Smart Meter in Newly Empty Property

UKSBD

I've just taken back possession of a property which I don't know yet what I am going to do with.

I've just set up a standard Electric Octopus account for now as I don't want to fix yet.

Having been with them for under a fortnight I've just received an email saying my meter has reached the "end of its certification" and it is important that I upgrade to a smart meter.

As it is currently an empty property, which I will either be selling, doing up for holiday let usage or possible moving back in to, is there any disadvantages or advantages of having a smart meter?

The property will probably be effectively empty for the next few months

UKSBD

Just to add: The property currently has no phone line or broadband, so will a smart meter even work?

QrizB

No disadvantages.

An advantage is that you won't need to read them once a month and submit the meter readings to Octopus.

Edit to add: smart meters don't use telephone or broadband to connect to the system.

Netexporter

It'll save you the bother of reading the meter. You'll still have to pay the standing charge, even if no power is consumed. It will also help if you have any disputes with future tenants, as there will be a more detailed record of consumption.

UKSBD

Thanks both.

I can just get them to fit a smart meter, stay on the standard variable and switch to someone else at any time?

Having a smart meter doesn't tie me in to them in any way?

QrizB

I can just get them to fit a smart meter, stay on the standard variable and switch to someone else at any time?

Yes.

Having a smart meter doesn't tie me in to them in any way?

No. Smart meters are all supplier-agnostic now.

UKSBD

Thanks again.

After all that, I clicked on the link in the email to "Book a slot" and it takes me to an error page.

I've registered an interest via my account now, dare say, I will now keep getting pushed to move to a smart tariff 😞

QrizB

I will now keep getting pushed to move to a smart tariff

I don't recall anyone posting on this forum to say that's happened to them and Octopus have 6 million customers. If it happens to you, you'll be the first!

Reed_Richards

The flashing LEDS can be annoying depending on the meter location

A bit of back tape over the LEDs should fix that problem, if it occurs. I've always found that flashing LEDs on smoke detectors to be far more irritating.

I have found smart meters to be ultra sensitive to low usage which traditional meters often ignore

I can't comment about whether this is true or not but I used to love the fact that on old analogue meters you could watch the dial rotating very slowly when usage was very low. To my mind the worst aspect of digital meters, smart or not, is that an LED that flashes every so often to indicate small increments of use is a very poor substitute for a dial that you watch rotating slowly.

Swipe

My old mechaincal meter defintely ran much slower than my smart meter and I have a spreadsheet of daily readings to prove it. A few years ago I had my meter replaced mid July when my usage is as static as it gets and the post installation jump was noticiable after just a few days, even at very low usage. For example, on the old meter my overnight readings would generally stay the same for 2 consecutive days and once the smart meter was installed they would consistently increment by 1 unit daily.

Swipe

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82066719#Comment_82066719

I did use electricty overnight during the summer months. But obviously less that 1kWh and not enough recorded most nights to increment the reading daily as it has continued to do since the meter change. I think it was probably more a case of the meter running slow rather than failing to record low level usage and was only brought to my atention by the nightly readings incrementing daily without fail when they previously did not. The old meter was pushing 50 years old.