Smart Meter = smart move?

[BernardTPM]

Could they connect it to the telephone line?

[Tony_S]

Could they connect it to the telephone line?

No.

The smart meter connects to the mobile network. When the fitter arrives they check to see if they can connect to a mobile network before proceding (well that was what we were told before ours was fitted!) There was no problem with mobile connection here but the fitter was concerned our gas meter might be too far from the electricity meter (it contains the mobile link) to communicate wirelessly. However all was well.

Tony

[BobM]

Hi...

My supplier kept badgering me to have a 'smart meter'......even making an appointment to have one fitted even though I declined their 'offer' as there is currently no legal requirement to have one fitted I cancelled their appointment and will continue up until there is such a requirement to to send regular readings of both meters....and thank you very much but I think I am 'smart enough' to work our exactly how much it is costing me..with a pencil, paper and my head.....that's why I keep switching suppliers and tariffs....just say you're switching suppliers and their smart meter installation letters stop.....

Bob

Edited July 18, 2017 by BobM

[BernardTPM]

No.

The smart meter connects to the mobile network. When the fitter arrives they check to see if they can connect to a mobile network before proceding (well that was what we were told before ours was fitted!) There was no problem with mobile connection here but the fitter was concerned our gas meter might be too far from the electricity meter (it contains the mobile link) to communicate wirelessly. However all was well.

Tony

In that case I won't have one. I hate mobile phones.

[vitalspark]

 

I have decided to not voluntarily agree to have my/their (who's?) meter “upgraded” to a smart one although, I concede, I will be forced to have one in the future anyway.

 

 

 

 

You cannot be forced to have one in the future but its likely that pressure will be applied by advising that there are no longer conventional meters available and due to the legal requirement of recertification..which is the period a meter is certified

 

accurate..they are duty bound to change it.

 

A smart meter can be installed but you can insist that it is disabled and it does not act as a smart meter.

 

Its a good idea to check the certification date on your existing meter..this is often just a number on the glass especially if its a refurbed meter.. displaying for instance '99' which would mean certified 1999.

 

Meters are often 20 years certification but in the case of a popular model by Sangamo Weston it is 30 years so check this and if you are being forced into a meter change because the certification is running out ask!

 

If its not obvious then ask anyway and if you give the supplier the meter number..thats the long one starting with something like P907 - 88 ***** …they can tell you the install date and the certification period within which the meter is guaranteed accurate.

 

If they cant then ask someone from technical support and not a sales person to call you back because its simple information in fact if you google the meter make and number you can learn that information online.

 

I would suspect many meters are well within their certification period when changed but the customers are advised a legal certification change is due.

 

The government have deemed that Smart meters need to be offered to every home by 2020 but that is 'offered' not forced to accept.

 

Its suggested that save you money which is total bullis**t because the unit cost of electricity is the same but of course it will save the suppliers money..lots of it by dispensing with meter readers.

 

The idea is that it will help you understand how much you are using by allowing you to view a readout at any time and see your actual usage and when you realise it is high turn down the thermostat or whatever.

 

However such standalone devices are available for diy fit by anyone..no connections require to be made..and this gives the same information without allowing big brother into your home!

 

Again google 'remote electricity monitor' or the like and you will find loads of such devices being offered for sale.

 

I worked in the supply industry for many years and trust me the excitement in the industry is about how much they can save not how much you can save.

 

Dave.

Edited July 18, 2017 by vitalspark

[Tony_S]

In that case I won't have one. I hate mobile phones.

You don't need a mobile phone. The smartmeter uses the mobile phone network to communicate. Nothing to do with any phone you may or may not have.

[Metr0Land]

 

Its suggested that save you money which is total bullis**t because the unit cost of electricity is the same but of course it will save the suppliers money..lots of it by dispensing with meter readers.

 

Dave.

 

 

Not to mention the fact that once smart meters are (near) universal then suppliers will be able to charge by time of day.  No doubt presented to consumers as an off-peak discount, and presented to regulatory numpties as 'green' by surcharging peak demand and reducing emissions during the peak by depressing demand.

[BernardTPM]

You don't need a mobile phone. The smartmeter uses the mobile phone network to communicate. Nothing to do with any phone you may or may not have.

It's still mobile phone technology and I don't want any of that round the house, thank you. (And no, I don't use wi-fi).

[Tony_S]

It's still mobile phone technology and I don't want any of that round the house, thank you. (And no, I don't use wi-fi).

Whether you want it or not the signal will be available on your property unless you live in an area with no mobile service. Though by not having a smart meter you will be spared the transmission from the meter to the nearest cell mast.

[BernardTPM]

Kichen roll... Faraday cage... *muses*

[mezzoman253]

Hi,

 

Three months down the road since the last topic posting and I've just recieved the " your Smart meter is coming" email.

 

So any updates for or against, with another 3 months gone by?

 

Rob

[PaulCheffus]

Hi,

 

Three months down the road since the last topic posting and I've just recieved the " your Smart meter is coming" email.

 

So any updates for or against, with another 3 months gone by?

 

Rob

Hi

 

Not had any wrong bills or issues since ours was fitted in July 2016.

 

Cheers

 

Paul

[Free At Last]

I have been happy with the service from my unsmart meter fitted I can't remember how long ago and am happy to go on continuing being happy with it.

Heard no more over the fitting of a smart one since telling them I did not want one.

Edited October 20, 2017 by Free At Last

[nigel newling]

Had smart meters fitted by British Gas then changed supplier (as encouraged by government "to make market forces operate") for a lower tariff. My new supplier is unable to read my smart meters so I receive a monthly e-mail from them requesting that I send them my meter readings to avoid estimating errors. Not so smart meters! :-)

[Metr0Land]

I had a visit from smart-meter installer a couple of weeks back (SSE Electric)

 

Mr (insert name here)?

Yes

I've come to install your smart-meter

Like **** you have!  Come back in 2020, and preferably not even then.

You didn't contact us asking for a smart-meter?

No

But I've got some details here saying you requested one, no problem with me guv if you don't want it.

I can assure I've never contacted anyone about getting a not-so-smart-meter.

(Checks his tablet)

You're Mr (insert name here) (House name) (postcode)?

Yes I am Mr (insert name here) but this isn't (House name)!

...drives off to correct address where householder has same surname........

 

To be fair to him, he was very polite, as was the meter reader who came yesterday. In both cases where I've indicated I don't want a not-so-smart meter they seem to have been trained to not enter discussion and simply exit with discretion.

[melmerby]

Hi,

 

Three months down the road since the last topic posting and I've just recieved the " your Smart meter is coming" email.

 

So any updates for or against, with another 3 months gone by?

 

Rob

I'm 18 months down the road having requested a smart meter and not getting one fitted.

I have contact my supplier E.on a few times (but probably not for 6-9 months) so won't bother again.

 

Keith

Edited October 20, 2017 by melmerby

[westie7]

On third letter from Eon, im just too busy just now to take time off

[mezzoman253]

https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/09/04/smart_meters_more_expensive_fewer_savings/

 

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/ofgem-publications/57395/remote-disconnection-and-ppm-guidance-open-letter-160810-pdf

Edited November 14, 2017 by mezzoman253

[duncan]

I had a visit from smart-meter installer a couple of weeks back (SSE Electric)

 

Mr (insert name here)?

Yes

I've come to install your smart-meter

Like **** you have! Come back in 2020, and preferably not even then.

You didn't contact us asking for a smart-meter?

No

But I've got some details here saying you requested one, no problem with me guv if you don't want it.

I can assure I've never contacted anyone about getting a not-so-smart-meter.

(Checks his tablet)

You're Mr (insert name here) (House name) (postcode)?

Yes I am Mr (insert name here) but this isn't (House name)!

...drives off to correct address where householder has same surname........

 

To be fair to him, he was very polite, as was the meter reader who came yesterday. In both cases where I've indicated I don't want a not-so-smart meter they seem to have been trained to not enter discussion and simply exit with discretion.

 

Try complaining - you might just get compensation for their error !!

Edited November 16, 2017 by duncan

[corneliuslundie]

I have a friend in a nearby village which has no mobile coverage from any supplier. But he gets badgered and the supply companies ignore him when he says there is no signal.

I actually agreed about 18 months ago to have a smart meter fitted for electricity. The response was an e-mail saying that they were not working in my area at the moment but would get in touch when they are. Still waiting, but not very impatiently.

Regarding compact fluorescent lamps, like linear fluorescents the output declines with time, and the quoted life is based on the drop to a certain percentage. But what they do not tell you is that many of the cheaper ones had (and may still have, though I am out of date) a low power factor. This does not affect domestic consumers as the meter measures power, not power factor, but those on commerciasl tariffs end up paying more that they expect. Now this was ten years ago, before I retired, and things may have changed with the general switch to electronic control gear - though there is no guarantee. Also, I am afraid that in the early days of compact fluorescent lamps there were some half truths published by the manufacturers about the equivalent CFL for an incandescent lamp.

When LEDs were introduced, initially I notice that many suppliers quoted the output in candelas rather than lumens - brightness rather than light emitted - which made them seem wonderful. We now do generally get lumen output. Someone earlier mentioned the difference between output at 110 and 230 V. Yes you need to ensure that you have European rather than American data. Several people have mentioned that they seem to give a better light. I suspect that that is because many of them have a correlated colour temperature of 3500 or 4000 kelvins rather than the 2700 kelvins of an ordinary incandescent lamp or 3000 k for many halogen lamps. Does his matter? Not if you like the light. When we lived in Kosova most of the products were 6000 K but people liked them because is summer the light was Mediterranean. But to the eyes of a Western European it is unpleasantly cold.

And you will have noticed that a lamp with a correlated colour temperature of 2700 is seen as "warmer" than one of 6000 K, so don't be fooled.

I have been using LED replacements for mains voltage halogen lamps, but in a fitting with the lamps pointing downward life was no better than for halogen. I think that this was because heat was trapped.

By the way, LED light output drops as the ambient temperature rises. Try putting one in liquid nitrogen and it will become VERY bright (I saw it one at a lecture in London).

But to move this thread towards model railways for a moment, be careful about lighting your layout with LEDs if you have built it under incandescent lamps as the spectral distribution is different even if the colour rendering index and correlated colour temperature are the same and colours may not look right.

And light output also drops for LEDs over time.

At club we have been experimenting with two strings of LEDS of different colour temperatures each on its own dimmer, so we can adjust the colour to our needs. It seems to work well, and could be used to vary the dolour of the light to represent different times of day.

Jonathan

[Pannier Tank]

I have received several Smart Meter "Red Letter" reminders from E-on. I made a compliant earlier in the year and have recently received another letter from them. I sent an email stating that if I should receive another letter from them I will change suppliers. They replied that I have been removed from the Smart Meter list; time will tell.

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

So any updates for or against, with another 3 months gone by?...

 The smart meter with its visual display of energy consumed has worked as nothing else in the previous 36 years before its introduction to our home to convince my dear wife of where energy may be saved. Not ironing everything, but only those few items (of hers, I am Mr Crumpled) that need ironing, not heating outdoors by leaving doors and windows wide open for hours, turning down radiator thermostats on rooms that are not currently occupied.

 

Our energy supplier cannot read their own smart meter, nor can our water supplier read their water meter, (both installed within the last two years) yet we have no mobile reception problems on any network we are aware of...

[Baby Deltic]

I would seriously look at the videos on YT showing the RF radiation those meters kick out. I told the power company in no uncertain terms that they're not putting one of those things in my house. You can buy faraday cages for them which block a lot of the radiation but still allow the meter to connect to the mobile network.

[Re6/6]

One has to wonder why they're fitting already obsolete SMETS 1 when the newer SMETS2 type are not yet available.

 

It would appear that changing suppliers is not guaranteed straightforward if one has one of the obsolete things.

Edited November 19, 2017 by Re6/6

[royaloak]

Apart from saving you the effort of reading the meter once a year and allowing them the ability to switch off your supply remotely, what is so fantastic about a 'smart' meter?