Am I obliged to allow Octopus to fit a smart meter?

[Macneil]

I rent my house and would expect the landlord to ensure the meters are safe and compliant. This email stinks to me.

[yellowbentines]

The landlord doesn't own the meters, they aren't the landlord's responsibility.

[number2]

Ignore them, no harm will come and your meter will keep on reading as it always has.

Or get a smart meter.

[Alickadoo]

Macneil said:

I rent my house and would expect the landlord to ensure the meters are safe and compliant. This email stinks to me.

Why does it stink?

What have I missed?

I have had a smart meter for 3 or 4 years. What's the problem?

[Simpo Two]

Alickadoo said:

Macneil said:

I rent my house and would expect the landlord to ensure the meters are safe and compliant. This email stinks to me.

Why does it stink?

Because the reasons it gives are not really valid. Does the meter REALLY need replacing? And does it matter whether you pay a little bit extra one month and not enough the next? I think they are fake reasons to get you on a smart meter because they'll get fined if they don't persuade you to have one.

I've just ended up with Octopus after they took over Shell Energy, and haven't had that e-mail. I pay monthly by DD and can change it online if I wish.

[Alickadoo]

Simpo Two said:

Because the reasons it gives are not really valid. Does the meter REALLY need replacing? And does it matter whether you pay a little bit extra one month and not enough the next? I think they are fake reasons to get you on a smart meter because they'll get fined if they don't persuade you to have one.

I've just ended up with Octopus after they took over Shell Energy, and haven't had that e-mail. I pay monthly by DD and can change it online if I wish.

And if they DO get you on to a smart meter, what disaster awaits you?

[Sheets Tabuer]

Alickadoo said:

I have had a smart meter for 3 or 4 years. What's the problem?

Many people don't want a smart meter because they think it is a prelude to smart charging thereby barring people who can't afford it from using electricity at peak times, however this week the bosses of two energy companies have advocated social tariffs to help the poorer members of society obtain cheap electricity. One charity went so far as to say the government should give the poorest families £1500 energy credit per annum. Nones of them have explained who should subsidise the cheap power.

Some believe if they are not in these groups they will be asked to pay a premium to cover others using power at the same time.

[dickymint]

I've had 4/5 of those emails - just ignore (unless you want a smart meter) my meter has gone round the clock and still going strong. It's just a scare tactic to to meet their legal target. Meters do have 'end of life' dates but that's more to do with accuracy reasons not safety.

[Actual]

I had an electricity smart meter installed in November 2023 and I changed to a smart tariff.

Since then I have used 8436 kWh of electricity but 2318 kWh were at the nighttime rate which is only 8.95p per kWh and has saved me £509.

Doesn't stink for me?

[Simpo Two]

Alickadoo said:

And if they DO get you on to a smart meter, what disaster awaits you?

Only unannounced price changes, power restrictions, power cuts... basically they have control of your power. Power generation is already marginal and will only get worse in the insane rush to 'net zero' as traditional power station are closed and we gamble on it being sunny and windy and everyone buys EVs to save the planet.

[Actual]

Simpo Two said:

Only unannounced price changes, power restrictions, power cuts... basically they have control of your power. Power generation is already marginal and will only get worse in the insane rush to 'net zero' as traditional power station are closed and we gamble on it being sunny and windy and everyone buys EVs to save the planet.

When this happens and it will happen anyone with a dumb meter will pay punitive rates for all their energy but anyone with a smart meter will be able to flex their usage to use lower cost periods and will not pay as much.

[Terminator X]

Alickadoo said:

Macneil said:

I rent my house and would expect the landlord to ensure the meters are safe and compliant. This email stinks to me.

Why does it stink?

What have I missed?

I have had a smart meter for 3 or 4 years. What's the problem?

Just don't want one? Perfectly reasonable vs you that does.

TX.

[Spitfire2]

100% not obliged.

I have a complaint running with them on this now.

But went through the same with SO Energy and took them to the Ombudsman who confirmed the same and got them to pay me £100 for being a bunch of tts.

The Smart Meter was a secondary issue but I was not letting them install anything after the way they had treated me. The Ombudsman confirmed that they have no legal right to force installation of a smart meter and the uncertified wording does not change that.

With Octopus I have said they can fir one if they want, but that as it is they who are asking me to let them, I need a guaranteed 2 hour arrival window (they say it can take 2 hours to fit them so I would be making 4 hours available). I am not making 6+ hours available which is what they are insisting on.

I believe I've been fair with them and have stated that if they are unwilling to accept my generous offer they should stop emailing me about changing meters. And suggested if they are not happy to send me a deadlock letter and we could see what the Ombudsman's view is.

They mumbled something about offering £50 as one of their assistants had been a tt (must have transferred from SO energy) which I declined to avoid them using that as leverage.

The complaints guy refused to issue a deadlock letter and said I could raise with Ombudsman after 8 weeks, but that he still wanted to solve the issue.

Long story short though - you can say no to this and if they harass you on it, make a complaint so you can raise with Energy Ombudsman down the line. It's easy.

Not sure if I am allowed to post up the ombudsman's judgement on SO. Suspect not.

[otolith]

I’ve had an Octopus email saying they want to upgrade my smart meter. I’ve no problem with that, except that the new ones use a different data network and when they tried to do my neighbour’s - according to my neighbour, who is a bit of an old battleaxe - it couldn’t get a signal.

[Cupid-stunt]

Meters have a lifespan to ensure accuracy.

When installing a replacement, it will be SMART to comply with te rollout plan that each company has.

Sure, you cna refuse, but considering the old one is prob 20+yrs, why wouldn't you want a new one.

If it is the concern about them cutting you off, increasing your cost, then get a tin hat

[Dingu]

Spitfire2 said:

100% not obliged.

I have a complaint running with them on this now.

But went through the same with SO Energy and took them to the Ombudsman who confirmed the same and got them to pay me £100 for being a bunch of tts.

The Smart Meter was a secondary issue but I was not letting them install anything after the way they had treated me. The Ombudsman confirmed that they have no legal right to force installation of a smart meter and the uncertified wording does not change that.

With Octopus I have said they can fir one if they want, but that as it is they who are asking me to let them, I need a guaranteed 2 hour arrival window (they say it can take 2 hours to fit them so I would be making 4 hours available). I am not making 6+ hours available which is what they are insisting on.

I believe I've been fair with them and have stated that if they are unwilling to accept my generous offer they should stop emailing me about changing meters. And suggested if they are not happy to send me a deadlock letter and we could see what the Ombudsman's view is.

They mumbled something about offering £50 as one of their assistants had been a tt (must have transferred from SO energy) which I declined to avoid them using that as leverage.

The complaints guy refused to issue a deadlock letter and said I could raise with Ombudsman after 8 weeks, but that he still wanted to solve the issue.

Long story short though - you can say no to this and if they harass you on it, make a complaint so you can raise with Energy Ombudsman down the line. It's easy.

Not sure if I am allowed to post up the ombudsman's judgement on SO. Suspect not.

You clearly have more than enough time on your hands to facilitate installation.

[Wacky Racer]

otolith said:

I’ve had an Octopus email saying they want to upgrade my smart meter. I’ve no problem with that, except that the new ones use a different data network and when they tried to do my neighbour’s - according to my neighbour, who is a bit of an old battleaxe - it couldn’t get a signal.

Bulb. (Now Octopus) fitted two new meters to our house two years ago.

Still can't get a signal, so I still have to read them every month.

(Not that bothered to be honest)

[RichFN2]

EON constantly hound me to one fitted (emails, texts and phone calls) but I'm in a new build flat and live alone. What I need to use I use and just aren't that fussed about saving a few minutes a month to read a meter.

From what I understand energy firms are paid by the government for every smart meter they install, this is often passed on as commission to someone hence the desperation some people will experience.

Could be worth checking how old your meter is though as it might genuinely need replacing, and smart meters can be handy for a family with large energy bills.

[Spitfire2]

Dingu said:

You clearly have more than enough time on your hands to facilitate installation.

Didn't take long. How do you know?

[SpidersWeb]

Actual said:

Simpo Two said:

Only unannounced price changes, power restrictions, power cuts... basically they have control of your power. Power generation is already marginal and will only get worse in the insane rush to 'net zero' as traditional power station are closed and we gamble on it being sunny and windy and everyone buys EVs to save the planet.

When this happens and it will happen anyone with a dumb meter will pay punitive rates for all their energy but anyone with a smart meter will be able to flex their usage to use lower cost periods and will not pay as much.

When? It has already happened.

Those with dumb meters are paying double or triple the prices that those on smart meters can pay because the claim that power generation is marginal because of renewables is nonsense and a surplus of renewable power is driving the price down - but only for those who have smart meters.