A query about electric/smart meters

[sayerbloke]

Not sure if this is the best place for this post but as I’m thinking of it primarily from a financial stand point it seemed a good place to start!

My energy company (Octopus) emailed me to say when the Radio Teleswitch Service ends in March that my on/off peak service on my current, old meter “may not work as expected” so I need a new, smart meter.

You hear horror stories about people being forced into new meters and so on, but just looking for external opinions on whether this is something which actually does need doing now and, perhaps more importantly, any potential/likely drawbacks I should be aware of, please!

Thanks in advance.

[xyz123]

IMHO - You will come across many sceptics on the Internet however I genuinely can't think of any downsides to having a smart meter fitted. In theory it is meant to make life easier with no. Readings etc but even if that doesnt work (some. Meters don't send automated readings after change in supplier) it is no worse than before. Install is generally very straightforward and done in half an hour.

[markbigears]

There was a TV prog that went out last week about the negatives of smart meters.

[ferret50]

The most important negative to remember regarding 'smart' metering is that the supplier can cut off your supply remotely, with old meter types the supplier has to gain access to your property to cut off your supply. In this instance, you can insist on the supplier gaining a court order.

[Rough101]

ferret50 said:

The most important negative to remember regarding 'smart' metering is that the supplier can cut off your supply remotely, with old meter types the supplier has to gain access to your property to cut off your supply. In this instance, you can insist on the supplier gaining a court order.

They can, but I don’t think they ever have.

And on the radio Teleswitch, they are correct, it’s getting switched off and the functionality moved into Smart meters.

This is because it’s carried on BBC Radio 4 on long wave and that’s being switched off. I know some of you will have a conspiracy theory about this.

[Somebody]

ferret50 said:

The most important negative to remember regarding 'smart' metering is that the supplier can cut off your supply remotely, with old meter types the supplier has to gain access to your property to cut off your supply. In this instance, you can insist on the supplier gaining a court order.

Another scenario is you’re behind with your gas and electricity bills, so your supplier may remotely switch your smart meter to prepayment mode.

[asfault]

xyz123 said:

IMHO - You will come across many sceptics on the Internet however I genuinely can't think of any downsides to having a smart meter fitted. In theory it is meant to make life easier with no. Readings etc but even if that doesnt work (some. Meters don't send automated readings after change in supplier) it is no worse than before. Install is generally very straightforward and done in half an hour.

Lol

Im completely the other way round.

What would i need to know my meter reading. If im that worried about it i can look at my old system in the garage and work out my next bill with simple math.
It takes literally 30 seconds to log onto my online account and give them a reading.

Downsides of a smart meter
you get a crazy mega high bill becasuse it reads wrong.
It breaks
it may be able to shut you off if the greater good of the nation needs power.

Literally zero upsides.

[Simpo Two]

sayerbloke said:

My energy company (Octopus) emailed me to say when the Radio Teleswitch Service ends in March that my on/off peak service on my current, old meter “may not work as expected” so I need a new, smart meter.

Ah, how simple Economy 7 was!

asfault said:

Downsides of a smart meter
you get a crazy mega high bill becasuse it reads wrong.
It breaks
it may be able to shut you off if the greater good of the nation needs power.

Literally zero upsides.

The upsides are really for the power companies, not the user. So you can see how much electricity using - well so what? And the astounding revelation that if you turn something off you use less power. Well heck, I don't need a smart meter to work that out.

The nation's power supply is heading towards criticality in the headlong rush to 'renewables' and the closing of power stations. Add EVs as well, and that's why they need you to have a smart meter - they need control. And they'll get fined millions if they don't persuade you to get one.

[ferret50]

add in that the likes of Octopus are selling solar panels on the promise that they will generate more leccy than the consumer uses, so they offer to buy the surplus at 'wholesale price' which they set against your gas consumption, all measured by their clever meter.....

[PF62]

asfault said:

Downsides of a smart meter
you get a crazy mega high bill becasuse it reads wrong.
It breaks
it may be able to shut you off if the greater good of the nation needs power.

Literally zero upsides.

Meter reading wrong - hmm... and of course dumb meters never read wrong.

It breaks - hmm... and of course dumb meters never broke.

Shutting off the power - If the country is that far up st creek then they would just turn off the supply to everyone at the local transformer, including the supply to those with tinfoil hats and dumb meters.

Zero upsides - you are utterly utterly wrong, as I have been paying less than half the price you have been for electricity and gas *because* I have a smart meter.

[asfault]

How have you been paying half?
Knowing how much electricity I use doesn't change how much I use.
Loads of horror stories about smart meters.
I havnt heard any horror stories about dumb meters.

[Shaoxter]

markbigears said:

There was a TV prog that went out last week about the negatives of smart meters.

TLDR - what were the negatives?

asfault said:

Knowing how much electricity I use doesn't change how much I use.

You get to move to a cheaper tariff (e.g. Octopus Agile). I've been paid to charge my EV the last few days.

[Philvrs]

asfault said:

How have you been paying half?
Knowing how much electricity I use doesn't change how much I use.
Loads of horror stories about smart meters.
I havnt heard any horror stories about dumb meters.

The tariff would be half price eg. Your standard tariff is around 27p/kW, mine is averaging about 16p/kW, because its only available to customers with a smart meter.
Edit to add : I don’t believe the cheaper tariffs will ladt forever

Edited by Philvrs on Tuesday 6th February 11:59

[Ezra]

PF62 said:

Meter reading wrong - hmm... and of course dumb meters never read wrong.

It breaks - hmm... and of course dumb meters never broke.

Shutting off the power - If the country is that far up st creek then they would just turn off the supply to everyone at the local transformer, including the supply to those with tinfoil hats and dumb meters.

Zero upsides - you are utterly utterly wrong, as i have been paying less than half the price you have been for electricity and gas *because* i have a smart meter.

How have you been paying half price? Please explain. We have smart meters and we pay the same tariff as non-smart meters.

[PF62]

asfault said:

How have you been paying half?
Knowing how much electricity I use doesn't change how much I use.

I am not paying half the amount because I am using half the amount of electricity and gas you do.

I am paying half the amount because the unit prices I am paying are half the cost that you are paying.

The Octopus Tracker tariff I am on is only available to customers with smart meters and today the cost of a unit of electricity is 14.58p and for gas is 3.83p.

What are you paying on the standard tariff with your dumb meter? 30p and 7.5p?

[Burrow01]

asfault said:

How have you been paying half?
Knowing how much electricity I use doesn't change how much I use.
Loads of horror stories about smart meters.
I havnt heard any horror stories about dumb meters.

Just checked my (dumb) meter readings for this month and apparently I have used £1400 worth of electricity on the daytime tariff and nothing at all on the night time tarriff, and given that I do not have a cannabis farm in the roof, I think the dumb meter has a problem..

As has been said above, all the good / flexible tariffs will be smart meter only in the future, and so I cannot see why anyone would not want one.

All the "they can cut you off", "they can switch you to prepayed" applies to dumb meters also.

[TonyRPH]

There's a smart meter thread running here, with a lot of info.

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

[alscar]

sayerbloke said:

Not sure if this is the best place for this post but as I’m thinking of it primarily from a financial stand point it seemed a good place to start!

My energy company (Octopus) emailed me to say when the Radio Teleswitch Service ends in March that my on/off peak service on my current, old meter “may not work as expected” so I need a new, smart meter.

You hear horror stories about people being forced into new meters and so on, but just looking for external opinions on whether this is something which actually does need doing now and, perhaps more importantly, any potential/likely drawbacks I should be aware of, please!

Thanks in advance.

I am with Eon Next and they too have emailed and texted me about this.
I don't actually have the RTS system though and in any event have a tariff which is the same whether day or night use.
I politely informed them that I also didn't want a smart meter and they seemed quite happy to continue as is.

[geeks]

Simpo Two said:

The nation's power supply is heading towards criticality in the headlong rush to 'renewables' and the closing of power stations. Add EVs as well, and that's why they need you to have a smart meter - they need control. And they'll get fined millions if they don't persuade you to get one.

I don't want to get into the renewables etc debate but at some point we need to accept that we live in what I dare say history might come to refer to as "The silicone era" or words to that effect. We live in an increasingly connected world, for good or for bad it's where we are, smart power distribution is part of that and is sensible.

[PF62]

Rough101 said:

This is because it’s carried on BBC Radio 4 on long wave and that’s being switched off. I know some of you will have a conspiracy theory about this.

Conspiracy theory? That nuclear armageddon is more likely if the British nuclear submarine fleet can’t tune in for the Today programme?