Will Octopus pressure me to have a smart meter fitted?

MikeJXE

Matt17 said:

debitcardmayhem said:

EssexHebridean said:

MultiFuelBurner said:

ChrisJJ said:

I tried to post on my previous thread about leaving British Gas but for some reason was unable to. I've decided that Octopus sounds like a reasonable supplier so will go with them. However, I don't, for various reasons, want a smart meter - will that cause problems transferring to Octopus? Will the pressure me to have a smart meter fitted?

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/can-i-be-forced-to-have-a-smart-meter/

Worth a read if not 100% accurate

But you really are missing out on 25% off your energy bill.not having one. Can you really afford to pay say £500+ more a year for energy from something you may have read on the internet?

That's a bit harsh in this situation  - the OP has explained their reasons and this is not a tin foil hat scenario by the sound of it! 

That is where I  got the Internet from mfb's post
"Worth a read if not 100% accurate

But you really are missing out on 25% off your energy bill.not having one. Can you really afford to pay say £500+ more a year for energy from something you may have read on the internet?"

Where does the 25% saving come from, is it by going on the Tracker tariff! 

I'm not sure about all these statistics that keep being quoted, what I am sure of is my records 

I have just been going over my usage for the that last  3 years , year 1 and 2 was 2 bed flat 1st floor EPC C Smart meters 

3rd year 1 bed flat ground floor EPC B Dumb meter, all built at roughly the same time 2007

I feel the cold and if I am not warm I will turn the heating up whatever it cost, typical 20/21 degrees 

I have discovered all 3 years used the roughly the  same kWh of electricity 

However the gas heating is very different, although I have only been here 10 months it's looking like the gas will be significantly less, probably 40% less

 Conclusion I have not saved by having a smart meter I have saved by my own choices, smaller property, or maybe one of the gas meters are giving incorrect readings 

 Plus where my heating has been consistently on here during the winter at 20/21 degrees I have this week invested in fleece jogging bottoms (I am in home most of the time) My heating is now set at 18 and I am as warm as when it was 20 degrees, another saving 

Marvel1

MultiFuelBurner said:

ChrisJJ said:

I tried to post on my previous thread about leaving British Gas but for some reason was unable to. I've decided that Octopus sounds like a reasonable supplier so will go with them. However, I don't, for various reasons, want a smart meter - will that cause problems transferring to Octopus? Will the pressure me to have a smart meter fitted?

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/can-i-be-forced-to-have-a-smart-meter/

Worth a read if not 100% accurate

But you really are missing out on 25% off your energy bill not having one. Can you really afford to pay say £500+ more a year for energy from something you may have read on the internet?

My total energy from 01-12-22 to now is £969.16, so saving £500.00 would be £469.16, definately need to look into this, have a non smart prepayment meter at moment.

MultiFuelBurner

Marvel1 said:

MultiFuelBurner said:

ChrisJJ said:

I tried to post on my previous thread about leaving British Gas but for some reason was unable to. I've decided that Octopus sounds like a reasonable supplier so will go with them. However, I don't, for various reasons, want a smart meter - will that cause problems transferring to Octopus? Will the pressure me to have a smart meter fitted?

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/can-i-be-forced-to-have-a-smart-meter/

Worth a read if not 100% accurate

But you really are missing out on 25% off your energy bill not having one. Can you really afford to pay say £500+ more a year for energy from something you may have read on the internet?

My total energy from 01-12-22 to now is £969.16, so saving £500.00 would be £469.16, definately need to look into this, have a non smart prepayment meter at moment.

So saving 25% off your energy bill is possible with a smart meter and the tracker tariff from Octopus. In your instance you use about half what they call the average customer use based on your amounts so think a saving of roughly £240 on your usage.

Caveats being you aren't on E7 and based on the last year of tracker data.

EssexHebridean

debitcardmayhem said:

EssexHebridean said:

MultiFuelBurner said:

ChrisJJ said:

I tried to post on my previous thread about leaving British Gas but for some reason was unable to. I've decided that Octopus sounds like a reasonable supplier so will go with them. However, I don't, for various reasons, want a smart meter - will that cause problems transferring to Octopus? Will the pressure me to have a smart meter fitted?

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/can-i-be-forced-to-have-a-smart-meter/

Worth a read if not 100% accurate

But you really are missing out on 25% off your energy bill.not having one. Can you really afford to pay say £500+ more a year for energy from something you may have read on the internet?

That's a bit harsh in this situation  - the OP has explained their reasons and this is not a tin foil hat scenario by the sound of it! 

That is where I  got the Internet from mfb's post
"Worth a read if not 100% accurate

But you really are missing out on 25% off your energy bill.not having one. Can you really afford to pay say £500+ more a year for energy from something you may have read on the internet?"

The OP's reasons were nothing to do with anything read on the internet. 

deano2099

They won't pressure you anymore than any other energy company will. All energy companies have targets around smart meter installation, so they may all start pressuring people at one point or another. You're probably better off with Octopus as they've just taken on a lot of new customers with the acquisition of Shell's customer base so will likely have other places to look.
Unfortunately your best option would have been to insist on a smart meter when your meter was changed in July, as that would have got everything done in one visit. It's actually quite odd they replaced it with a non-smart meter as those are quite hard to source.
Bear in mind you are going to have to get a smart meter eventually, assuming you're staying in the current property. My suggestion would be to switch and reach out to Octopus when you're doing "okay" with your anxiety issues and get it out the way at a time that best suits your own mental health, rather than having to do it on someone elses' schedule in a few years.

Netexporter

Unfortunately your best option would have been to insist on a smart meter when your meter was changed in July, as that would have got everything done in one visit.

As it was for a leak it is most likely that the pipeline operator did the work. They'd usually just put a standard G4 meter in, probably used, because there are plenty of those available from when smart meters have been put in elsewhere. Fitting a smart gas meter would have been pointless without an electric smart meter to communicate with.

EssexHebridean

OP - one thing that does occur to me - do you have a close friend or a relative who might be able to be at your house for the install while you simply go out? I'm not sure if this helps - it probably depends whether the anxiety trigger is "someone else being in your house" or "You being in your house while a stranger is there too". 

I would agree that trying to work towards getting the meter changed at a time that you have instigated is a good plan though, as this in itself will help you to feel more in control of the situation. 

Spoonie_Turtle

On the theme of being more in control of the situation:

If you can find your electricity meter in this document, https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/schedule-4-uk-nationally-approved-electricity-meters
see when your own meter was certified (it'll have a sticker or something printed on the front of it) and then the certification period will tell you when it will need to be changed. 

That way you can either choose to do it before it has to be done, or at least you'll be prepared for them to contact you when the time comes.

ChrisJJ

EssexHebridean said:

OP - one thing that does occur to me - do you have a close friend or a relative who might be able to be at your house for the install while you simply go out? I'm not sure if this helps - it probably depends whether the anxiety trigger is "someone else being in your house" or "You being in your house while a stranger is there too". 

I would agree that trying to work towards getting the meter changed at a time that you have instigated is a good plan though, as this in itself will help you to feel more in control of the situation. 

Yes, actually, that's usually what I do when things have to be done. So when the time comes, if a smart meter has to be fitted, I'll definitely be hauling a friend  in to deal with them. It's just having someone in my home and having to deal with them. Especially if it's a longer job. I have ME, so the adrenalin rush (not the good kind!) that I get from having to deal with tradespeople etc, can lay me low for days.

I can see that it would be very useful to see how the energy is being used. However, it would also probably trigger some OCD behaviours around it.

I appreciate your empathic response - thank you,

ChrisJJ

Spoonie_Turtle said:

On the theme of being more in control of the situation:

If you can find your electricity meter in this document, https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/schedule-4-uk-nationally-approved-electricity-meters
see when your own meter was certified (it'll have a sticker or something printed on the front of it) and then the certification period will tell you when it will need to be changed. 

That way you can either choose to do it before it has to be done, or at least you'll be prepared for them to contact you when the time comes.

Thank you - will have a look at that.