Smart Meters mandatory on new fixed term deals

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  • A_Nice_Englishman
    A_Nice_Englishman Posts: 2,301 Forumite
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    edited 13 February 2019 at 1:46PM
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    elsien wrote: »
    I'm a sensible person and I'm considering having one installed if they can guarantee smets2.

    The small print in my EDF contract says I have to allow them to install a smart meter. They rang me recently to agree a date but it became clear it would have been SMETS1 with a future software upgrade to SMETS2. I declined and said I'd like to wait until SMETS2 was available and known to be working reliably.
  • SuiDreams
    SuiDreams Posts: 2,393 Forumite
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    Carrot007 wrote: »
    Accurate billing? Although I feel for many that would be seen as a downside!


    Which bring the more important question, what are the downside to having one. There are none. Your current meter is going to be changed at some point anyway. You will end up with a hobbled smart meter then. Why not have a working one!


    (For a real benefit though I will say access to HH data to show you when you are using things is great and can be interesting).



    You've mentioned Accurate billing as an advantage of Smart Meters, I already have accurate billing without a smart meter, so don't see the benefit and having to lose a days holiday from work to sit in the house for it to be installed is definitely a downside, especially if they are going to install and SMETS1 meter and I have to sit in again for that to be changed / upgraded to SMETS2.
  • Carrot007
    Carrot007 Posts: 4,534 Forumite
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    SuiDreams wrote: »
    You've mentioned Accurate billing as an advantage of Smart Meters, I already have accurate billing without a smart meter, so don't see the benefit and having to lose a days holiday from work to sit in the house for it to be installed is definitely a downside, especially if they are going to install and SMETS1 meter and I have to sit in again for that to be changed / upgraded to SMETS2.


    Accurate billing with you not doing anything then!


    The truth is there is no big reason. Just small ones.


    You will eventually have to take a day off to have a meter change anyway though (do you know when yours is due?) so it's not much of a negative really. Do you really never have a day in the house though? You could also have a a Sat Morning appointment in a lot of areas (Though convinsing them to give you one is a different matter!). (I WFH mostly so it is not an issue to me!)



    In theory a lot of the meters now fitted should be remotely upgardable but I'm sure they will find a way to mess that up! So you have a small reason against there.
  • st999
    st999 Posts: 1,574 Forumite
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    if anyone can give me one other good reason how it benefits me then I'll consider it

    Saves going outside in the pouring rain and cold weather to read the meter.

    Meter readings are always accurate.
  • brewerdave
    brewerdave Posts: 8,509 Forumite
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    Carrot007 wrote: »



    In theory a lot of the meters now fitted should be remotely upgardable but I'm sure they will find a way to mess that up! So you have a small reason against there.


    In theory is right! On another thread recently, a poster claimed that it was already happening - I asked where he got his evidence from - he promptly vanished from the thread:rotfl:
  • brewerdave
    brewerdave Posts: 8,509 Forumite
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    st999 wrote: »
    Saves going outside in the pouring rain and cold weather to read the meter.

    Meter readings are always accurate.


    But unfortunately this isn't always true - many people find that their suppliers are still using estimates AFTER installation of smarts:)
  • simmotech
    simmotech Posts: 38 Forumite
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    I changed to an EDF Easy Online Exclusive Sep 19 v2 tariff last September via MoneySavingExpert's Cheap Energy Club.

    Today I received an email from EDF saying I needed a Smart Meter to stay on that tariff otherwise they would move me onto a more expensive tariff after 30 days notice.

    There is nothing in their original sign up email about this but, sure enough, reading the T&Cs it is written there that is mandatory to have one installed if they installing in my area.

    So I'm a bit peeved with the Cheap Energy Club for not pointing out things like this. They normally are very good with listing both good and bad points for suppliers/tariff details.
    Caveat emptor I guess.

    So am I correct in thinking I should try to hold out for a 'SMETS 2' meter rather then let them install older versions?
  • chrisw99
    chrisw99 Posts: 359 Forumite
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    When I switched to a fixed BG deal in August, I had to have a smart meter fitted within 3 months or it would revert to the standard tariff.

    Ummed and ahhed for a bit, but I'm glad I did in the end, really like having a smart meter now.
  • Gaikokujin
    Gaikokujin Posts: 25 Forumite
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    sirloyneofcowes wrote: »
    Has anyone else noticed that suppliers are making Smart Meters mandatory for some of the better energy fixing deals? I've just checked Ts and Cs on a few and frequently see something along the lines of:

    By switching to this tariff you are agreeing to be contacted by xyz company and where eligible have a smart meter installed for each fuel supply.

    Had this exact experience today with Eon.

    Currently a customer of theirs on a 1 year fixed rate deal which is coming to an end next month. Using the check on their website I was able to find an equivalent tariff to sign up for costing pretty much the same as what we pay now (all other options offered were around £15-20 a month more). However when looking under the ‘features’ section for this tariff it states that by signing up to it you agree to have smart meters installed.

    Looking at it further this same caveat appears on ALL the tariffs they were offering: the only exception was the standard rate (i.e. most expensive).

    Contacted them using both their online webchat and on the phone to check if what I was reading was correct and got the same answer both times: from now on in if you want to be a customer of Eon and not pay their standard rate then installation of a smart meter is mandatory…absolute joke.
  • Takmon
    Takmon Posts: 1,738 Forumite
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    Gaikokujin wrote: »
    Contacted them using both their online webchat and on the phone to check if what I was reading was correct and got the same answer both times: from now on in if you want to be a customer of Eon and not pay their standard rate then installation of a smart meter is mandatory…absolute joke.

    How is it a joke? I really can't what all the fuss is about; all meters will eventually get replaced by smart meters at the end of their life so what's wrong with having it done sooner?

    Many meters have been changed in the past and they will have almost certainly replaced it each time with a more modern one. The only reason people are objecting now is because they have been told they have a choice and have an illogical resistance to change.
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