Economy 7????

Swipe

I do like my smart meter but I have to admit it has introduced lots of new variables to go wrong (and believe me they have but nothing that wasn't resolvable)

Rosie1001

Swipe said:

I do like my smart meter but I have to admit it has introduced lots of new variables to go wrong (and believe me they have but nothing that wasn't resolvable)

Tell me about it lol 

the help from this group has been a godsend for me 

EssexHebridean

Swipe said:

I do like my smart meter but I have to admit it has introduced lots of new variables to go wrong (and believe me they have but nothing that wasn't resolvable)

They've also solved significant issues around accurate readings for a lot of folk - so roundabouts and swings! 
£17+ saving on electric for us last month thanks to being able to access a TOU tariff that replies on a modern meter! 

An awful lot of the issues with the SMETS1 & 2 meters could be solved by more education around them - notably that yes, they should send readings automatically, but you still need to check your bills and crucially check readings are correct every few months at least! 

Ildhund

EssexHebridean said:
They've also solved significant issues around accurate readings for a lot of folk - 

Just occasionally we come across an electricity meter that's not recording accurately. The latest was one installed in 2008, probably from a batch with a known manufacturing fault. I don't think I've ever seen a substantiated case of a smart meter not being accurate, but I suppose it depends on what you mean by 'accurate readings'. For me, it means 'readings with the precision laid down in the specification.' 

If you just meant that 'smart meters record more accurately than non-smart ones', then I'm not sure I've seen any evidence for that.

Swipe

Ildhund said:

EssexHebridean said:
They've also solved significant issues around accurate readings for a lot of folk - 

If you just meant that 'smart meters record more accurately than non-smart ones', then I'm not sure I've seen any evidence for that.

Well when my ancient E7 mechanical meter was replaced by my smart meter it was definitely more accurate according to my spreadsheet of daily readings but, unfortunately, not in my favour.

Ildhund

Swipe said:
Well when my ancient E7 mechanical meter was replaced by my smart meter it was definitely more accurate according to my spreadsheet of daily readings 

OK. I'd be surprised if a new (electronic) meter weren't more accurate than an ancient mechanical one, where wear and tear over the years is bound to affect precision. I do wonder how your spreadsheet enables you to establish a meter's accuracy, though. 

Swipe

Ildhund said:

Swipe said:
Well when my ancient E7 mechanical meter was replaced by my smart meter it was definitely more accurate according to my spreadsheet of daily readings 

OK. I'd be surprised if a new (electronic) meter weren't more accurate than an ancient mechanical one, where wear and tear over the years is bound to affect precision. I do wonder how your spreadsheet enables you to establish a meter's accuracy, though. 

Well, I'm making the assumption that it is accuracy. The difference being, more units used daily from the date the new meter was installed. Easily spotted because on the old meter when all storage heaters were off and the immersion heater not in use, the night reading would only increment every 2 days whereas on the smart meter it would increment by 1 unit daily without fail.

bob2302

DullGreyGuy said:

Jonboy_1984 said:

Gerry1 said:

Most unlikely that RTS will be switched off after 31 March 2024.  The contract has been extended several times and it will almost certainly be extended again: discussions are ongoing.

The issue with the RTS service is it apparently piggybacks off a unique system that relies on analogue valves that haven’t been manufactured for several decades, and they are apparently down to 2 spare valves, at some point an extension won’t be possible.

If its like a former client of mine... at least one engineer will have spotted the problem before and will be sitting on a couple of spare valves hoping its their retirement fund when the company suddenly needs a replacement. 

It provides BBC Radio 4 LW, and the BBC have been well aware for a long time. I think I saw a figure for the number of spares that was in the teens within the last decade. If the number is really down to 2, the time left is unpredictable.

FWIW in the 80's, the unplanned absence of the Today programme on R4 LW was a signal to Trident submarine commanders that they should assume the worst, and open their sealed orders. The loss of RTS isn't the worst that could have happened in this area.

EssexHebridean

Ildhund said:

EssexHebridean said:
They've also solved significant issues around accurate readings for a lot of folk - 

Just occasionally we come across an electricity meter that's not recording accurately. The latest was one installed in 2008, probably from a batch with a known manufacturing fault. I don't think I've ever seen a substantiated case of a smart meter not being accurate, but I suppose it depends on what you mean by 'accurate readings'. For me, it means 'readings with the precision laid down in the specification.' 

If you just meant that 'smart meters record more accurately than non-smart ones', then I'm not sure I've seen any evidence for that.

I meant "it means that people who otherwise for whatever reason wouldn't give meter readings - either because they simply forget, can't do so for whatever reason, or just can't be bothered, actually get accurate bills with the current meter models sending the readings automatically..."
 
I think you spent two paragraphs looking for a conspiracy theory that wasn't there...!  

QrizB

Ildhund said:

 I don't think I've ever seen a substantiated case of a smart meter not being accurate, but I suppose it depends on what you mean by 'accurate readings'.

There's a batch of L&G smart meters that have a nasty habit of resetting themselves to zero, causing suppliers to think the consumer has rolled around the clock on the meter and used 100,000 kWh. We had half a dozen cases on the forum a couple of years ago, although I've not seen one recently.

I'll try to dig out a link to an example thread.

Edit to add: see here:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/79539512/#Comment_79539512