Change of Meters

badmemory

Those communications issues are faults.  The whole point of smart meters was sold as their ability to send readings meaning we didn't have to.  If it doesn't then it is faulty.  It doesn't help that the smart meters are a lot harder to read than the old ones.  The person fitting mine actually told me he didn't think I would be able to read it.

Ayr_Rage

badmemory said:

Those communications issues are faults.  The whole point of smart meters was sold as their ability to send readings meaning we didn't have to.  If it doesn't then it is faulty.  It doesn't help that the smart meters are a lot harder to read than the old ones.  The person fitting mine actually told me he didn't think I would be able to read it.

Not a fault at all, just the Laws of Physics.

It's a bit like someone saying I can't get a WiFi connection to my router at the bottom of my garden, neither the router or device are faulty, it's just the distance is too great for a successful connection, which was always going to be an issue in some locations.

EssexHebridean

I have to say neither of our (smart) meters in the new house are any harder to read than those (Old style ones) in the flat, and the gas meter is massively easier to read, in fact!  Of course, this is mostly down to location - both are now in easy to access positions, and being able to read the gas one via the IHD without even having to go outside is even better as all I need to do is to check that the screen is still working with no codes suggesting low battery once a quarter or so. 

Ultimately a smart meter which isn't sending readings and which has replaced an old style meter - particularly an end of life one - doesn't leave the consumer any worse off, and in fact may still leave them better off overall as at least they have a brand new piece of kit replacing something which was out of certification and so deemed more likely to become a problem. 

Ildhund

EssexHebridean said:
  
... they have a brand new piece of kit replacing something which was out of certification and so deemed more likely to become a problem. 

If a meter is within its certification period, it is guaranteed by the manufacturer to meet the appropriate standards, including of precision. That guarantee lapses as soon as the certification expires, meaning that any later loss of precision is for the supplier's account. Suppliers don't like that sort of risk (or 'problem').

EssexHebridean

There is also the point that suppliers are not meant to bill against life-expired meters, as I recall, therefore the requirement for them to be changed. 

badmemory

I am sorry but they push these meters on us insisting that they will save us having to read them ourselves.  If they don't do what they say they will do that is at least one definition of faulty.  Or maybe it is just at fault.  The real problem comes when you have to read one yourself & cannot. I did chose to have a new meter but it is a lot harder for me to read than my old meter.  They didn't fill me with confidence unfortunately when they couldn't fit my gas meter as they didn't have the necessary fittings - or so he said & of course messed up my solar too.

I just wonder how many of these mess ups we are supposed to accept before, as supposed customers, they become UNacceptable.

Chrysalis

400ixl said:

Life is too short to be trying to fight the inevitable.

The vast majority of smart meters work exatly as they should and give you access to more tariffs (which will only increase over time).

If you want to also submit manual readings then do so. But maybe just check the automatic readings are accurate.

Also with things like octopus compare app you get comparisons of tariffs based on actual usage data, rather than estimates based on "typical usage".

They are a clear generational move forwards.

EssexHebridean

Yes - when it came to the decision for us on moving across to Octopus Agile being able to see a real-world comparison made it far easier to see that we definitely would make savings.  And having averaged around 13p/kWh in October it turned out to be very useful indeed! 

Reed_Richards

I have an EV.  Because I have a smart meter, I have access to Time of Use tariffs and I signed-up for one that gives me 7 hours of cheap rate electricity overnight.  I can use this to charge my car and also run some power-hungry appliances in my house.  So in my case, a smart meter is saving me a lot of money on my electricity bills.

badmemory

But you can only use TOU tariffs if the smart bit of your smart meter actually works which 10% of them don't.