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Be prepared for a nasty shock if your energy supplier goes bust

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  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    I reckon that the time will come when smart meters are mandatory.
    We'll then be charged according to when we use energy, so it'll be more expensive during the day and cheaper overnight when demand is lower and the population are mostly asleep.

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • WoodgreenWoodgreen Posts: 1,273
    Pete.8 said:
    I reckon that the time will come when smart meters are mandatory.
    Surely this will only happen if and when every home has mobile coverage.
    Twice my electricity supplier have sent a man to install a smart meter. They know when they enter my house that there is no mobile signal but they switch off my power, remove the existing meter, fit the smart meter and then tell me it doesn't work as there's no mobile signal, remove the smart meter, replace the existing meter, switch the power back on and leave. 
    The second time I asked why was he even trying when he knew there was no mobile signal here? He said he has to do it, to show he tried it.
    These engineers had travelled a good 40 minutes to get here, wasted the best part of a morning really (not to mention the inconvenience to me) but it seems to be a necessary box to tick if I am to get the best tariff on offer -- I have to agree to having a smart meter fitted!
    The last time I changed tariff I hammered the point home to the person on the phone. They've not contacted me about fitting a smart meter.....yet.
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    @Woodgreen. We don't have mobile phone signal either, perhaps that’s why they’ve never pushed it on us. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • WoodgreenWoodgreen Posts: 1,273
    Lyn said:
    @Woodgreen. We don't have mobile phone signal either, perhaps that’s why they’ve never pushed it on us. 
    And perhaps now the penny's dropped, they'll not push it on me, but I hope it won't exclude me from the best deal.


  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    It didn’t exclude me from the best deal, they know they mustn't by law push them on a person. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • JoeXJoeX Posts: 1,783
    Fairygirl said:
    I expect there is @JoeX, although I don't have any need for it. 
    The smart meters are a con IMO. All sorts of problems have been reported with them. 
    Yes, smart meters exist for the benefit of the supplier and their insurers, not the consumer.  The marketing as such is a deception.
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    I like having a smart metre. It's been seemless for me - I went for 2nd gen and have had no problems.There's a lot of misinformation out there.

    Pete.8 said:
    "I reckon that the time will come when smart meters are mandatory.
    We'll then be charged according to when we use energy, so it'll be more expensive during the day and cheaper overnight when demand is lower and the population are mostly asleep."

    @Pete.8  I wonder about solar energy feeding into grid. (I don't have panels). Does it make some sense to use electric devices like dishwashers during the day when there is more national solar energy feeding in? Surely using storage for this and night usage would be less efficient for the system?



  • raisingirlraisingirl Posts: 7,093
    Here you are @Fire Everything you ever wanted to know about when electricity is used and how it's generated Drax Electric Insights
    Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon

    “It's still magic even if you know how it's done.” 
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    edited September 2021
    Yes, I agree @Fire it does make sense - in the summer at least.
    I have no idea what contribution home-installed panels contribute to the grid atm
    but their contribution wouldn't be much during the short dull, days of weak winter sun when energy demands are at their greatest.

    But I'm sure that once the companies have the data to be able to charge customers a varying rate over the course of the day, I reckon they will.
    That may be a good thing, or maybe not

    I don't know if it still exists, but I'm sure there was a tariff that offered cheaper leccy overnight (for storage heaters) but more expensive during the day.


    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • steveTusteveTu Posts: 3,219
    Why aren't solar panels mandatory on all new builds where applicable? Can they not also miniaturise wind turbines and put them on rooves like mini clock/bell (cupolas?) towers? (https://ecavo.com/best-home-wind-turbines/ - not advertising - just an example of what I mean).

    UK - South Coast Retirement Campus (East)
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