General Chat

The sse keep nagging us to have one but we don't want one, has anyone actually saved money with them, for what it is worth I think the price will go up when it is realised that they are losing money because of them.

I don't think that the meter itself Costs you anything extra................
but the idea is that alerts you to an expense
,ie that light that you forgot to turn off..maybe turning the oven off a short while before the joint is cooked even an outside light that is spuriously triggered... by a flapping bush or something...

I actually asked my OH if there was yet any proof that smart meters saved anyone any money. We agreed it wouldn't save us any as we don't leave lights onall over the house and if we need to heat or cook that is what we do.

Bob - if you've forgotten to turn off a light how does the meter tell you because, surely, you'd spot the light on on the way to check out your smart meter.
As to the flapping bush and the outside light - just remember the story of the shepherd boy and the wolf.

I am constantly being pestered by Scottish Power to have one, and so far I have ignored them. Until they become a legal requirement I shall continue to do so.

You don’t save anything unless you turn down usage on what you see you are using

Tbh I use what I use to be comfortable and won’t be cold just to turn down


The advantage I can see is that the meter sends usage to the company so they charge for actual use not an estimate

They are like smart motorways, not smart and only lining the pockets of those that don't need the money, jobs for the boys etc.

I was constantly annoyed by gas meter readers who thought they had the right to walk on my lounge carpet in outdoor shoes ,especially if it was raining

My meter is In the under stairs cupboard accessed through the lounge

No way did I want dirty shoes on my carpet, even my family no it’s shoes off inside the front door

Some reader meters were a holes and thought they have the right to read the meters no matter what !

So the smart meters have stopped all that and I only get charged for actual usage :-)

This new place has a 'Smart' meter, unfortunately no 'device'.
I tried to read the meters when I moved in - but couldn't. :-|

I received letters to 'The Occupier' threatening me about unpaid bills.
Unfortunately, British Gas don't put a phone number on their letters, besides which, I had no internet, landline, or usage left on my mobile, anyway.
However,I did notice they were putting the usage/readings on their letters.

I'd informed my energy company 'People's Energy' that I was moving a week before I moved, and asked for advice, as I wished to stay with them.
They sent me a 'support ticket' - ie an acknowledgement that I had contacted them.

Four weeks later 'Open Reach'/TalkTalk finally got me connected.

I tried to contact 'People's Energy' - I found a phone number online.
3 calls of over half a hour for 3 days - no answer. I gave up.
Sent an email to 'Customer Service' - received another 'Support Ticket'

Found 'British Gas's' phone number online - it was answered just under my half hour deadline.
I have had to join British Gas until 'People's Energy' get their act together.
however - and this is the pertinent point - I CAN read the meters - by pressing a button! I haven't tried it yet - so it may be a lie.
They don't put in meters that need devices any more - as people walk off with them!
I can't see the point of a 'Smart Meter', if you can't actually see your usage when you're using it. Without a smart meter, I used to read my meter every month - and knew then, if I'd used more, or less than the previous month.

As for 'People's Energy' - I resorted to 'bot talk' via their 'chatline, - something I resent - it's like I can hang around at their beck & call, until a 'human' comes along and asks me the same bl**dy question! I AM NOT their ADMIN!
My response is either 'see above' or 'hang on while I copy & paste'.
I have put in an official complaint about their 'support' tickets.

Why do these firms always think the excuse 'we're very busy now' due to either the pandemic, or illness, is acceptable?
They make enough profit - EMPLOY MORE PEOPLE!!!!

The problem with Smart meters is, when enough people have them, and usage can be monitored, the price is likely to go up during periods of high usage - like during adverts, half time when football is on etc..

We don’t have a smart meter, but have come to the end of our current dual fuel fixed tariff. I have chosen the new one and noticed that it says that you have to agree to having a smart meter put in as a condition of choosing this tariff. I don’t mind, but it will be interesting to see if they turn up and change the meter.
The meter we have is just three years old because they sent us a letter to say they were changing everyone in the area to new meters. I asked then if we could have a smart meter, but they said that they weren’t fitting them in our area which seemed a bit odd as the tv was full of adverts for the things.

Had a smart meter put in few years back.
Dual fuel. It stopped reading the gas meter after 7 - 10 days, and even after reporting a few times, no new meter. Even told to do a hard reset, and it would take a day or two to settle. Yeah right lol.
We have had a couple of meter readers in over last few months. And have had to put in a reading for gas, as estimated other wise. One of the meter readers said he had been sent as no reading going through, and possible that we might have changed just gas supply, -- we still paid dual to same company.

We've had a smart meter for some years for a dual account with NPower (Now taken over by another mob). Never had a problem. Only use we can find for it is to see wot gas/elec we use daily. Cant really see point of em. If I've got main elec oven on then have washer on and also kettle it would indicate high usage but, so wot. I'd have the 3 things on because they needed at that time and I wouldnt turn owt off

Bob - if you've forgotten to turn off a light how does the meter tell you because??

on mine there is a green tell tale led, of which is sensible usage

over that it changes to orange

there are security lights installed in not very useful places, flapping laundry or effluent from a boiler can trigger them.....

an old chap across the way died and the house clearance took everything......smart meter readout ,....AND his wireless doorbell but not the pushbutton!

Ron2 I agree with you. I have been asked by SSE a few times and my reply was,"but it wont actually save me money will it? Will it reduce my bill? "No," they said it will just tell you what you are using. But I know exactly what im using and if the tumble dryer is on, of course my meter is going faster but I still need to use the appliance.

Oh my, its blooming common sense.
What a waste of money buying all these meters and then training loads of people to come and fit them!!
My father agreed to one to get a cheaper tarriff. Its connected to his computer so it sends the readings down the phone line automatically which is ok until the internet isnt working!! Not very reliable in my opinion.
Like you maggie, i read my meter every fortnight, work out the daily number of units used and therefore know exactly what im spending, The quarterly bill is never unexpected because im on top of it.My direct debit covers my usage to within a few pounds and it never needs to be amended.

Maggie, when you moved, could you not keep the same company? Really it should have been a smooth transition, however i had no internet for 6 weeks when i moved here 3 1/2 years ago, so you have my sympathy.

I do remember when my unit price for electricity was just 5p and the night units were 2p and now the rate for me is 18p day or night...
I always find it strange that over the years, various things are now cheaper in price, like washing machines etc but for electric, the price has never gone down!

Florence in thebrides

I am keeping the same company, Florence, despite their administrative incompetence!
However, they'll take 3 weeks to connect me, so I had to do a short 'sign up' (no charge when i change - but I bet it's their most expensive rate!) with British Gas. :-|

Then I'll see about getting the 'not so smart' meter removed.

We have no intention of having a smart meter, the only thing we see it doing is making staff redundant just like self check out in supermarkets and we don't mind sending it ourselves as long as it means we don't have an unsmart meter.

ZZzzz Correct! The smart meters save the company having to employ and pay meter readers. It also saves them the employer's share of national insurance they have to pay on those wages. It means they get accurate readings which means less cost in pursuing debts owed by those who don't pay, or give incorrect readings. They can take action as soon as things start to slide. I don't have one and won't have one till I have to.

Annx, I'm far to cynical and maybe a little to old to believe that we are going to benefit in anyway from such things, it is like (un) affordable housing and more like to meet government targets than anything else.

Me too ZZzzz. They may help a few to keep a check on costs that didn't bother otherwise, but they use that fact as their sales pitch to persuade people to have them. Most of the benefit is to themselves!

Most of the new houses estates being built in this area are big detached 3,4, and 5 bedroom ones that they seem to sell easily enough and to young people too which surprises me. I know they have to build so many affordable ones, but obviously their profits are in the bigger houses so they probably just build the minimum requirement of affordable ones. So many bungalows are being knocked down or turned into houses too, but we don't all want to live in apartments and care homes as soon as we get older.

Per RtR's link: Yes, the SMETS1 meters do stop working.
Email to me last year when I queried why I was being asked to supply readings after moving my dual fuel from BG.

Thank you for contacting us regarding the smart meter.

Your meter is no longer smart

When you change supplier your Smart Meter looses it's smart functionality including being able to provide remote readings and reverts to being a normal credit meter and you will need to provide meter readings manually.

We can’t install another smart meter at this time, but this is only temporary until a centralized company called the 'Data Communications Company' (DCC) is in place for all suppliers by end of 2021. They will send an update after which we will be able to read your meters remotely.

Yours sincerely,

Kirti

E.ON Customer Service Team

Just more hassle and for what.........nothing apart from meeting government targets.