Has anyone actually saved money after installing a smart meter?
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It has not saved me any money whatsoever,the only way to do that is switch energy supplier.Its noted now that suppliers are saving the best deals for those with these meters.The only use I can tell if a fridge exe goes faulty then you can see a high usage.0
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I gave up with my smart meter as it saved me nothing. And I've switched suppliers since anyhow.
https://www.householdmoneysaving.com/smart-meter/0 -
My smart meter is now dumb, however, seeing my daily kWh increase which has enabled me to save. Before, if I had a shower, I had a shower. Now, I am in and out, as I can see how much my shower uses.
You can only cut to a certain level though, and I will not cut down on my enjoyment, just to save money. So I still have my couple of hours a day on PS4, etc. But my IHD has shown me how much this is costing me.0 -
I sort of did then after a few weeks moved onto BG free time and decided to hit the thing whenever the free time was in action. I would rather sit with a hot water bottle now as I moved supplier just before the end of the contract but the first month's bill was over £240 as the way BG did the bill was two separate figures one for the non-free time hours and another set for the free time hours.
As my new supplier wasn't putting the monthly bills online for me to check I only noticed yesterday that my new supplier had used the first of the two readings and not added the two readings together to give the total on the meter. This resulted in the £240 bill that I disputed. If I don't hear back by the 20/6/18 then Ofgem will be involved.
Ugh I have this exact same problem for virtually the same amount. Luckily I have a chat transcript and my final BG bill so have put in a complaint. Like you, if I don't hear back I shall be taking it further!Woohoohoohooooooooo0 -
I saw a new (??) advert today for smart meters - if I remember correctly,according to that BEIS are saying the average consumer will save 2% or 354 kwh pa.0
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If you have a bit of sense to read a meter when you should then no, you wont immeditately save money.
You will save a bit without realising because it would cost more to maintain human meter readers so you wont see a reduction in costs, just will avoid future increases on this aspect.
If you dont read your meter, because you only take energy seriously when your energy supplier 'unfairly' lands you a bill you dont want to pay, then yes, a smart meter will save money, because it will have read your meter for you when you move out whereas the person who doesnt care about having 3 years of over-estimates wouldnt0 -
I would like to see your maths on this.You will save a bit without realising because it would cost more to maintain human meter readers so you wont see a reduction in costs, just will avoid future increases on this aspect.
The company running the Smart Meter data reading program for the financial year 2017 billed all UK consumers for £350m. https://www.smartdcc.co.uk/media/433052/dcc_annual_report_and_regulatory_accounts_31_march_2017.pdf
And only 300 odd meters are actually officially live (you know the ones that can be switched between any supplier) so where they spent that £350 MILLION I would love to know. Just in that single year.
You could employ a lot of meter readers for that money and let's not forget this cost will only ever increase as more meters are installed.0 -
You will save a bit without realising because it would cost more to maintain human meter readers so you wont see a reduction in costs, just will avoid future increases on this aspect.
The smart meter cost/benefit analysis assumed a saving of £3 per meter reading; however, this saving has already been taken as Ofgem dropped the requirement to formally read meters in April 2016. Suppliers just have to obtain a meter reading once every 12 months. The regulations no longer say how this has to be obtained.0 -
brewerdave wrote: »I saw a new (??) advert today for smart meters - if I remember correctly,according to that BEIS are saying the average consumer will save 2% or 354 kwh pa.
Someone is telliing porkies. The savings were reduced to £11 per year some time ago. That equates to less than 100kWhs.
https://www.which.co.uk/news/2016/11/smart-meter-estimated-savings-slashed-as-roll-out-costs-increase-456952/
This is why Germany has decided to limit the roll out smart meters to electricity users who consume more than 6000kWhs/year.0 -
I've got a plug in monitor which will be more accurate. Trying to measure a wash cycle or a fridge with a smart meter will be very difficult as the meter will show overall usage of everything being powered. How do you separate them?Your smart meter could save you money. If you don't already have a good idea of how much electricity each of your appliances and gadgets uses the energy monitor thingy (most energy companies refer to them as In Home Displays) that comes with the smart meter can tell you in real time. Switch something on and just read off the display how many watts it is using. The one I've got reads down to single watts.
You can then work out how much electricity leaving things on standby and not switching off lightbulbs uses. Or other less obvious things you might not have thought much about like how much more electricity it takes to watch a film on your TV compared to your laptop. Or running a hotter wash cycle on your washing machine. Whether you then decide if the savings are worth it for the planet and your pocket is up to you.
I think my plug in monitor has saved me money by identifying high consumption of some items but it also highlights how little some items use. This information allows me to make an informed choice on whether using something is worth it to me.
A minority of people given accurate usage costs will benefit but as smart meters often cannot separate items they have limited use. I suspect the vast majority of people will have little understanding or interest in the information making the new meters pointless.0
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