Gas or electric company recommendations with no smart meter

FreeBear

Spoonie_Turtle said: The only very good tariffs available are smart time-of-use tariffs.

I'm saving 15-20% over SVR by being on a ToU tariff. Wouldn't have been able to switch without a smart meter.

And it saves me having to go out in the pouring rain to read the gas meter.

MikeJXE

I don’t have a smart meter and have been with Octopus since February 2023. 

I give them readings every first of the month and get a bill within a couple of days. 

They have never asked me to have a smart meter. 

I am happy with them and will stick 

mmmmikey

Tumtitums said:

Brie said:

If you want the best tariffs you'll need to be on a smart meter and frankly for the vast majority of people it makes life much easier.  No readings to submit is great!!

In the end you won't have a choice as it's their equipment and if they think it needs to be changed all you can do is find a convenient time to have the installation.  

I'm quite happy with the way my life is thank you and also i didn't know the meters belonged to e.on . the meters were in before i moved into the house and the previous occupants were with a different company .

It amazes me how lazy society has become in so many ways  now it seems that people  cant spare less than  2minutes to note down a number on a meter once a month. God help us i

I appreciate it was probably just a throwaway comment but I don't think you've really appreciated the full benefits of smart meters. 

It's nothing to do with being lazy. Smart meters don't just take readings once a month. They take readings every 30 minutes which gives you the option to buy electricity when it's cheaper overnight or at quiet periods during the day, or on days which are cheaper than others. Many people on this money saving forum are saving £100's (and in some cases £1000's) a year by taking advantage of tariffs that are only available to those with smart meters. There are numerous other benefits too, including helping to reduce fraud and probably most importantly the positive effect they have on the environment.

If anyone is lazy I'd venture to suggest that it's those folk who can't be bothered to make the effort to research things properly understand the full benefits and downsides before drawing conclusions.......

rp1974

OP,there isn't a supplier that wont push you to have smart meters,where possible as they've all been obligated to do so.

Without entering into the merits,or otherwise,If you choose not to have them,it will as your well aware reduce the tariffs available to you,I've had them for over a year and they've made zero difference to me,I still check them monthly even though they send readings themselves and have done from the start.

Last time I did comparisons every supplier required smart meters fitted as a primary condition for everything except the SVR,effectively a carrot and stick approach.

As there's no mention in your post about any particular objection,other than being badgered to do so,realistically as that's the direction of travel anyway why not do now what'll need to be done at some point?.

Marvel1

A smart meter offers the cheapest tariffs.

However apprantely they are supposed to send readings every 30 mins for this time of use for money off, don't seem to work for my parents though.

Reed_Richards

@Marvel1 you can register with various organisation to view the half-hourly readings from your smart meter.  https://loop.homes/loop-smart-meter-app/ 
https://data.n3rgy.com/consumer-login
There are more, probably including the supplier. 

AFAIK, any smart reader that can be read remotely can supply half-hourly meter readings.

Scot_39

Re 30min readings.

Not all ToU tariffs require half hourly data - many E7 and EV tariffs use multiregister - normally 2 - 2 rates 1 at fixed peak times 1 at "fixed" off peak timing.

Even Octopus who have tariffs like agile and smart EV who rely on 1/2 hourly data and pricing - use fixed TOU daily or monthly register readings for other tariffs  and of course those with older meters.

All smets1 and 2 meters can certainly store the 1/2 hourly data - but that isnt the same as supply them to suppliers.

As that is covered by data access protection framework - govt regs specific to smart meter data privacy..

Not sure if it's changed but DAPF used to prevent suppliers accessing 1/2 hourly data without a specific customer opt in.

The default is daily frequency, and DAPF even allowed for customers to reject daily and only allow monthly.

I was recently asked upon log in to my suppliers on line account to allow 1/2 hourly readings.  Which suggests it's still an opt in. 

Many people who tried to register for load shifting payments in last couple of years as part of grid peak management found they hadn't given their suppliers 1/2 hourly permission - so it delayed their entry to the schemes.

Reed_Richards

@Scot_39 you are doubtless correct.  I moved to a time-of-use tariff about 2 months after my smart meter was installed and was able to download half-hourly readings starting from the hour the meter went in.  But very possibly this was a capability that had just been enabled.  In which case the answer for @Marvel1's parents is for them to opt-in.

Scot_39

Opting in used to be easy.

It used to be a tick box on EOn Next online account when first joined  - if not a quick call or email should see it sorted.

Scot_39

Reed_Richards said:

@Scot_39 you are doubtless correct.  I moved to a time-of-use tariff about 2 months after my smart meter was installed and was able to download half-hourly readings starting from the hour the meter went in.  But very possibly this was a capability that had just been enabled.  In which case the answer for @Marvel1's parents is for them to opt-in.

You accessing data via an app is not the same as suppliers accessing it and storing it for billing purposes.

The app or sites like n3rgy can pull that data via DCC network once you have given permission.

The limitation I spoke of is only on suppliers - others / other reasons have permitted access under DAPF regardless.