “  wokery” on here seem to know best? 
it never used to be the case it was a good advice site.
My lecky meter is 28 years old, why is it suddenly dangerous now.
please stop giving advice to the benefits of SM’s, it has been done to  death !
I was in on the first round of it if one cares to look.
I know the pros and cons, they are not an issue, being conned by an E mail is.
if SP need to change my meter, for safety reasons, good,they can phone me as I do them, just don’t disguise it in an E mail.

Meters do not suddenly become dangerous. Over time the accuracy of meters begins to drift due to wear and tear in the meter components. This why meters have a certified life from the date of certification not when they are fitted to a property. During the time that a meter is in service, the certified life is reviewed by The Office of Product Safety and Standards.  Based on further testing of in use meters and by looking at meter failures, the OPSS can, and does, change the certification period.

Under The Gas and Electricity Acts, suppliers have to change meters that are approaching the end of their certification period. Indeed, under the same Act suppliers are not allowed bill against a meter that is past its certified life. In extremis, these Acts allow suppliers to apply to a Court for a Warrant of Entry to a property to make the meter change.

The email that you have received will have been generated automatically by SP’s systems using meter data obtained from OPSS. Given that CS time does not come free, do you seriously expect someone to call you - to discuss what exactly? The supplier will be dealing with thousands of end-of-life meter replacements each year. Most people will do the right thing and just make a meter change appointment.

PS: Just to be clear, homeowners do not own the meters.

Thanks very much for the data, already knew that, I can read , and research.
I am not most people, I am an individual , who is exercising my choice, until I have no option but to conform .
my meter according to the data has been  out of I date for quite a lot of years, keep getting billed though.
if it is law, energy companies are required to change meters, when out of certification, why has it taken them till now to let me know, are they not also not breaking the law by not informing me sooner ?
Perhaps I am just a cynical old so and so, but forgive my for disagreeing with you that I should just follow your , and others recommendation and book an appointment asap, as the e mail says.
give me one good valid reason why I should ?
like I stated I’m my post, seems the wokerati have taken over this site, like elsewhere.
don’t do as I do, do as I say.
seems there are others having the same round robin e mail from SP et.al
strange!
is it quota time for the fines for them.
as you are so well informed, well in excess of me it seems according to your post,
perhaps you could enlighten me when the Gov decides to fine them ?
presume it will apply to all companies at the same time !
that’s something I don’t know .
I know I do not own the meter, who said I did .
I own the property it,s in though, and nobody gets to change anything without my permission, or a court order.
until then, I will exercise my rights and ignore the e mail, until SP decide to exercise their rights and force my hand.

Smart meter rollout fines. Just one example:

‘SSE Energy Services missed its target to install gas and electricity smart meters for customers in 2019. Ovo Energy, which acquired SSE Energy Services in January 2020, will pay out £1.2 million for SSE Energy Services' historic issue.

Under the Government’s smart metering implementation programme, suppliers are required by their licence to take all reasonable steps to rollout smart meters to all homes and small businesses by mid-2021.

To work towards this, suppliers set individual annual targets for smart meter installations and Ofgem monitors performance against these targets.’

Source: Ofgem.gov.uk

Suppliers do not need a Warrant of Entry if the meters are mounted externally on a house wall.

FWiW, I do think that you are over-reacting to what is a very quick and simple meter change procedure.

Thanks for your reply, appreciate it.
thought they gave them longer.
probably am over reacting to others, but that,s my choice.
I know I will have to have one sometime.
cheers.

GingerTim

2010 said:

GingerTim said:

joesoap1264 said:

[Deleted User] said:

.joesoap1264 said:

My original question was not about the benefit of new smart meters.
it was the e mail.
URGENT WARNING !
your meter is over 15 years old and urgently needs changing, it could be a safety hazard!!!
we will do your gas as well if dual fuel, so the emphasis is on the lecky metering would have thought gas would be more dangerous than lecky?

the first batch of smart meters are 12 years old.
are they all due to become dangerous and need changing in 3+ years time?
I have no problems with smart meters, it’s SP ,s e mail that is the bone of contention.
Why  is it that when someone asks a civil question, now,the “  wokery” on here seem to know best? 
it never used to be the case it was a good advice site.
My lecky meter is 28 years old, why is it suddenly dangerous now.
please stop giving advice to the benefits of SM’s, it has been done to  death !
I was in on the first round of it if one cares to look.
I know the pros and cons, they are not an issue, being conned by an E mail is.
if SP need to change my meter, for safety reasons, good,they can phone me as I do them, just don’t disguise it in an E mail.

Meters do not suddenly become dangerous. Over time the accuracy of meters begins to drift due to wear and tear in the meter components. This why meters have a certified life from the date of certification not when they are fitted to a property. During the time that a meter is in service, the certified life is reviewed by The Office of Product Safety and Standards.  Based on further testing of in use meters and by looking at meter failures, the OPSS can, and does, change the certification period.

Under The Gas and Electricity Acts, suppliers have to change meters that are approaching the end of their certification period. Indeed, under the same Act suppliers are not allowed bill against a meter that is past its certified life. In extremis, these Acts allow suppliers to apply to a Court for a Warrant of Entry to a property to make the meter change.

The email that you have received will have been generated automatically by SP’s systems using meter data obtained from OPSS. Given that CS time does not come free, do you seriously expect someone to call you - to discuss what exactly? The supplier will be dealing with thousands of end-of-life meter replacements each year. Most people will do the right thing and just make a meter change appointment.

PS: Just to be clear, homeowners do not own the meters.

my meter according to the data has been  out of I date for quite a lot of years, keep getting billed though.

give me one good valid reason why I should ?

If your meter certification expired a number of years ago, then potentially you have been overbilled by an inaccurate meter for all that time. 

Or under billed.
I would have thought a worn out meter would go slower rather than faster.

Not one I would like to roll the dice on!

[Deleted User]

All too often we hear people say ‘my meter is working Ok so why do they need to change it’?

My wife had an operation last year for the removal of an extremely rare tumour. As a result, she has to check her BP twice a day. She uses a BP monitor similar to that you would find in any GP surgery. The manufacturer’s recommendation is that monitors are checked once every two years. We sent her 18 month old monitor off for calibration, and she received a new BP monitor by return. My point is that calibrated devices have certification for a reason.

debitcardmayhem

[Deleted User] said:

All too often we hear people say ‘my meter is working Ok so why do they need to change it’?

My wife had an operation last year for the removal of an extremely rare tumour. As a result, she has to check her BP twice a day. She uses a BP monitor similar to that you would find in any GP surgery. The manufacturer’s recommendation is that monitors are checked once every two years. We sent her 18 month old monitor off for calibration, and she received a new BP monitor by return. My point is that calibrated devices have certification for a reason.

Thanks for reminding me , mine needs checking soon