General Chat

A bit more here:-

https://www.smartme.co.uk/technical.html

Questions/answers are down the bottom.

https://www.energyhelpline.com/fri/news-blogs/first-generation-smart-meters-upgraded-to-full-functionality_19770

You don’t need to see the meter because you have a separate monitors

My meters are under the stairs too at the back of the cupboard so impossible for me to read.

The smart meter sends a daily reading to British Gas so no more estimated bills or asking the meter reader to take off his shoes if he wants to walk through the lounge to get ti the cupboard

The small monitor is in the kitchen so you can see your daily consumption

Doesn’t make me use any less as I have always been conscious of usage and not have un necessary lights on .but it does stop me having to send meter readings etc

From 2021 energy companies will not have to offer anything but the basic tariff to customers who have not got a smart meter. In practice this is likely to mean those who do not have SMETS2 either as first installation or an upgrade from SMETS1. It is unlikely that installation will become mandatory anytime soon.

The energy companies still have substantial stocks of SMETS1 which they are keen to install thus meeting govt targets and avoiding substantial fines. Not a good deal for the customer though. By the end of 2020 all installations will be SMETS2.

Smart meters are a part of making the grid, from power station to user intelligent. Opting out will not be practicable at some point as appliances become smart enabled. No rush though.

It isn’t a legal requirement. So we won’t be having one.

We got a letter last week with an appointment for them to come and fit a smart meter (I think it's the third we've had). I tried to ring them but the recorded message said the wait time would be over 30 minutes so I went online instead to cancel the appointment. You got about 6 different reasons to choose from as to why you wanted to cancel, one box saying "other". I clicked on this and a box popped up asking what the "other" reason was. I just said....I simply don't want one, and left it at that.

I know that eventually we will all have to have one but for as long as it isn't compulsory I'll keep saying no.

Kath. x

I refuse because it is to meet government targets, not necessarily for our benefit, like new “ affordable dwellings” that most cannot afford, also if and when every household has one the price will go up anyway so we won’t be saving money. By the way I am the wrong age and far to cynical to believe all that anyway. :-D

my gas meter is outside and as im stuck in a wheelchair i never see it or the one under the stairs
doesn't bother me tho

I was very pleased with the one we had installed a few years ago. Our meters are gas - lie on the floor to read it, electricity - stand on a chair (neither of which I can do).

We changed supplier twice since then and neither of the new suppliers could utilise that meter and we are still wating for a replacement.

However, as I'll be looking for a better deal in the New Year, no doubt that utility company will say we need one of their meters and the waiting list is months!

I guess hubby will be lying down and and climbing up for the foreseeable future...lol

Maddie, do what I did, I think they have to pay upon receipt of the letter because I didn’t put a stamp on it.

i don't want one either, it would go in cupboard under the stairs where i could't see it
any letters go staight into bin :-)

Had yet another letter advising us to have a smart meter fitted so instead of binning it I wrote on it, we don’t want or need a smart meter, we know how much we use etc etc.
Put their address over ours and posted it back to them. I’ll keep doing that and they might get the message.