SMART meter time?

grumpycrab

just checked a couple of devices with the TP-LINK P110 adapter (no surprises) but wonder what the best device is for monitoring whole-home usage. Guess the obvious answer is get a SMART meter? yes/no

grumbler

You still can buy a wireless energy meter with a clamp-on sensor, but when smart meters are available, they are getting less and less common.

E.g. https://youtu.be/y_1iIQI0pqs

About £40 on ebay.

A cheaper one  -

frostysaver

Unless you subscribe to somewhat conspiracy-theory ideas about smart meters, there's little reason not to get one.

Unlike add-on monitors, a smart meter will be free to you, and match billing exactly.

In a decade or two every property will have one because non-smart meters aren't being manufactured any more, and existing ones will age out and be replaced.

Netexporter

A smart meter costs nothing and will give you access to cheaper TOU tariffs. If you are with Eon you might also get £100 for having one installed at the moment.

The_Green_Hornet

Netexporter said:

A smart meter costs nothing and will give you access to cheaper TOU tariffs. If you are with Eon you might also get £100 for having one installed at the moment.

From UK Government's smart meter roll-out: cost-benefit analysis 2019

QrizB

The_Green_Hornet said:

Netexporter said:

A smart meter costs nothing and will give you access to cheaper TOU tariffs. If you are with Eon you might also get £100 for having one installed at the moment.

From UK Government's smart meter roll-out: cost-benefit analysis 2019

Notwithstanding that pretty-coloured chart, the consumer incurs no additional cost by accepting a smart meter.

Or, put another way, they're already paying for it whether they have one or not.

Altior

So much has happened in such a short space of time, we have been desensitised to changes that would have been considered conspiracy theories only a short while ago. I doubt anyone would have thought it conceivable that it would be made illegal to leave your own property, or compelled to have a vaccine if you wanted to keep your job. How about paying a tax to drive from one part of London to another, if you drive the 'wrong' kind of car.

Part of the nudging is to 'other' people that don't comply with the accepted narrative. So them being on the wrong end of name calling is par for the course. You have to make your own judgements on the facts as you can deduce them yourself, not listen to the narrative from others.

So in this example, what do you stand to gain now, and in the future, by allowing your domestic energy supplier to fit a 'SMART' meter, that can measure and control your energy consumption? Energy suppliers are not renowned for their philanthropy over history, for me it's reasonable to assume that they are not pushing them so very hard as it benefits the consumer. I know personally it would make zero difference to my life if I permitted them to be fitted. At this point, I have no reason to allow it. I'm not ideologically against them, but I've not seen anything compelling enough for me personally to arrange it, as yet. 

[Deleted User]

Energy suppliers are not renowned for their philanthropy over history, for me it's reasonable to assume that they are not pushing them so very hard as it benefits the consumer.

I liked your post until I got to the sentence above. Ofgem agrees an annual smart meter installation target with every supplier. Failure to reach the agreed targets will result in fines. If E.on Next isn’t pushing them very hard then why is it offering a £100 incentive/bribe to get consumers to agree to have one fitted?

Altior

Yes Dolor, so it's not the energy suppliers that are pushing them, it's the government. I knew that of course but didn't want to get drawn into a long 'conspiracy theory' debate. The substance of my post is to ignore the noise (even from me!). That the OP (and everyone else), should take responsibility for their own decision making. I accept that it is not always easy to get to the unvarnished facts, to base that decision making on. Then you may need to rely on your instinct. But never do something just because it feels like that's what everyone else seems to be doing. 

QrizB

Altior said:

So in this example, what do you stand to gain now, and in the future, by allowing your domestic energy supplier to fit a 'SMART' meter, that can measure and control your energy consumption?

From September 2022 to September 2023, my household used about 1440kWh of grid electricity (we've got solar panels). On the SVT and including the standing chage, that would have cost us something like £650.

We have smart meters, and a smart-meter-only tariff. Our electricity actually cost us £310.

That's a £340 saving in one year.

I don't have my equivalent figures for gas to hand, but there was also a saving there.

(I will accept that I could be a special case, but there are substantial potential savings for many households by switching to smart tariffs.)

Altior

That's my point to the OP. They have make their judgement based on their own situation, not yours.