Smart meters. Wish you hadn't?

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Following a recent thread regarding a visit from a gas distribution company, I thought I'd run a quick poll to gauge opinion on smart meters.
Thank you to all who partake.
Feel free to post why you prefer it, or the converse.

Kind regards,
Cad

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Pitre said:

Not sure it changes anything but I do like a bar chart

They know you do...

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Good morning on this chilly Monday. Thank you for the replies and votes gentlemen. Seems like an almost spilt between those having one and liking it and those not and not wanting one.

The Gas distribution company are coming today at some point and I won't be in as I'm working, so I may run the risk of missing the new plastic pipe being run to my property and a nasty white box on the wall outside. I walked around the neighbors properties yesterday and saw some that had been put in...they are pretty unsightly.
I don't know why they can't put the link inside the old metal gas pipe as the new plastic ones are smaller by the look of it, and I keep my existing meter indoors. Less work for them putting one outside but I don't want it outside and neither does my nearest neighbor.

I think I'll be phoning the customer service number of the company this morning and getting some light shed on the visit last week.

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No ideas for a name said:

The underground supply *should* be pushed up your existing metal pipe - that is what they did for us. Just some digging in the road to join to the main.
For us, they did say we may need to change where the meter was - but a quick chat and they were happy to leave it where it was.
You should get a choice of an on-wall, in-wall or in-ground meter box.
In-wall, you will probably have to arrange the fitting of the box yourself.

By default they will do the easiest for them - as you might expect.

This was my thought too when they first demanded that the box had to go outside, but i wasn't sure. I'll have a chat with them as my neighbor feels the same way. I'm on hold to OFGEM at the moment getting some legal advice in case the company insist the meters have to go outside and we have no choice to comply of the gas won't be connected (this is what they told me on Friday).

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Road2Ruin said:

turbobloke said:

Fair enough, they're not without problems though. Without a smart meter there's no possibility of communication or other 'smart' errors and faults cutting off energy supplies. Also, if the supplier is changed, does an existing smart meter remain fully smart with the new supplier - apparently not, half the time. Each to their own as they say.

Smart Meter 'Nightmare'
https://www.express.co.uk/news/science/1702718/sma...
Smart Meter Cuts Off Customer 3 Times, Ends Up in Hospital
https://www.thesun.co.uk/money/20262785/disabled-w...
Households Without Gas After Smart Meter Glitch
https://www.thesun.co.uk/money/18228716/gas-cut-of...
Hundreds of Customers Hit by Power Cut-off due to Smart Meters
https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/people...
Alarming Rise in Homes with Smart Meters Being Cut-off Remotely
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/smart-meter-cut-off-prep...
Half of Smart Meters Stop Working When You Switch Energy Firm
https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/half-of-smart...

Did you actually bother to read any of those articles. Most of them are clickbait and the actual truth is far from the headline. There is even one article from 2019 that refers to the older smets1 meters that are no longer fitted and haven't been for a number of years.

This one isn't click-bait: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/consumer-affairs...

I'm not only questioning whether to get a smart meter, but I'm not happy with the gas distribution company saying they have to move my meter outside or my supply will be cut, when they aren't even responsible for the meter...only the pipework leading to it.
Is anyone aware of any new government legislation that states meters have to be outside, when the one I have inside is working perfectly fine?

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Just had a chat with the Gas guy doing next doors meters (both going outside. Both neighbors are foreign) and he said all meters have to go outside because I (downstairs maisonette) can't share a gas pipe with upstairs anymore. Legislation has changed? Does anyone know about this? He said the pipe isn't man enough to serve both flats that sleeve inside the existing metal pipe. Is this bo****ks?

Any help from people in the know greatly appreciated.

Cad