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Smart meter. Bad decision ?
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They are coming to install a smart meter tomorrow.
I've studiously ignored all previous correspondence from them about replacing my ancient KWH device ( it is marked 'Property of LEB', so that defines its age).
However, I recently accepted a bribe of £150 payment, which they have only confirmed verbally, to change to smart metering.
Should I trust them as far as I can throw them or am I making the mistake of a lifetime?
They also verbally promised that they won't remotely convert me to prepayment because I am elderly and have been flagged up as having seious health issues. That would be my main economics based reason for resisting the change over but I also suspect that the metering technology has been altered to give them the ability to now read certain types of load more advantageously to themselves rather than me.
Am I worrying unecesarily or should I have held out to the bitter end instead of accepting their bribe and possibly worthless word? |
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Put the money in a high interest account.
There's nothing to them, they connect by wifi and track it daily, you can switch them to different providers which you couldn't with earlier ones.
You won't see an automatic reduction in bills as you will need 12 months usage before they can get a picture summer through winter.
If you are organised, you could compare KwH used from last quarters statements to the ones being received after installed, it'll give you an idea if your bill might go up or down next year but this might just be worrying over nothing.. obviously prices go up and down, fixing your tariff will help once you can next year, some give discounts for health conditions. |
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"You can insist it is set to dumb mode if you prefer. "
The engineer who fitted mine did this for gas, but not electricity, with mine and didn’t ask or think to mention it. But then, he also forgot to switch my boiler back on and left the old gas meter behind so 🤷🏼♀️ |
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"You can just unplug it you know, it doesn’t make any difference to your supply or the cost whether you use it or not, it’s just a display device "
There is more to a smart meter than the display panel that shows you the amount of energy that you are using. |
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"You can just unplug it you know, it doesn’t make any difference to your supply or the cost whether you use it or not, it’s just a display device "
One of my concerns is that it might well make a difference to the cost if, as I am given to understand, modern meters are engineered to read certain types of load and power factor more favourably to the energy supplier than did the old KiloWatt/Hour devices which were basically a current dependent motor, in fractionalparallel with the load carrying wiring, driving dials. |
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It makes no difference to your bills what so ever.
It makes little difference to your life.
I like mine because I can see exactly how much money the central heating burns , or other appliances etc when they are on.
I can budget better
I don't have to have anyone calling to read the meters
I do go ape shit when I see the standing charges on it esp for electricity. I know those charges have always been added but now I can see them in all their digital glow my hackles rise daily. |
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By *arkus1812Man 13 weeks ago
Lifes Departure Lounge |
After a year long battle with EON I have caved in and agreed to have a smart meter installed, seemingly I had no option as my existing meter is over 30 yr old and EON insist that they will only fit a Smart meter.
I will run it in dumb mode, |
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I have one, I was checking it every few hours at first, now I barely register it.
The biggest difference to my bills was moving from rip-off British Gas to Octopus. My bill reduced by just under £200 each month... And that included adding an electric car point to charge overnight |
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"My dad is being pestered by eon to change his meter but it's resistant due to the stories out there about overcharging, converting to pre-payment, etc"
My dad's being pestered too. At 98 he doesn't like having anyone he doesn't know in the house and gets very anxious if there's the slightest upheaval. I've had to get quite firm with Scottish Power on his behalf.
I know that he will have to have a smart meter eventually though |
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By *EAT..85Woman 13 weeks ago
Nottingham |
Smart meters don't affect your consumption.
They're quite helpful for seeing what uses what amounts of energy though.
I'll second Midnights point of note that Octopus manage to cut most people's energy bills. |
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"Anybody who needs a "smart meter" to tell them what's using power shouldn't be let near switches  "
Nobody ' needs one They're a useful tool if you want to use it to monitor your spending but mostly they're for the benefit of the supplier. They're marketed as saving you money without pointing out that its your interpretation and application of the information that does that, not the meter. The implication is that somehow the meter itself reduces your bill. |
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By *bi HaiveMan 13 weeks ago
Forum Mod Cheeseville, Somerset |
"You can just unplug it you know, it doesn’t make any difference to your supply or the cost whether you use it or not, it’s just a display device "
The smart meter isn't the display.
It's just a meter that gives accurate daily readings based on usage directly, so manual ones don't have to be sent.
The display is just that - a display.
Mines never worked as apparently it's too far from the meter to know what the reading is. The instructions say it needs to be no more than 6 metres from the actual meter. Pretty tricky when you're in a non ground floor flat.
But I've never had an issue with mine and it doesn't affect costs or usage in any way.  |
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I am very wary of all the "incentives" from any companies, after falling for the broadband "sweetener", causing me more problems than benefits. And in the end, I got zilch as they "couldn't set up my new account because the provider I was switching to did not fully cancel the switch" load of BS. So I lost my patience and went with a different provider.
And if I ever get an "incentive", I want it in writing, in a form of an official email. I then take a screenshot of it and keep it for my record, in case I need to prove the incentive was offered.
I also agree with another poster - it's not going to be cash/bank transfer, it's "just" going to be account credit. Which is still better than nothing.
On the subject of smart meter - I keep refusing to have one fitted, just don't want them. And regardless of what your provider tells you, you still have a choice in the matter. |
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"After a year long battle with EON I have caved in and agreed to have a smart meter installed, seemingly I had no option as my existing meter is over 30 yr old and EON insist that they will only fit a Smart meter.
I will run it in dumb mode,"
Parallel situation here, except that it's EDF (!Everything Devient Francais). Constant pestering about getting old meter changed.
I will very probably have it put in dumb mode if possible.
I wont be needing a curiosity monitor to go with it. I am more than aware of what any of my equipment normally consumes, or did when it was metered by a device which could be fooled by power factor.
I will consider it as liberty taking if the cost of power used by it to communicate with their base turns out to be billed to me! |
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By *usie pTV/TS 13 weeks ago
taunton |
Lol Cornucopia an old friend of mine got really mad when a guy turned up to fit a smart meter and refused to do it because the wiring was too dangerous, said he was going to report it, the wiring was rubber clad and still uses only the round pin 5 amp plugs. It's a load of fuss about fook all as usual, it's the modern world like it or lump it, a kwh is a kwh and that is what we are charged for the only saving comes from observing the display that might serve as a prompt to any of us lazy folks to switch off lights or not boil excessive amounts of water to boil in a kettle. I use to find it quite useful to check how much I was using on a weldding job until the display ceased to function |
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"You can just unplug it you know, it doesn’t make any difference to your supply or the cost whether you use it or not, it’s just a display device "
That's not the smart meter. Having a smart meter fitted is having your actual meter changed, you can't unplugged your actual meter. |
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Well,I asked if he couldput it in dumb mode and the net result was that I wasn't given a remote reader nor can I apparently read the damned thing myself as theone thing it doesn't appear to display is the meter reading so I have no idea what the amount is that I am using.
Just what I didn't want in return for my £150 sweetener. |
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"Well,I asked if he couldput it in dumb mode and the net result was that I wasn't given a remote reader nor can I apparently read the damned thing myself as theone thing it doesn't appear to display is the meter reading so I have no idea what the amount is that I am using.
Just what I didn't want in return for my £150 sweetener."
If you can't now read your own meter, search other providers, get an idea what you might pay. Phone your provider up and cancel it within 7 days, get a better service provider. |
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"They are coming to install a smart meter tomorrow.
I've studiously ignored all previous correspondence from them about replacing my ancient KWH device ( it is marked 'Property of LEB', so that defines its age).
However, I recently accepted a bribe of £150 payment, which they have only confirmed verbally, to change to smart metering.
Should I trust them as far as I can throw them or am I making the mistake of a lifetime?
They also verbally promised that they won't remotely convert me to prepayment because I am elderly and have been flagged up as having seious health issues. That would be my main economics based reason for resisting the change over but I also suspect that the metering technology has been altered to give them the ability to now read certain types of load more advantageously to themselves rather than me.
Am I worrying unecesarily or should I have held out to the bitter end instead of accepting their bribe and possibly worthless word?"
Experience suggests that anything with the word 'smart' in it is far from that.  |
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you might see the 150.00 but in the long run you will be out of pocket as you need to pay more for that meter compared to your old one
customer pays for the new meter via its standing charge.
as goes for charges look up this as it is coming in
Smart meter customers face time-of-day charging plan |
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"Well,I asked if he couldput it in dumb mode and the net result was that I wasn't given a remote reader nor can I apparently read the damned thing myself as theone thing it doesn't appear to display is the meter reading so I have no idea what the amount is that I am using.
Just what I didn't want in return for my £150 sweetener."
Why did you want it in dumb mode ?? I'm a bit confused - you got what you asked for, but not happy? |
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"Why did you want it in dumb mode ?? I'm a bit confused - you got what you asked for, but not happy? "
a request for dumb mode means its a normal meter that can be read by both user and supplier
however from the info there is no reading from the meter that they can read |
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By *lex46TV/TS 13 weeks ago
Near Wells |
"It makes no difference to your bills what so ever.
It makes little difference to your life.
I like mine because I can see exactly how much money the central heating burns , or other appliances etc when they are on.
This is me also, I check mine quite often and always know how much the central heating costs to run and how much if I’ve accidentally left the water switched on .
It’s surprising how much more energy I use when I take a day off work.
It’s surprisingl how much
I can budget better
I don't have to have anyone calling to read the meters
I do go ape shit when I see the standing charges on it esp for electricity. I know those charges have always been added but now I can see them in all their digital glow my hackles rise daily. "
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"I don't have to have anyone calling to read the meters
I do go ape shit when I see the standing charges on it esp for electricity. I know those charges have always been added but now I can see them in all their digital glow my hackles rise daily. "
as goes for standing charge it was fine at 33p but to double its price is an insult.
but what alot forget is they read the meter even at the 33p charge it was fine but fire the meter reader redundent charge 66p
the one im watching is the digital readings charge where consumers can be charged for there 1/2 hourly readings
a charge of 200.00-500.00 a year extra added to your bill for them to have your 1/2h readings
as that is in there plans |
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By (user no longer on site) 13 weeks ago
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I think you've bamboozled yourself by worrying about the power factor especially as you probably don't know what that means.
You are presumably not living in a factory with large amounts of motor driven machinery...or other inductive loads so the closest you will come to having a power factor lower than one is the 3 seconds it takes for your fridge to fire up.
Smart meters are no more expensive than normal meters (unless your old one has been reading low for years).
It just means they can be read remotely and provide you with information that enables you to be aware and potentially modify your power use to save money.
Some providers offer cheap off peak electricity.
All you have really achieved is getting a new meter with non of the advantages...in fact you are more blind to your consumption than you were before! |
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"I think you've bamboozled yourself by worrying about the power factor especially as you probably don't know what that means.
Smart meters are no more expensive than normal meters (unless your old one has been reading low for years).
It just means they can be read remotely and provide you with information that enables you to be aware and potentially modify your power use to save money.
Some providers offer cheap off peak electricity.
All you have really achieved is getting a new meter with non of the advantages...in fact you are more blind to your consumption than you were before!"
since ive gone digging the info and ive posted it
id advise you to check your details before you spout the above crap
as for your comment some providers offer cheap off peak tariffs they all offer this due to the main 7 night off peak charge. |
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By (user no longer on site) 13 weeks ago
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"I think you've bamboozled yourself by worrying about the power factor especially as you probably don't know what that means.
Smart meters are no more expensive than normal meters (unless your old one has been reading low for years).
It just means they can be read remotely and provide you with information that enables you to be aware and potentially modify your power use to save money.
Some providers offer cheap off peak electricity.
All you have really achieved is getting a new meter with non of the advantages...in fact you are more blind to your consumption than you were before!
since ive gone digging the info and ive posted it
id advise you to check your details before you spout the above crap
as for your comment some providers offer cheap off peak tariffs they all offer this due to the main 7 night off peak charge."
What is inaccurate about what i said? |
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By (user no longer on site) 13 weeks ago
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"I think you've bamboozled yourself by worrying about the power factor especially as you probably don't know what that means.
Smart meters are no more expensive than normal meters (unless your old one has been reading low for years).
It just means they can be read remotely and provide you with information that enables you to be aware and potentially modify your power use to save money.
Some providers offer cheap off peak electricity.
All you have really achieved is getting a new meter with non of the advantages...in fact you are more blind to your consumption than you were before!
since ive gone digging the info and ive posted it
id advise you to check your details before you spout the above crap
as for your comment some providers offer cheap off peak tariffs they all offer this due to the main 7 night off peak charge."
Regards off peak electricity...of course there has always been economy 7 but it requires special meters and daytime energy is at a premium because of it. Nothing new there.
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"Gawd almighty has anyone else got a smart meter that prevents them from reading the consumption."
Found it eventually. 9 clicks down on a crappy spindly typefaced display which doesn't even stay lit or held for a useful length of time.
Give me the simple display of the old meter any time. I hate cycling through menus and layers. |
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Regarding the various comments about economy 7 type tariffs, I was told by my supplier that that rate is only available if storage heaters have been installed. They won't offer it just so you can heat the water, do the cooking etc at night.
As someone else has pointed out, they are going to sting you for a bit more during the daytime as part compensation for cheaper night rate.
I was hoping to charge batteries at night and then run all my 12v dc stuff of them!
Re. comparing a previous year's billing with the next one, it won't be worth the effort. We all know what the answer is going to be! |
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"I don't have to have anyone calling to read the meters
I do go ape shit when I see the standing charges on it esp for electricity. I know those charges have always been added but now I can see them in all their digital glow my hackles rise daily.
as goes for standing charge it was fine at 33p but to double its price is an insult.
but what alot forget is they read the meter even at the 33p charge it was fine but fire the meter reader redundent charge 66p
the one im watching is the digital readings charge where consumers can be charged for there 1/2 hourly readings
a charge of 200.00-500.00 a year extra added to your bill for them to have your 1/2h readings
as that is in there plans"
Daily charges have not "always been added". David Cameron introduced them in 2013 "to make charging fairer". I can definitely see how sticking £300 on everyone's bills is fairer. |
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"I don't have to have anyone calling to read the meters
I do go ape shit when I see the standing charges on it esp for electricity. I know those charges have always been added but now I can see them in all their digital glow my hackles rise daily.
as goes for standing charge it was fine at 33p but to double its price is an insult.
but what alot forget is they read the meter even at the 33p charge it was fine but fire the meter reader redundent charge 66p
the one im watching is the digital readings charge where consumers can be charged for there 1/2 hourly readings
a charge of 200.00-500.00 a year extra added to your bill for them to have your 1/2h readings
as that is in there plans
Daily charges have not "always been added". David Cameron introduced them in 2013 "to make charging fairer". I can definitely see how sticking £300 on everyone's bills is fairer."
what planet are you living on ?
nothing fair in charging a consumer for them to collect your data every 1/2 an hr by adding that onto your power bill its not me who wants that data but the supplier.
so why should i get charged for them to collect said data and then sell it without my consent. |
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"Regarding the various comments about economy 7 type tariffs, I was told by my supplier that that rate is only available if storage heaters have been installed. They won't offer it just so you can heat the water, do the cooking etc at night.
As someone else has pointed out, they are going to sting you for a bit more during the daytime as part compensation for cheaper night rate.
I was hoping to charge batteries at night and then run all my 12v dc stuff of them!
Re. comparing a previous year's billing with the next one, it won't be worth the effort. We all know what the answer is going to be!"
to answer your question an ev charge point to charge an ev battery on a car or just the battery itself.
then you need the convertor
then you can use ev night time battery storage and then use day time via the batterys
the night charge is 5p while the day charge is 13-17p per kwh |
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"I don't have to have anyone calling to read the meters
I do go ape shit when I see the standing charges on it esp for electricity. I know those charges have always been added but now I can see them in all their digital glow my hackles rise daily.
as goes for standing charge it was fine at 33p but to double its price is an insult.
but what alot forget is they read the meter even at the 33p charge it was fine but fire the meter reader redundent charge 66p
the one im watching is the digital readings charge where consumers can be charged for there 1/2 hourly readings
a charge of 200.00-500.00 a year extra added to your bill for them to have your 1/2h readings
as that is in there plans
Daily charges have not "always been added". David Cameron introduced them in 2013 "to make charging fairer". I can definitely see how sticking £300 on everyone's bills is fairer.
what planet are you living on ?
nothing fair in charging a consumer for them to collect your data every 1/2 an hr by adding that onto your power bill its not me who wants that data but the supplier.
so why should i get charged for them to collect said data and then sell it without my consent."
Get a grown up to explain "facetious" to you |
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