Change of Meters

Ildhund

Where do you see this piece of information - that 10% of smart meters' 'smart bits' don't work? 

I rather thought it had been established that many (most, even?) of the reports of smart meters 'not working' in fact referred to problems with the In-Home Display (IHD). Whether the IHD is working or not has no bearing at all on the meter's ability to transmit data to the supplier and thus open the door to ToU tariffs.

Ayr_Rage

Ildhund said:

Where do you see this piece of information - that 10% of smart meters' 'smart bits' don't work? 

I rather thought it had been established that many (most, even?) of the reports of smart meters 'not working' in fact referred to problems with the In-Home Display (IHD). Whether the IHD is working or not has no bearing at all on the meter's ability to transmit data to the supplier and thus open the door to ToU tariffs.

I think you'll find that the quoted 10% actually means that although there is not an actual fault with anything, the attached comms hub is unable to get a connection with the outside world and therefore cannot submit readings or receive updates OTA.

It was always going to be the case that, due to their physical location, some meters would have that issue, just as with mobile network reception.

Reed_Richards

badmemory said:

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

I'm not sure if your 10% figure is correct but even if it's true, it just means that 10% of smart meters still require you to read the meter and submit a reading, just as you always used to do.  This is unfortunate but it's not a reason for not wanting to get a smart meter.     

badmemory

I believe it was an article by Martin. 

You can however see why people refer to the IHD as the smart meter as British Gas in their paperwork call it the smart meter display not the IHD.

SAC2334

I can vouch that so many people showed me their IHD when I knocked on their door to read their smart meter and they escorted me to the IHD in the kitchen and looked baffled when I wanted to see the meter itself .

Smart meters itself  go `s faulty at the same rate as the old digital  meters with the same type of  faults . Blank screens on electric  and flat batteries on smart gas meters . The faults are mainly on not working smart at all from day one in many cases or SMETS 1 s not working smart after switching supplier .

EssexHebridean

The advertising pushing smart meters has been a major cause of problems on this as even until quite recently they've been referring to the IHD and inferring that is the actual meter. Fine for those of us who understand, but hardly surprising that a good tranche of people, when asked whether their "smart  meter" works, ignore the fact that in fact, the meter does precisely what it's meant to, but the IHD doesn't connect/shows the wrong price or whatever, and answer the question "NO!" 

Martin has recently done some research putting together numbers on ALL issues around smart meters - and acknowledges that within those figures he has actively encouraged people to include everything. 

(The SMETS1 issue following supplier change is now sort3d for the majority of the remaining SMETS1 meters, IIRC?)

Chrysalis

badmemory said:

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

I dont know what the failure rate is, and it may not be an actual failure but just signal issues, but look at it this way if we assume 10%, 0% dumb meters are automatic, 90% of smart meters are, I know which odds I prefer.

wakeupalarm

Panorama: The truth about Smart Meters
Next Monday 8pm
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0024yyc

With a picture of a IHD!
Should be a good laugh

EssexHebridean

Brace yourselves for the comments afterwards! 

badmemory

I have it marked to watch.  Please don't get me wrong I love the IHD.  What I don't love is the lies that they told to sell them to us.  I can see how badly my solar is doing at the moment & also an increase in usage at the moment too.  What am I going to do - turn my freezer off as it is that causing it - really.!