Bought a house, I'm wanting a smart meter.
Discussion
Dave_ST220 said:
haha, not quite. It's all programmed. Really quite simple. The electric at all other times costs exactly the same as it did prior to having the smart meter so nothing lost if we are out and only 1 load gets done.
All programmed to do multiple loads between seperate machines?You've fallen for the bait, good luck and let me know how it goes when the honeymoon period is over.
Evanivitch said:
Dave_ST220 said:
haha, not quite. It's all programmed. Really quite simple. The electric at all other times costs exactly the same as it did prior to having the smart meter so nothing lost if we are out and only 1 load gets done.
All programmed to do multiple loads between seperate machines?You've fallen for the bait, good luck and let me know how it goes when the honeymoon period is over.
Simpo Two said:
^^ Whatever the ins and outs of smart meters, you can be sure that when an industry (and a government) is trying very hard to sell you something, it will be for their benefit not yours. Like speed cameras; lovely fluffy things.
The industry didn't want it, the government did. The analogy of a speed camera is actually excellent, it's the only device I've seen that makes people obey the speed limit. Smart metering with variable tariffs will be the only way to spread demand over an already stretched grid (by changing people habits). Power stations are closing yet none are being built. Unlike houses, they are being built just about everywhere. Houses that need energy.Dave_ST220 said:
Evanivitch said:
Dave_ST220 said:
haha, not quite. It's all programmed. Really quite simple. The electric at all other times costs exactly the same as it did prior to having the smart meter so nothing lost if we are out and only 1 load gets done.
All programmed to do multiple loads between seperate machines?You've fallen for the bait, good luck and let me know how it goes when the honeymoon period is over.
You say it saves you money, but only because British Gas are offering it for a limited time. Plus, it's not even a good energy deal. So if you were to ignore the free day, you'd still be paying more because it's not the best deal on the market.
Here's the previous thread on the matter -
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Sponsored by tinfoil.
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Sponsored by tinfoil.
Evanivitch said:
Dave_ST220 said:
Evanivitch said:
Dave_ST220 said:
haha, not quite. It's all programmed. Really quite simple. The electric at all other times costs exactly the same as it did prior to having the smart meter so nothing lost if we are out and only 1 load gets done.
All programmed to do multiple loads between seperate machines?You've fallen for the bait, good luck and let me know how it goes when the honeymoon period is over.
You say it saves you money, but only because British Gas are offering it for a limited time. Plus, it's not even a good energy deal. So if you were to ignore the free day, you'd still be paying more because it's not the best deal on the market.
Dave_ST220 said:
What that now means is the immersion is programmed to come on all day on a Sunday heating 300L of water(the gas is now programmed NOT to heat water on Saturday night or Sunday at all) and all our washing/drying gets done on Sundays too.
As for the washing/drying. I don't know how it works in your house but it's one of those jobs that simply has to be done. Rather than worry about getting a load done & in the dryer before work we do it on a Sunday. A day here that tends to be a lazy day, wash the car, chill in the garden, go for a walk, our for lunch etc etc). It's really not that hard to program the washing machine to start it's cycle when the deal kicks in, that load goes in the dryer & the next load goes in the washing machine. 10 mins work about 3-4 hours apart. I'll not mention the Sunday roast where the oven is sapping all that power and the dishwasher is on for a few loads washing the mess up 
As for your other points......
Dave_ST220 said:
Sure this is nothing but a trial to see if people change their habits but I've got no problem with that. .
Dave_ST220 said:
Try BG, they won't have the best tariff but they seem to be the biggest at this roll out.
That's me done, OP can read the other thread rather than everyone waste their time going around in the same circles. It's Friday & I've got better things to do Evanivitch said:
herewego said:
How so?
Electricity is cheapest at night, but how many of us use electricity at night?It means changing your habits to ensure things like dishwasher, washing machine, the electric car, storage heaters, the chest freezer, storage heaters are all being used when the price is cheapest.
Except when everyone starts doing that, it won't be so cheap. So then the smart meter becomes more than just an Economy 7 meter and uses real time market prices to adjust the price of what you are paying per unit.
So at peak times, like the advert break on a major television show, everyone is suddenly paying more to boil a kettle.
The issue isn't so much it's a bad idea, but no one has yet proved how it improves things for the consumer, except for maybe heavy EV users.
And of course, those quick thinking energy companies won't for a second also think of penalising all those NOT on smart meters will they?
Swervin_Mervin said:
Riiiiight.
And of course, those quick thinking energy companies won't for a second also think of penalising all those NOT on smart meters will they?
Maybe they will, and I'll make that choice when there's a consumer benefit. At this time, there is no consumer benefit.And of course, those quick thinking energy companies won't for a second also think of penalising all those NOT on smart meters will they?
I'm not the tin foil brigade, I've just yet to see a consumer group support the installation of smart meters. Open to reasonable arguments but all I've seen so far is one member saying he has to do all his washing on one day to make it pay...
Of course things will change, but I'm talking about right now.
And i do support the idea on a technical level as it's the only way we'll properly incorporate domestic energy production, which i support.
dionbee93 said:
Currently with scottish power in the house but the previous owner installed a pre-pay meter (Purple key card type) but scottish power want £160 to remove this and fit a normal meter.
I had the same thing when I bought my house, changed to npower at the time and they came and swapped the meters over for free.A second conversation with Scottish power after i'd initiated the transfer, I was told they would have done the swap for free as well to keep my custom.
Does anyone use energy monitors that can look at all individual circuits in a house and give decent data/info centrally?
I've used standalone plug in jobs before but they're a ball ache to collect data from and not great over a longer period. I'd like to be able to set something up and leave it for a period (year plus) and assess my usage in more detail (bills are going up sharply - now at over 2k per year so being a bit more analytical about it, and being able to prove to my dearest that leaving all the lights on is a bad idea, may be beneficial!).
I've seen systems in the US via Google. Just wondering if anyone uses anything here?
I've used standalone plug in jobs before but they're a ball ache to collect data from and not great over a longer period. I'd like to be able to set something up and leave it for a period (year plus) and assess my usage in more detail (bills are going up sharply - now at over 2k per year so being a bit more analytical about it, and being able to prove to my dearest that leaving all the lights on is a bad idea, may be beneficial!).
I've seen systems in the US via Google. Just wondering if anyone uses anything here?
Dave_ST220 said:
Simpo Two said:
^^ Whatever the ins and outs of smart meters, you can be sure that when an industry (and a government) is trying very hard to sell you something, it will be for their benefit not yours. Like speed cameras; lovely fluffy things.
The industry didn't want it, the government did. The analogy of a speed camera is actually excellent, it's the only device I've seen that makes people obey the speed limit. Smart metering with variable tariffs will be the only way to spread demand over an already stretched grid (by changing people habits). Power stations are closing yet none are being built. Unlike houses, they are being built just about everywhere. Houses that need energy.I agree that demand is likely match/exceed supply because every time somebody tries to build a proper power station a bunch of noisy greenies come out of their tents and get it stopped (that's before they make us have electric cars which will put demand through the roof). So all that will happen is that prices will rise. If you want to save money on your bill, use less electricity, folks.
I don't have enough info on smart meters to debate the case, but I'm old, wise, and cynical enough to smell a hidden agenda.
Apparently the current meters are to a standard called SMETS1 (no I've no idea either) which comes down to every supplier does his own thing and if you change suppliers you lose the '"smart" aspect.
SMETS2 is supposed to be a common standard so the "smart" aspect will still work if you change suppliers.
Of course if the meters are making up the readings anyway there doesn't seem to be much point in bothering with them.
SMETS2 is supposed to be a common standard so the "smart" aspect will still work if you change suppliers.
Of course if the meters are making up the readings anyway there doesn't seem to be much point in bothering with them.
Evanivitch said:
Swervin_Mervin said:
Riiiiight.
And of course, those quick thinking energy companies won't for a second also think of penalising all those NOT on smart meters will they?
Maybe they will, and I'll make that choice when there's a consumer benefit. At this time, there is no consumer benefit.And of course, those quick thinking energy companies won't for a second also think of penalising all those NOT on smart meters will they?
I'm not the tin foil brigade, I've just yet to see a consumer group support the installation of smart meters. Open to reasonable arguments but all I've seen so far is one member saying he has to do all his washing on one day to make it pay...
Of course things will change, but I'm talking about right now.
And i do support the idea on a technical level as it's the only way we'll properly incorporate domestic energy production, which i support.
So any change to exploit those on smart meters would likely coincide with a change to exploit those not on smart meters as well.
Swervin_Mervin said:
But right now we pay the same tariff regardless of meter
So any change to exploit those on smart meters would likely coincide with a change to exploit those not on smart meters as well.
Exactly, if they want to put prices up they will regardless of whether you have a smart meter.So any change to exploit those on smart meters would likely coincide with a change to exploit those not on smart meters as well.
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