Smart meter rollout

Qyburn

daveyjp said:

No need for auch draconian measures.   Over the years I have had a few meters changed.  You receive notification it needs to be changed, an appointment is made and the job is done.  If access is refused the utility companies have powers already.

The point is that they aren't using those powers. Instead they waste time and money pursuing  conspiracy theory refusers who have the daft idea that they can dictate what sort of meter the supplier uses for their connection.

Part of the problem is the precedent set by organisations claiming you have the right to refuse a smart meter, and we really need to get shot of that idea.

mmmmikey

Qyburn said:

daveyjp said:

No need for auch draconian measures.   Over the years I have had a few meters changed.  You receive notification it needs to be changed, an appointment is made and the job is done.  If access is refused the utility companies have powers already.

The point is that they aren't using those powers. Instead they waste time and money pursuing  conspiracy theory refusers who have the daft idea that they can dictate what sort of meter the supplier uses for their connection.

Part of the problem is the precedent set by organisations claiming you have the right to refuse a smart meter, and we really need to get shot of that idea.

Yes indeed. I'm clearly not the only one here who has lost patience with people who are being wilfully difficult and obstructive. There will always be people who are genuinely anxious because of the wealth of mis-information that has permeated the internet, and those post still pop up fairly regularly. Those people are easy to help though as long as they are reasonable. And of course there are also of course a small number of people who have legitimate and sensible reasons for not wanting a smart meter immediately. 

However, the more time progresses the more the list of objectors is made up of thieves, cheats and liars who don't want a smart meter because it will expose the fact that they're fiddling the system in some way (sadly fraud is not uncommon) or those that are just stroppy, unhelpful and unnecessarily difficult. The time has come, in my view, for the energy suppliers to start giving those people ultimatums and disconnect those who refuse to co-operate.

pseudodox

The time has come for the government to step in & make smart meters mandatory as it should have done from day one.  We didn't get all this fuss, angst & conspiracy theories when we all got converted to natural gas.

I would not be surprised if the energy industry started to lobby the now Labour government as it was they who were in power when the smart meter rollout was initiated & they made the error re compulsory offer to install rather than compulsory replacement of out of certification meters.

Scot_39

Qyburn said:

daveyjp said:

No need for auch draconian measures.   Over the years I have had a few meters changed.  You receive notification it needs to be changed, an appointment is made and the job is done.  If access is refused the utility companies have powers already.

The point is that they aren't using those powers. Instead they waste time and money pursuing  conspiracy theory refusers who have the daft idea that they can dictate what sort of meter the supplier uses for their connection.

Part of the problem is the precedent set by organisations claiming you have the right to refuse a smart meter, and we really need to get shot of that idea.

Firstly despite having a smart meter - for several years - I can see the confused state such headlines can highlight.

AFAIK Westminster, Welsh or Scottish govts have never made the fitting of smart meters mandatory on at least domestic consumers - despite a nominal 100% target effectively built into supplier licenses in theory on a 4 years ramp up in an earlier revision to plans c2020 - for the smart roll out.

Which I believe is now likely to be pushed out to 2028.

The last govt tripped up on advice vs law in other areas too.

Lets see if patience will be maintained - or sticks will be used - as may well be required if the 100% is a real hard target - so mandation and as at least in one EU nation state - France - powers to essentially fine - charge more explicitly - many (but yet still not all) refusers once having done so - like in France - now c€50 euros pa.