Smart meters

[joinerman]

Anyone got one ?
Had a letter from our utility supplier today telling us we are having one, not do you want one but your having one, where does it go, heard rumours that they continually beep & are annoying.

 

[karl webster]

they carnt make you.

 

[StarCruiser]

They aren’t compulsory and the advertising campaign is so biased I don’t know how it passes scrutiny. As if you have to scrabble under the stairs every 5 minutes. As Karl says, they are not compulsory so write back and tell them you don’t want one (if that’s how you feel). They replace your existing electricity meter. The fitters are not allowed to check your equipment and will often leave loose connections within consumers Main switches causing overheating and fires.

These aren’t for your benefit. If they were, why are they free? If you change supplier, the meter has to be changed. On their own they won’t save you a penny. If you’ve no idea that leaving all the lights on might be costing you a fortune then they might have some merit.

They have nothing to do with Mrs Singh banging her head in the understairs cupboard or with saving you money. They are there to put meter readers out of a job and to transmit far more information (over 5G) about your usage habits (probably anonymously) than is possible now. They are to help create a ‘Smart Grid’ whatever that may be. I don’t doubt in future that certain loads could be charged at higher or lower rates, even varied based on time of day.

I’m told they aren’t suitable for Economy 7. How true this is I don’t know. The Ad campaign leaves me highly suspicious of the motives behind such a massive roll out for ‘free’.

Bottom line, if they make you have one, get your connections into your main terminals checked for tightness. The movement of the heavy cables makes them loose.

Good luck.

 

[Shayne]

Gov has ordered providers to install smart meters by 20/20 so bills are accurate instead of estimated , but there is no obligation on the homeowner to have the meter fitted .

I have been putting installation date letters in the bin for over a year .

 

[Higgy]

We have just had smart metres fitted, I had to wait in all day for these guys to turn up, one did the gas side while one does the electric. 2 hrs later they rig everything up just to find out that there isn't a strong enough signal to make the Damn things work. 'Happens all the time' He says. then they pack everything away back in their boxes and clear off. The government want everybody to have these metres but it has to involve all the utilities working together. So if you have a crap phone signal.. its a' no no ' .. So make sure the supplier 'EDF' or who ever have done their home work regarding your Signal ...' Save you a load of agro'

 

[StarCruiser]

Get your main terminals checked and tightened Higgy.

 

[Higgy]

Get your main terminals checked and tightened Higgy.

Yeh iv done that. they were a good bunch of lads really they disconnected an old gas fire and blanked a pipe off for me, All for Nowt, my local gas fitter wanted £70, Very smart id say..

 

[StarCruiser]

I’m still not having one. If they can’t tell you why they are being fitted but dress it up in ridiculous stories about saving money and not crawling in the cupboard then there’s clearly something they’re trying to hide.

 

[Higgy]

I’m still not having one. If they can’t tell you why they are being fitted but dress it up in ridiculous stories about saving money and not crawling in the cupboard then there’s clearly something they’re trying to hide.

Im not sure either about it all, they were bugging us for months about having one fitted, so my missus gave in and hey presto... we still don't have one because they couldn't be bothered to do their homework and check if we had any kind of signal to make the damn things work. At least I got my old gas fire disconnected

 

[StarCruiser]

Oh so they didn’t fit them? Interesting, they’ve continued to fit them round here. The lady admin of one of my customers had one fitted which doesn’t have a signal so she now has to visit her under-stairs cupboard on a daily basis to take readings (Why? I don’t know). She’s wishing she hadn’t had it.

Being the kindly chap I am, I went round and tightened her terminals for her.

No, that’s not code!

 

[Higgy]

Oh so they didn’t fit them? Interesting, they’ve continued to fit them round here. The lady admin of one of my customers had one fitted which doesn’t have a signal so she now has to visit her under-stairs cupboard on a daily basis to take readings (Why? I don’t know). She’s wishing she hadn’t had it.

Being the kindly chap I am, I went round and tightened her terminals for her.

No, that’s not code!

Sorry! Yes they did fit everything. they just took away the receiver box, and something else that looked technical with a nice digital type display on it So now I have to go out side remove the box read the meters phone EDF, with my readings so they can send me an estimated bill based on my readings.... that's what seems to be happening anyways.

 

[joinerman]

Thanks all for responding, going to call my supplier in the morning and tell em to sod off, lol

 

[StarCruiser]

Thanks all for responding, going to call my supplier in the morning and tell em to sod off, lol

To quote a gent from Peckham,
‘You know it makes sense’

 

[Shayne]

My daughter who has rented a 3 bedroom house for about 2 years in law just told me te smart meter fitted 3 months ago had her phone them concerned that she wasn't being charged enough because she's now paying £50 at least a month less for her electricity .

Her heating is all gas and there's been no lifestyle change since she was paying £150+ a month .

Apparently theres a website you can enter your analogue meter readings to see what you might save by having a smart meter ?

 

[StarCruiser]

That could be a tariff change Shayne. In fact I’d put money on it as the simple act of changing how the energy is metered can only result in pennies difference due to metering accuracy.

The other difference of course is that 3 months ago we also changed from winter to summer so she won’t have the heating on. And last summer wasn’t as warm as this summer if she’s comparing the same 3 months.

Some smart meters are being offered with a tariff change. A colleague of mine (electrician) has just had one fitted on his workshop as they were offering electricity at almost half what he was paying. I’m now waiting for them to put the price up to claw back any saving.

 

[StarCruiser]

Just found this chap with a very informative video. Seems many if not all my suspicions and then some are true.

 

[joinerman]

Scary or what

 

[karl webster]

i didnt want to go into the health thing.

all the wi fi crap is doing us no good at all. they say the 5g thing is going to be really bad. worth researching it.

 

[Iwan]

The least amount of time that you spend on a mobile phone the better! Who wants a notification of what some one else is doing when its just interrupted WHAT YOU ARE DOING!

 

[chapel gate]

We had a smart meter fitted ages ago. Some people are just plain paranoid.
it doesn't save us any money but we dont have to give meter readings. That swung it for me..