I had the old version 1 smart meter installed when with British Gas, way, way back. It worked fine for both gas and leccy all the time I was with them, but was not compatible with the new supplier's systems when I changed supplier. But all the old meters were upgradeable via a firmware update (no need for an engineer visit - it was all done online) and were due to have all been upgraded by now I think. Mine was done last year sometime and the new supplier is now receiving the auto smart meter readings ok. I've not had a problem with smart meters apart from that (and all it meant was that I read the meters manually again for a while - so no great issue).
Scottish power told me a few years ago I was in serious danger of my property catching fire without a smart meter. I said to her that there had been several cases of the SMT 1, actually catching fire. She replied "oh, well,yes, there has been a few issues". Over the years we've had so many meter problems,we held out, but on having the solar panels last March,in order to receive the feed in tarrif,you have to have a smart meter. Ironically, the smart meter readings and app on my phone, for the solar are completely different. Rapidly changed from SP: to Octopus about 4 years ago, although the smart readings are on my account,graphwise, I haven't had a bill since October, or feed in. I used to get an email and bill 1st of every month. I rang early November, asked why not. They wrote to me,postal.. no idea why, said they were going to give me £100 as a gesture of good will! No idea what is going on with them!
Sainsbugs monitor my food consumption etc pretty closely … what’s the difference?
When I lived in a small village the couple who ran the village shop knew almost everyone’s likes and dislikes pretty well and I’m sure their stocks and pricing was adjusted accordingly.
Sadly we live in a society that has chosen to privatise the essentials of life … I would/will campaign for an alternative … but I’m not so well off that I can afford to pay more than I need to in order to keep warm.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I haven't had anybody try to physically read my meter in years. I get an email asking for the reading, enter the info in the app (which is absolutely terrible, but that's another story), job done.
I really see no benefit for me in allowing the companies to monitor my usage so closely.
We won't get to net zero without it
Then the companies that are currently making massive profits from our energy supply need to invest in making the system better and stop leaving the home owners to deal with the problems that they create. Smart metering has little benefit to me at the moment if I'm happy to do my own monthly meter reading. They keep saying it's preparing the foundations of net zero but it's equally preparing the foundations of these companies reaping the profits from the increase in electric car use and electric heating. It's almost a guarantee that companies will want to take the peaks out of electric use by charging premium prices at those times but the benefits will be all at their end once the meters are universal. I've no doubt they will make it law to have them at some point but until then I'm staying low-tech until I'm convinced I will see any benefit from it.
If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
Speaking of marketing bulls**t, I've just had two LED spotlights fail within a week of each other in the kitchen. 15000hr bulbs that have died in less than two years. Even if we used them for 12hrs a day they should last twice as long as this.
Also from Centrica:
We’ve installed over 6 million smart meters in homes across the UK, more
than any other supplier. More than two-thirds of customers would
recommend them to others
More than a million households wouldn't recommend them then... Again not something to really boast about. Come back when you can boast about fixing the problems.
If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
I get an email at least once a week from Octopus about the meters. Considering they had the cheek to suddenly tell me last month my debit was going to be £120 odd quid this month, they've got a nerve to keep going with it. I emailed back and basically told them to shove it where the sun don't shine. They replied with the usual fawning, and thanking me for keeping my account healthy, and a 'back pedalling' type of statement that it was a 'suggestion' and my DD would be the same as usual. I wasn't amused, and I was going to reply again and say they need to look at how they word their messaging then, because it certainly wasn't a suggestion, it was a statement. I didn't bother. None of these people even seem to understand what you write when you contact them anyway. I also recall hearing about people being shafted with these meters and getting bills for umpteen times what they should be. They don't seem to be able to sort these problems promptly either, which is the most worrying thing about it. Some bloke got a bill for 30 grand, instead of a couple of thousand or whatever it usually was.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Posts
That big band in the sky is getting bigger all the time.
I suddenly feel very old....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Considering they had the cheek to suddenly tell me last month my debit was going to be £120 odd quid this month, they've got a nerve to keep going with it. I emailed back and basically told them to shove it where the sun don't shine. They replied with the usual fawning, and thanking me for keeping my account healthy, and a 'back pedalling' type of statement that it was a 'suggestion' and my DD would be the same as usual. I wasn't amused, and I was going to reply again and say they need to look at how they word their messaging then, because it certainly wasn't a suggestion, it was a statement.
I didn't bother. None of these people even seem to understand what you write when you contact them anyway.
I also recall hearing about people being shafted with these meters and getting bills for umpteen times what they should be. They don't seem to be able to sort these problems promptly either, which is the most worrying thing about it. Some bloke got a bill for 30 grand, instead of a couple of thousand or whatever it usually was.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...