My energy provider is pushing me to have a smart meter

Mootyvandersplooty

My energy provider has been nattering me for months to have a smart meter fitted. We read our meter every month so don't need or want one. 
However today I have received an email saying the BBC plans to turn off  RTS which will affect our ability to manage our heating and water turn on/off and I need to book an appointment to have our meter changed asap. There is some off hand reference to all the emails they have sent regarding smart meters and the fact that they have a target to meet. However,  they say that regardless of this the RTS switch off is the most important thing and we should get in touch. 
We are pretty tech savvy so is it as crucial as they say that we change the meter and if yes, can we still refuse a smart meter? 

Netexporter

I'd get the smart meter, smartish. They use the same time sources as your phones and computers. They will have to alter your wiring a bit but it will be a lot neater.

Peter999_2

I never really understand why people don't want smart meters.

I would get a smart meter as soon as you can as there is only about 6 months left before RTS switch off and you don't want to end up paying a lot more needlessly for your electric.

I am with Octopus and can still submit a meter reading whenever I want but there is really no point as it's all automated.    They have just provided me with an Octopus Mini for free that links into my mobile phone app and tells me exactly how much energy I'm using (I've got it linked to a thing called Home Assistant and it can play alarms when I use over a certain amount of electric - though that is just a jokey thing really.)

I work from home and am on a thing called Octopus Agile which requires a smart meter and has cut my electric bill by more than half of what it was.     There is a lot of money to be saved having a smart meter.

dunstonh

We are pretty tech savvy so is it as crucial as they say that we change the meter and if yes, can we still refuse a smart meter? 

Why would you refuse a smart meter if you are tech-savvy?     The data integration into third party apps is useful.   It fixes the economy 7 RTS issue as the smart meter, like previous digital non smart meters, use the timer.   Except non-smart digital meters were prone to going out of sync (which could be useful if you kept a weekly eye on the time on the meter and adjusted all your devices.  But not useful if you didnt as you would use more energy at peak rate)

QrizB

What tariff do you have, Economy 7, single-rate or one of the obsolete complex ones?

As for smart meters, there are three different factors in play:

1. Yes, the BBC are going to switch off the R4 LW transmitters and so the radio signal that is sent to RTS meters will cease. It's quite likely that your meter will continue to work and switch, but it won't receive any more corrections and there's a slim chance that you will have problems.
2. All meters have a certification life. I think all RTS meters are at least a decade old now(?) and some are considrably older. When your meter reaches end-of-life it will need to be replaced.
3. The UK Government, via Ofgem, have given suppliers targets for smart meter installations and are threatening penalties if they don't meet them. The target (realistc or not) is for 100% smart meters by some time in 2025. Even if points 1 and 2 don't cause issues, you're going to be given a smart meter in the next couple of years regardless.

Assuming no weird tariff is in use, you might as well get a smart meter now.

ecraig

I think there must be some conspiracies against having a smart meter, but I bet these people are joyfully browsing the internet on their computers, tablets and phone, and chatting to Alexa - all of which is mining data in the background and creating a profile about you.
A smart meter is just a time saver.

43722

I don't agree. I will likely end up with a smart meter, but:

1) All suppliers i have used over the last 10 years have tried to persuade me to have a smart meter. They have told me
     different reasons why i should consider one, but the government has not made installation compulsory so far.

2) My current supplier gave me this story about the radio switch being turned off in March 2023. It didn't happen. 
     Perhaps it will not happen in Match 2024 either..

3) Like the op, i have no problem venturing outside to read the meter myself.

[Deleted User]

43722 said:

I don't agree. I will likely end up with a smart meter, but:

1) All suppliers i have used over the last 10 years have tried to persuade me to have a smart meter. They have told me
     different reasons why i should consider one, but the government has not made installation compulsory so far.

2) My current supplier gave me this story about the radio switch being turned off in March 2023. It didn't happen. 
     Perhaps it will not happen in Match 2024 either..

3) Like the op, i have no problem venturing outside to read the meter myself.

Try taking a more informed view as to why we need smart meters and a Smart Grid. It has nothing to do with how meter readings are obtained:

https://www.iea.org/energy-system/electricity/smart-grids#

Smart meters were made mandatory in Italy in 2006; in France last year and in Germany from 2025. 

Netexporter

different reasons why i should consider one, but the government has not made installation compulsory so far.

The reason for smart meters is to be able to use renewable sources most effectively. The "advertising" dresses it up in terms that will appeal to consumers, because the vast majority of people do not understand , or have an interest in, how the power comes out of the socket. They only take an interest when the power stops or the price goes up.

43722

So, smart meters are still not compulsory in the UK.

GingerTim

43722 said:

So, smart meters are still not compulsory in the UK.

Biggest mistake of the rollout, they should have been compulsory from the off.