Feedback on MSE Website Energy Advice

LexyT

Not sure if anyone from MSE will read this but one thing that would be really helpful is if MSE articles on the website regards Energy could state next to any potential switch’s/tariffs that are mentioned whether a customer can only benefit from the tariffs in question if they sign up to have a Smart Meter installed with that supplier.

My husband (and I suspect many more people) is not interested in having one of these installed at the moment due to the myriad of issues that even the second round/generation of Smart Meters are having, so until he feels confident that a Smart Meter IS a good idea, it would be really helpful to us, the consumer, if in MSE articles we could clearly see whether it’s worth clicking through to read more about a tariff/switch in question, because if we have to have a Smart Meter obviously there's no point looking deeper into it. 

We've been customers of Eon Next since we moved into this house in 2022 - not necessarily by choice - they were the ‘legacy' fuel provider used by the previous owners, and due to the affect of Covid of course, switch deals went out the window. Now that switch’s are becoming more common we want to keep up to date and decide when it’s actually worth switching, though we will only consider those firms who won’t force us to have a Smart Meter at the moment.

Eon Next have (rather cleverly?) written to us at least a couple of times since we’ve been their customers to advise that our "Smart Meter needs replacing". If you were cynical, you might wonder if they were hoping that we (and no doubt many others like us who received the letter ‘in error’ i.e., not actually having a Smart Meter) would assume that our meter WAS a Smart Meter already, and would of course end up actually having one installed without putting 2 and 2 together.

Here’s hoping that you like to receive feedback and that this feedback will help others in the same boat.

Many thanks for your time, and for all that you do!

MultiFuelBurner

I hope they don't provide this information for you as there are only benefits imo to getting a smart meter.

It is interesting a lot of these one poster accounts their first post is anti smart meters.

Alnat1

I think all energy companies want you to have smart meters, they get fined by the government if they don't fit enough of them each year.

Phones4Chris

LexyT said:

Not sure if anyone from MSE will read this but one thing that would be really helpful is if MSE articles on the website regards Energy could state next to any potential switch’s/tariffs that are mentioned whether a customer can only benefit from the tariffs in question if they sign up to have a Smart Meter installed with that supplier.

My husband (and I suspect many more people) is not interested in having one of these installed at the moment due to the myriad of issues that even the second round/generation of Smart Meters are having, so until he feels confident that a Smart Meter IS a good idea, it would be really helpful to us, the consumer, if in MSE articles we could clearly see whether it’s worth clicking through to read more about a tariff/switch in question, because if we have to have a Smart Meter obviously there's no point looking deeper into it. 

We've been customers of Eon Next since we moved into this house in 2022 - not necessarily by choice - they were the ‘legacy' fuel provider used by the previous owners, and due to the affect of Covid of course, switch deals went out the window. Now that switch’s are becoming more common we want to keep up to date and decide when it’s actually worth switching, though we will only consider those firms who won’t force us to have a Smart Meter at the moment.

Eon Next have (rather cleverly?) written to us at least a couple of times since we’ve been their customers to advise that our "Smart Meter needs replacing". If you were cynical, you might wonder if they were hoping that we (and no doubt many others like us who received the letter ‘in error’ i.e., not actually having a Smart Meter) would assume that our meter WAS a Smart Meter already, and would of course end up actually having one installed without putting 2 and 2 together.

Here’s hoping that you like to receive feedback and that this feedback will help others in the same boat.

Many thanks for your time, and for all that you do!

What "myriad of issues that even the second round/generation of Smart Meters are having," do you believe these are?
Smart meters are generally as reliable as any other digital electricity meter. Too many reports in the media are either complete rubbish or don't seem to know the difference between a Smart Meter and an IHD.

bristolleedsfan

LexyT said:

Not sure if anyone from MSE will read this but one thing that would be really helpful is if MSE articles on the website regards Energy could state next to any potential switch’s/tariffs that are mentioned whether a customer can only benefit from the tariffs in question if they sign up to have a Smart Meter installed with that supplier.

Of course that is a good idea/suggestion, MSE energy guides often state tariffs open to all when in fact if agreement to have  smart meter  installed to access tariff(s) is required, clearly not the case.

MeteredOut

bristolleedsfan said:

LexyT said:

Not sure if anyone from MSE will read this but one thing that would be really helpful is if MSE articles on the website regards Energy could state next to any potential switch’s/tariffs that are mentioned whether a customer can only benefit from the tariffs in question if they sign up to have a Smart Meter installed with that supplier.

Of course that is a good idea/suggestion, MSE energy guides often state tariffs open to all when in fact if agreement to have  smart meter  installed to access tariff(s) is required, clearly not the case.

They are still open to all (barring the few who cannot get a smart meter due to technical/space constraints).

Someone choosing not to want a smart meter does not mean the tariff is not available to them; it means they self-excluding themselves from that tariff.

That'd be little different to saying a broadband product is not open to someone because they refuse Open Reach or Virgin running a line into their house.