Smart Meters

nxdmsandkaskdjaqd wrote: »

However, if you have changed supplier, the smart meter becomes dumb, therefore No ONE is monitoring the battery!

Well I've just signed up for a two year fixed tariff with Ovo. I would hope that in two years time, I will be able to move to BG or N Power as well as First Utility, Utilita, or E.On (who are already compatible) and retain smart meter functionality.

But if the compatability issues have not been sorted out in two years and I want to move back to BG, then they can replace my Ovo smart meter with one of their own.

Here is a Letter I wrote to Greg Clark minister for energy along with my local MP and Offgem - as you can see I was scandalised by the whole setting up and implementation of Smart Meters - I will post those replies I have received after this first post - You will notice I have yet to receive any reply from Greg Clark on this matter !

Dear Greg, Steve & Offgem.

I cannot believe that in 2017 the smart meter I recently had fitted about 6 months ago will now not be compatible when I switch supplier !! '???

WHO in God's name allowed this to be rolled out throughout the industry without ANY joined up thinking???

Surely as OFFgem is supervising all of the Energy Companies it should have been their organisation to insist that a working, value for money product which is compatible to ALL suppliers is introduced in the first place, am I right in thinking this??

When I was told yesterday that my recently fitted smart meter is all but useless with my new supplier (and YES the consumers are rightly advised to swap energy suppliers frequently when any better deals come along) I started to look into the facts.

The industry as a whole must have known all along that this is going to be a complete and utter waste of everybody's time and more importantly money until there is standardisation within the whole industry !

What I would like to know is :

A/. WHO decided it is acceptable to force utility providers to put in smart meters when it was known that none of the suppliers are working to a universal specification?

B/. WHY role this out under a pressing timescale deadline when everybody in the industry knows that they will all have to ripped out and replaced with a universal unit in the near future when one is chosen by the industry?

C/. WHO has decided that this utterly myopic strategy should be introduced knowing all along that the costs will be passed over via higher energy bills eventually to every consumer in the land probably for the next decade or more??

From the internet I have discovered that an article was written in the Telegraph as far back as 2012 raised these exact same issues; so why has nothing been done to stop this fiasco before now ? and why 5 years later in 2017 was I still fitted with a smart meter which is NOT compatible to other suppliers?
- this is utterley scandalous.! :

the Telegraph artile reads:
''The scheme is due to cost energy companies a whopping £11.7billion, which they plan to pass on to consumers by hiking prices. Smart meters are expected to add £6 to the average annual bill by 2015.
In a letter to suppliers, energy watchdog Ofgem said it was also concerned that suppliers may not be able to read meters installed by a rival company.
This renders the new technology useless if customers want to switch deals – in effect, the smart meter would work like the old types of ‘dumb’ meters currently in homes

A spokesman said: ‘The meters being installed at present are not built to a common technical specification. As such, when a customer changes supplier, the new supplier may not be able to utilise the advanced functionality.
‘Furthermore, if the meter is not a compliant smart meter then it will have to be replaced by the end of the rollout.’
Consumer groups have also warned the green scheme is fast becoming a costly disaster.
Zoe McLeod, of Consumer Focus, said: ‘We have repeatedly raised concerns about the cost and installation of smart meters. Customers – who will ultimately foot the bill – need to be confident that they will see tangible benefits.''

In view of the above can this whole ridiculous farce be STOPPED immediately until such time as a universal working smart meter is chosen??

WHY waste any more money on something which is ultimately USELESS and UNFIT FOR PURPOSE ??

I simply CANNOT BELIEVE WHAT I HAVE JUST DISCOVERED a bunch of school kids would have come to the conclusion that this whole project is UTTERLY DISINGENUOUS AND SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN STARTED until it had been properly thought through.

I FOR ONE DO NOT WANT TO SEE £11.7 BILLION POUNDS FLUSHED DOWN THE TOILET !

I would like to see anybody and everybody who decided this strategy should be rolled out before it was properly thought through lose their jobs immediately, just think how many hospitals and schools could have been built , maintained or staffed with this incredible sum of money !

Please can we a public enquirey set up to get to the bottom is this fiasco so NO MORE money is wasted until it is properly resolved and ready to be rolled out with universal meters?

I hope Steve as my local MP that you will be able to follow this up with the Minister for Energy Mr Greg Clark for his immediate intervention to halt this scandalous waste within the whole Industry.

Common Sense Solution :
In order to have the least number of smart meters replaced Nationally and thus help to reduce costs to the consumers, surely the supplier who has fitted the most smart meters presently should have their product deemed to be the future industry standard and all other smart meters replaced with this new industry standard.

I look forward to hearing from you all on this hugely important topic.

Please ensure all utility suppliers fit NO MORE METERS until this sorry mess has been rationalised and universal systems accessible to all suppliers are in place.

This kind of complete !!!!-up makes my blood boil and how can it still be unresolved at least 5 years after it was known to be a failed strategy? - HEADS SHOULD ROLE OVER THIS CATASTROPHIC WASTE OF PUBLIC MONEY.- £11.6 BILLION DOWN THE TOILET !!!!!!

SCANDALOUS !!!