Best Way to Avoid Getting a Smart Meter with E.ON Next

BR5500

I've been with E.ON Next for many years and they've been trying to get me onto a smart meter since 2019. They've stepped up their campaign this week and are constantly calling me and writing to me, claiming that my current meter needs replacing. This is not true as it works perfectly.

There is no way I'll ever have a smart meter as friends and relatives have had endless issues with them.

Has anyone else successfully managed to stop E.ON Next fitting a smart meter? Is the best course of action to threaten to go with a another provider? 

My mother has a pacemaker and has even heard that the smart meter could interfere with this so is this medical route a potential path to take?

Many thanks in advance

Keep_pedalling

How do you know your meter is working perfectly? It could be over recording use and you would never know it. If out of certification it needs changing whether you like it or not. 

The worse that can happen with a smart meter is that it can’t communicate to the outside world so will have to be used in the same way as your existing meter by sending in manual readings. 

flaneurs_lobster

This is dangerously close to "5Gs give you Covid" territory.

No, if E.ON want to fit a smart (or any other type of replacement) meter they can. It's their property and it's a condition of you using them for supply that they can access the thing whenever they need to.

UnsureAboutthis

If your meter is faulty, then I guess the supplier has a case unless you can prove otherwise with credible evidence.

About your supplier continuously contacting you regarding SM's: it is your home, your life, and you can tell them in no uncertain terms as follows:

Please do not call/harass me with your communications re smart meters as I am not interested. Any further contact regarding this will be reported to the ombudsman. Get the person's name and location you speak to and time and date and preferably get their email to confirm or ref number when you tell them you do not want to be contacted.

GingerTim

UnsureAboutthis said:

If your meter is faulty, then I guess the supplier has a case unless you can prove otherwise with credible evidence.

About your supplier continuously contacting you regarding SM's: it is your home, your life, and you can tell them in no uncertain terms as follows:

Please do not call/harass me with your communications re smart meters as I am not interested. Any further contact regarding this will be reported to the ombudsman. Get the person's name and location you speak to and time and date and preferably get their email to confirm or ref number when you tell them you do not want to be contacted.

It is indeed the OP's home and life - but it is not their meter.

 If the OP's meter certification has expired, then it has to be replaced and will be replaced with a smart meter - so in that scenario all the above is pointless and the supplier can, should they wish, get a warrant to gain entry to the property to fit a replacement.

Scot_39

BR5500 said:

I've been with E.ON Next for many years and they've been trying to get me onto a smart meter since 2019. They've stepped up their campaign this week and are constantly calling me and writing to me, claiming that my current meter needs replacing. This is not true as it works perfectly.

There is no way I'll ever have a smart meter as friends and relatives have had endless issues with them.

Has anyone else successfully managed to stop E.ON Next fitting a smart meter? Is the best course of action to threaten to go with a another provider? 

My mother has a pacemaker and has even heard that the smart meter could interfere with this so is this medical route a potential path to take?

Many thanks in advance

1) Its not your meter - it's EOns

They can literally change it at any time.

Not sure they would have a non smart option now anyway.

2) Unless you have your own second accurately calibrated meter - how do you know its working perfectly.

Certificaton periods and mandatory End Of Life exists on modern meters for a reason

The last major measuring circuit component drift failure I am aware of on a batch of one manufacturers meters - actually led to meters over reading - significantly so - moving quickly to well over double and in some cases growing exponentially for weeks before failing - and literally 1000s being replaced across UK.

3) Pacemaker

No I suspect - already studied / covered by govt already

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/smart-meters-radio-waves-and-health/smart-meters-radio-waves-and-health

4) Why are they accelerating contact

Assuming its not RTS - the switch off starting next Monday.

Is your meter reaching it's certified life span ?

If so, AFAIK there are no user objections exclusions in current Ofgem advice to suppliers for EOL replacement.  Its basically go smart or be fined for missing govt set targets for them.

nologo

Neither of my smart meters has affected my pacemaker, you are all good to go, resistance is futile,now if she wanted to arc weld, or use an induction hob that would be a different matter.

Spoonie_Turtle

What problems did your friends and relatives have with their smart meters?

UnsureAboutthis

GingerTim said:

UnsureAboutthis said:

If your meter is faulty, then I guess the supplier has a case unless you can prove otherwise with credible evidence.

About your supplier continuously contacting you regarding SM's: it is your home, your life, and you can tell them in no uncertain terms as follows:

Please do not call/harass me with your communications re smart meters as I am not interested. Any further contact regarding this will be reported to the ombudsman. Get the person's name and location you speak to and time and date and preferably get their email to confirm or ref number when you tell them you do not want to be contacted.

It is indeed the OP's home and life - but it is not their meter.

 If the OP's meter certification has expired, then it has to be replaced and will be replaced with a smart meter - so in that scenario all the above is pointless and the supplier can, should they wish, get a warrant to gain entry to the property to fit a replacement.

The way I have read the post is the meter is working, hence my response.

I've also made it clear, if the meter is not working, the OP will need to provide "credible evidence" why he/they should not get a meter.

Nowhere in the OP's post does it state the meter is not working."

Btw, where does the OP post that the meters 'certification has expired"? It does not.

GingerTim

UnsureAboutthis said:

GingerTim said:

UnsureAboutthis said:

If your meter is faulty, then I guess the supplier has a case unless you can prove otherwise with credible evidence.

About your supplier continuously contacting you regarding SM's: it is your home, your life, and you can tell them in no uncertain terms as follows:

Please do not call/harass me with your communications re smart meters as I am not interested. Any further contact regarding this will be reported to the ombudsman. Get the person's name and location you speak to and time and date and preferably get their email to confirm or ref number when you tell them you do not want to be contacted.

It is indeed the OP's home and life - but it is not their meter.

 If the OP's meter certification has expired, then it has to be replaced and will be replaced with a smart meter - so in that scenario all the above is pointless and the supplier can, should they wish, get a warrant to gain entry to the property to fit a replacement.

The way I have read the post is the meter is working, hence my response.

I've also made it clear, if the meter is not working, the OP will need to provide "credible evidence" why he/they should not get a meter.

Nowhere in the OP's post does it state the meter is not working."

Btw, where does the OP post that the meters 'certification has expired"? It does not.

The meter is 'working' - but it's certification may have also expired. The two conditions are not exclusive.

The point is that the OP has to determine if the certification has expired to know for certain if their meter should be replaced and trying to demand not to be contacted: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1126202/schedule-4-december-2022.pdf

The OP has no way to be able to categorically state that their current meter is 'working perfectly'.

QrizB

You can stop EON from fitting a smart meter by switching to another supplier.

That new supplier will then want to fit a smart meter, and you'll need to switch again. You might be able to keep switching suppliers like this for several years.

Eventually, though, you'll have to:

- get a smart meter

- give up your electricity supply and live off-grid 

- emigrate, or (as happens to us all)

- expire