British gas intend fitting an unwanted smart meter...

GingerTim

I can only see a C11B3, C11B3-R, and C11B3C on https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/690b6bd17a88fd270a95fe1c/register-of-approved-electricity-meters-251106.pdf

They have a certification period of between 10 and 15 years.

Marvel1

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81933084#Comment_81933084

My prefence, I just wanted to see what it would be like after a full year, looking at British Gas my full year is June 2026 (thought it was about now).

Never thought of variable DD until now, seems the best choice for me, my highest bill since June 2025 is £68.03.

Bigphil1474

We've had smart meters fitted in 2 houses now. The first house was mainly because the leccy meter was in the cellar, and I was the one who had to brave all the cobwebs and creepy crawlys to go read the thing, so was glad to see it go. The second house , we asked for it because I'd got used to the convenience, and the half price sessions that my provider kept offering, and the tariff overall was better. I'm currently paying around 22p per kwh, and every Sunday and some adhoc days I get half price electric, so we try and time the use of some of our appliances for during those hours - washing machine a few times, dishwasher, use the oven to batch cook etc. We save about £4-£5 a month normally which is around 6-7% of our bill. No downside as yet.

sheenas

Definitely the removal of estimated billing a big bonus, and no need for metering readings. The last one was five years ago, when the meter was replaced.

SAC2334

At least 250,000,

cannabis farms were estimated over ten years ago .As a long term meter reader I found thousand s of people fiddling electric and gas meter s mostly using prepayment electric meters and substituting gas meters using a cheap eBay old meter .

I ve always maintained that these people saving many thousands a year paying the least possible bills will have to get a warrant of access and a locksmith to forcibly change the meters to smart meters .They won t be giving them up easily. The suppliers are especially weak not spending money on warrants and locksmiths needing Police back ups attending the properties .

Smart meters cannot easily be fiddled as they contain anti tamper sensors inside the meters to alert the suppliers to tampers .The last thing a fiddler wants is their very easy to tamper dumb meter exchanging to one which ends their energy bonanza .

The Torys made a huge mistake giving the public a choice in what type of meter is in the property .

ohreallƳ

For clarity, I am neither fiddling the meter nor cultivating a sativa crop.

Heedtheadvice

.... I guess we should believe you that you are honest.

But still no answer as to why you are so reluctant to have a smart meter.

SAC2334

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81938085#Comment_81938085

I don t consider anyone coming on Money Saving Expert for advice are into meter fiddling . Its true about smart meters saving money and it can be quite a lot if you are on your own going onto Octopus smart tarrifs which I m on .Octopus Agile for electric and Octopus Tracker for gas .Lots of free electric or close to free yesteday from midnight to 3,30 pm .I used 20 kWh at a cost of just £0.46 p .That would cost you over £5.0..

A lot are taking advice from possible/probably our future Prime Minister Nigel Farage who I saw on TV a few months giving his expert advice on smart meters which was " don t get one as you will be the first to be cut off in any power cuts " .Totally untrue and not even possibe .We all get cut off , at least the domestics do in one fell swoop including smart meters .

I can`t understand why you are so bothered about them as I know its very true that a lot of smart meters do not work smart properly .The early SMETS 1s installed in large numbers from 2013 by British Gas do not work smart if the user switches suppliers, which inflated the numbers of faulty smart meters .But they all worked fine recording usage just the same as a dumb meter. So you are no worse off than the meter you have now if it's a smart meter not able to work smart

Pesronally after 20 years reading meters I preferred the old mechanical analogue meters to digital meters for ease of viewing and the most reliable ones are the old dial meters with six rotating pointers . I can t remember ever finding a faulty one but digital meter s are far more often going faulty

ohreallƳ

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81938111#Comment_81938111

Simply it's personal choice.

MattMattMattUK

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81938979#Comment_81938979

That is not actually an answer though. Whilst you are in no way required to give one saying "personal choice" in relation to trying to refuse having a smart meter fitted normally boils down to conspiracy theories, not a rational decision.