Not so smart meters

PCBrum

I have had smart meters for 3-4 years and the logic of installing them was to save the energy companies  the cost of having someone to read them and/or relying on customer readings. Why then, do we still get someone from a third-party company coming to read the meters every 3 months? I contacted Octopus and they comfirmed the meters are providing them with the information they need. So, surely, if they didn't waste so much money they could revisit the thorny issue of standing charges?

Brie

6+ years in our property and have never had anyone come to read our meters.  There have been smart meters here all that time but they only started working smartly about 3 years back.  So I'm wondering if there's something unusual about your energy use that they feel needs checking on.  

bob2302

I haven't had one for 15 years or more, the last one just put a "we called, you were out, read it yourself" card through - didn't even knock.

macman

Safety and revenue protection checks. But shouldn't be as often as quarterly.

imeach

In theory, the logic of having them is for you to save money, obviously by adjusting usage patterns. 
I don't think anywhere has ever said that it will do away with meter readers, although smart meter fitters are known to tell customers that. 
Third party meter reading companies will only call when suppliers ask them to, but there really is no pattern to when or how often suppliers send requests out.
Obviously shouldn't be every 3 months on smart meters but regularly is. 

You're not on the Priory Services Register are you?
That might explain quarterly visits still

Abertawe25

One thing the gas/power companies do not tell you is that if they do not reach their quota of installations they get fined by the goverment

Ectophile

PCBrum said:

I have had smart meters for 3-4 years and the logic of installing them was to save the energy companies  the cost of having someone to read them and/or relying on customer readings. Why then, do we still get someone from a third-party company coming to read the meters every 3 months? I contacted Octopus and they comfirmed the meters are providing them with the information they need. So, surely, if they didn't waste so much money they could revisit the thorny issue of standing charges?

Maybe they haven't caught you bypassing the meters yet.

booneruk

PCBrum said:

I have had smart meters for 3-4 years and the logic of installing them was to save the energy companies  the cost of having someone to read them and/or relying on customer readings.

Was it? I don't remember that.

I've lived 20 years in the same flat with my traditional meter (surprised it's still certified to be honest), and have only had one meter reader knock on my door in all that time.

EssexHebridean

Abertawe25 said:

One thing the gas/power companies do not tell you is that if they do not reach their quota of installations they get fined by the goverment

The energy companies themselves may not say it much, but it’s hardly news to anyone with even a vague finger on the pulse of current affairs, is it!