My energy provider is pushing me to have a smart meter

MattMattMattUK

Emily_Joy said:

Netexporter said:

Emily_Joy said:

oldernonethewiser said: What are folk worried aboout?

I personally worry about the fact that the smart meter collects information about how much and when the electricity/gas is used in my house. My partner and I, we are away from home often and for a long time (e.g. I was working abroad all September). The gas & electricity usage obviously indicate whether the house is occupied/lived in or not. I don't want this information to be collected and/or stored anywhere. 

Do you seriously think your friendly local burglar is going to be able to access the information?

No. But I do think that if I ever need to submit insurance claim for some damage caused to the house, the insurance provider could/will request the smart meter data and use it to establish whether the house was occupied in the way set in their usually very vague T&C.

If they suspect you were away from home for a duration that breaches your insurance policy then they will ask you to sign a declaration declaring that you met the requirements and they may ask for financial transactions to prove you were at home (or not away). Making a false claim would be insurance fraud, which is a serious legal problem. 

[Deleted User]

Emily_Joy said:

Netexporter said:

Emily_Joy said:

oldernonethewiser said: What are folk worried aboout?

I personally worry about the fact that the smart meter collects information about how much and when the electricity/gas is used in my house. My partner and I, we are away from home often and for a long time (e.g. I was working abroad all September). The gas & electricity usage obviously indicate whether the house is occupied/lived in or not. I don't want this information to be collected and/or stored anywhere. 

Do you seriously think your friendly local burglar is going to be able to access the information?

No. But I do think that if I ever need to submit insurance claim for some damage caused to the house, the insurance provider could/will request the smart meter data and use it to establish whether the house was occupied in the way set in their usually very vague T&C.

You cannot be serious. I do not recall any insurer asking to see analogue meter usage bills as proof that someone was in the home. Your analogue usage is stored on the supplier’s systems in the same way as smart meter data.

Gerry1

[Deleted User] said:

Emily_Joy said:

Netexporter said:

Emily_Joy said:

oldernonethewiser said: What are folk worried aboout?

I personally worry about the fact that the smart meter collects information about how much and when the electricity/gas is used in my house. My partner and I, we are away from home often and for a long time (e.g. I was working abroad all September). The gas & electricity usage obviously indicate whether the house is occupied/lived in or not. I don't want this information to be collected and/or stored anywhere. 

Do you seriously think your friendly local burglar is going to be able to access the information?

No. But I do think that if I ever need to submit insurance claim for some damage caused to the house, the insurance provider could/will request the smart meter data and use it to establish whether the house was occupied in the way set in their usually very vague T&C.

You cannot be serious. I do not recall any insurer asking to see analogue meter usage bills as proof that someone was in the home. Your analogue usage is stored on the supplier’s systems in the same way as smart meter data.

I do not recall any analogue meters that were read weekly.

ArbitraryRandom

Emily_Joy said:

Netexporter said:

Emily_Joy said:

oldernonethewiser said: What are folk worried aboout?

I personally worry about the fact that the smart meter collects information about how much and when the electricity/gas is used in my house. My partner and I, we are away from home often and for a long time (e.g. I was working abroad all September). The gas & electricity usage obviously indicate whether the house is occupied/lived in or not. I don't want this information to be collected and/or stored anywhere. 

Do you seriously think your friendly local burglar is going to be able to access the information?

No. But I do think that if I ever need to submit insurance claim for some damage caused to the house, the insurance provider could/will request the smart meter data and use it to establish whether the house was occupied in the way set in their usually very vague T&C.

You seriously actually think that's likely?

Do you have any reason to think that might happen (it would require them to get a court order thanks to GDPR)? And do you think, if they suspect you were away from home, that would be the only evidence they would look for? 

If it were me, I'd just get house insurance that allows you to be away from the home for longer than 30 days. Or even ask a friend or family member to visit and spend the night every 28 days you're away. 

ArbitraryRandom

Gerry1 said:

[Deleted User] said:

Emily_Joy said:

Netexporter said:

Emily_Joy said:

oldernonethewiser said: What are folk worried aboout?

I personally worry about the fact that the smart meter collects information about how much and when the electricity/gas is used in my house. My partner and I, we are away from home often and for a long time (e.g. I was working abroad all September). The gas & electricity usage obviously indicate whether the house is occupied/lived in or not. I don't want this information to be collected and/or stored anywhere. 

Do you seriously think your friendly local burglar is going to be able to access the information?

No. But I do think that if I ever need to submit insurance claim for some damage caused to the house, the insurance provider could/will request the smart meter data and use it to establish whether the house was occupied in the way set in their usually very vague T&C.

You cannot be serious. I do not recall any insurer asking to see analogue meter usage bills as proof that someone was in the home. Your analogue usage is stored on the supplier’s systems in the same way as smart meter data.

I do not recall any analogue meters that were read weekly.

Insurance would only be a problem if it were longer than 30 days - and the poster has said they worked abroad for more than a month - so I'm assuming that's where this is coming from. 

Gerry1

ArbitraryRandom said:

Emily_Joy said:

Netexporter said:

Emily_Joy said:

oldernonethewiser said: What are folk worried aboout?

I personally worry about the fact that the smart meter collects information about how much and when the electricity/gas is used in my house. My partner and I, we are away from home often and for a long time (e.g. I was working abroad all September). The gas & electricity usage obviously indicate whether the house is occupied/lived in or not. I don't want this information to be collected and/or stored anywhere. 

Do you seriously think your friendly local burglar is going to be able to access the information?

No. But I do think that if I ever need to submit insurance claim for some damage caused to the house, the insurance provider could/will request the smart meter data and use it to establish whether the house was occupied in the way set in their usually very vague T&C.

You seriously actually think that's likely?

Do you have any reason to think that might happen (it would require them to get a court order thanks to GDPR)?

Unlikely.  BG, for example, admit to sharing your smart meter data with many organisations including the Police, HMRC and unspecified 'industry bodies' including the Theft Risk Assessment Service.

ArbitraryRandom

Gerry1 said:

ArbitraryRandom said:

Emily_Joy said:

Netexporter said:

Emily_Joy said:

oldernonethewiser said: What are folk worried aboout?

I personally worry about the fact that the smart meter collects information about how much and when the electricity/gas is used in my house. My partner and I, we are away from home often and for a long time (e.g. I was working abroad all September). The gas & electricity usage obviously indicate whether the house is occupied/lived in or not. I don't want this information to be collected and/or stored anywhere. 

Do you seriously think your friendly local burglar is going to be able to access the information?

No. But I do think that if I ever need to submit insurance claim for some damage caused to the house, the insurance provider could/will request the smart meter data and use it to establish whether the house was occupied in the way set in their usually very vague T&C.

You seriously actually think that's likely?

Do you have any reason to think that might happen (it would require them to get a court order thanks to GDPR)?

Unlikely.  BG, for example, admit to sharing your smart meter data with many organisations including the Police, HMRC and unspecified 'industry bodies' including the Theft Risk Assessment Service.

The Theft Risk Assessment Service relates specifically to the prevention, detection and investigation of gas and electricity theft - hence a specifically regulatory arrangement to allow utility companies to share data with relevant partners in the enforcement and utility industry. 

The specific details of who, when and how such information can be shared are set out quite clearly in the standard licensing conditions (12A: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2023-03/Gas%20Supply%20Standard%20Consolidated%20Licence%20Conditions%20-%20Current.pdf)

I'm not seeing how BG complying with these arrangements suggests they would (or legally could) release personal data to insurance companies to investigate any matter other than the theft of utilities? 

Gerry1

They could ask the Police?

oldernonethewiser

Gerry1 said:

They could ask the Police?

Who could ask the Police what?

ecraig

If I were to become a burglar, I think I might, regardless of meter type, track a property and read their meter every day to understand if the number changes by much. I reckon after a couple months I would probably have a good profile of what days the meter changes or doesn’t change.
if I wore an Amazon delivery hoody nobody would suspect me… assuming the meter isn’t at the front of the property.

So, regardless of meter type, people can extract this data quite easily.

And to make the story look convincing I would have a selection of parcels for you that I would rotate daily, with safe place written on them. In fact, it might say “safe place: inside meter” and I might even ask your neighbour if they have a key to unlock it. But most neighbours wouldn’t dare approach someone in public..

Ps, the gas meter box has been my safe place before…