Smart Meters - Ask me anything!
Comments
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Will smart meters herald the end of final bills being generated weeks or months or, in some cases, years after the customer has either switched suppliers or moved home?
Will we see an instant final, accurate, bill generated?
Will we see an end to the current situation where a customer moves out and the energy supplies are left powered up - will we see supplies cut off and the next occupier having to contact the supplier to turn on the taps again, and would this have to be the previous occupier's suppliers or can the new occupier choose any supplier from the moment they move in?
In Italy, you can go into the ENEL shop - the national electricity company - and tell them a date and time for the electricity to be cut off and they will do the cutoff remotely. If you then go back to the shop 5 minutes after cutoff they will give you a final bill which you can pay there and then. Will we see a similar system here in the UK?0 -
Hello
I have a problem believing the sincerity of Energy Company's are we getting something for nothing or do we over time pay for them say with a slight increase in tariff or most alarmingly the ability of the EnCo's fiddling their calibration remotely..can you confirm this can be done!?0 -
I think that it would be helpful if you declared who you are actually working for? If you currently have any links to SmartEnergy GB or any other commercial organization then these need to be declared law forum rules.
I worry because some of your statements appear to be at odds with recorded evidence given by industry experts to The Science and Technology Select Committee:
For example, on who pays:
14.The Government’s Smart Metering Implementation Programme requires energy suppliers to offer 53 million meters to homes and small businesses in Great Britain by 2020.
The costs of providing smart meters, some £10.9 billion, is being borne by consumers through their energy bills (an average of £215 per home, including installation costs).
You said:
Quote:
The vast majority of the money spent on the roll out has been paid by government, so yes we have all paid for this through taxes technically but there is nothing more to pay in future through our energy bills for infrastructure.
Have the selected industry experts lied to a Parliamentary Sub-Committee?0 -
As a means of getting people to cut their energy consumption, how does the cost of smart meters compare with the cost of banning regressive tariffs, and making progressive tariffs compulsory?0
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Reading your reply, you imply that there are plans to make the first generation of smart meters compatible with the central database, so I would ask why are there also plans to replace the things?
Another point - the meters are set to call home and send a reading daily by default, but the customer can choose to make this once a month and will be able to choose how much and what information can be shared with the supplier and will not be allowed to use the collected information for marketing.
Given one of OFGEM's recent outbursts in which they propose allowing suppliers to access such information, will we in fact see the sharing of this information, and what safeguards are built in to the system to ensure customers' data stays private, and are suppliers obliged to inform customers of their rights with regards to such data collection?
So, the reason why there are still plans to replace is ultimately up to the strategy of the supplier. They have obligations on the number of smart meters they need to have on their estate by 2020 (i don't know the exact numbers). As you know once you chance suppliers the meter becomes 'dumb' so doesn't count towards obligations. They have two choices, wait and see if the SMETS1 meters are successfully adopted which carries risk if they aren't, or simply choose to replace with SMETS2 meters.
With regards to data collection - i haven't heard of any method in which a consumer can choose the frequency in which data is sent? Could you tell me where this is from?
Personal data. The energy suppliers already have all the information they need to operate right now, smart meter or not. Smart Meters do not require any extra information to be collected. So the only difference between smart and non-smart in this respect is rather than phoning or punching in readings online it's done automatically and with a higher frequency.
If you're talking about what is sent over the air - with SMETS meters all this information is encrypted.
Do let me know if i've misunderstood the question!0 -
It doesn't matter what safeguards are built in. If the suppliers have this data it is no longer private.
For me, if it ever comes to pass that "smart" meters are mandatory the supplier will get the bare minimum data that I can get away with. And they won't be hooking it up to my broadband either. They'll have to make their own communications arrangements.
I'm a little confused - the suppliers already have all this data and have had it for many many years. They have always known your personal information and how much electricity and gas you use. Of course they have to keep this data safe, but smart meters change nothing around this, they essentially just pass your readings on to the supplier.
Smart meters would never use your broadband, they have their own communication mechanism, either cellular (mobile) or long range radio (same masts used for TV).
And you're right they are not mandatory
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With regards to data collection - i haven't heard of any method in which a consumer can choose the frequency in which data is sent? Could you tell me where this is from?
!
Frequency of meter readings
The Supply Licence Conditions give consumers control over the frequency of meter readings their supplier can collect from their smart meter. Suppliers are allowed to collect daily readings from customers unless the customer objects, in which case the supplier provide the option for consumers to opt-out to less regular reading intervals (down to a minimum of monthly readings). If the supplier wishes to take
6 See E lectricity Supply SLC 47.3 - 47.9, G as Supply SLC 41.3 - 41.9
..... more regular readings (ie half-hourly readings) consumers must opt-in to this collection.
Source:
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/Global/CitizensAdvice/Energy/Summary%20report%20on%20energy%20suppliers’%20communication%20with%20consumers%20regarding%20smart%20meter%20data%20(1).pdf0 -
I'm a little confused - the suppliers already have all this data and have had it for many many years. They have always known your personal information and how much electricity and gas you use. Of course they have to keep this data safe, but smart meters change nothing around this, they essentially just pass your readings on to the supplier.
Smart meters would never use your broadband, they have their own communication mechanism, either cellular (mobile) or long range radio (same masts used for TV).
And you're right they are not mandatory
The data we're talking about here is the meter readings. Electricity and gas consumption data supplied every 30 mins / 60 minutes would provide a honey pot of information to all and sundry that I would not be happy about providing. They'll get it monthly from me.0 -
I think that it would be helpful if you declared who you are actually working for? If you currently have any links to SmartEnergy GB or any other commercial organization then these need to be declared law forum rules.
I worry because some of your statements appear to be at odds with recorded evidence given by industry experts to The Science and Technology Select Committee:
For example, on who pays:
14.The Government’s Smart Metering Implementation Programme requires energy suppliers to offer 53 million meters to homes and small businesses in Great Britain by 2020.
The costs of providing smart meters, some £10.9 billion, is being borne by consumers through their energy bills (an average of £215 per home, including installation costs).
You said:
Quote:
The vast majority of the money spent on the roll out has been paid by government, so yes we have all paid for this through taxes technically but there is nothing more to pay in future through our energy bills for infrastructure.
Have the selected industry experts lied to a Parliamentary Sub-Committee?
Hi Hengus,
Apologies i didn't make that point clear at all - as such i've removed it from my original post. By 'Rollout' i refer to SMETS2 meters, as it is referred to in the industry, and the point was made about money spent so far. I admit it doesn't read well. As you may or may not know the great expense so far has been getting the centralised systems set up, along with the DSP and CSP. The Infrastructure itself.
I'll think i'll steer clear of the who pays what debate other than the points i made in the original post - its a bit of a political minefield and it's not my area of expertise!
I am a self employed contractor if you must know - no ties to Smart Energy GB.0 -
Frequency of meter readings
The Supply Licence Conditions give consumers control over the frequency of meter readings their supplier can collect from their smart meter. Suppliers are allowed to collect daily readings from customers unless the customer objects, in which case the supplier provide the option for consumers to opt-out to less regular reading intervals (down to a minimum of monthly readings). If the supplier wishes to take
6 See E lectricity Supply SLC 47.3 - 47.9, G as Supply SLC 41.3 - 41.9
..... more regular readings (ie half-hourly readings) consumers must opt-in to this collection.
Source:
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/Global/CitizensAdvice/Energy/Summary%20report%20on%20energy%20suppliers’%20comm unication%20with%20consumers%20regarding%20smart%2 0meter%20data%20(1).pdf
posted by Hengus
It would seem that members of this forum are more clued up on some aspects than the industry experts are.0
This discussion has been closed.
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