Smart energy meters, should I/shouldn't I?

[Deleted member 1258]

You need to be a little bit careful with that as if the company goes tits up there is no guarantee that you will get your money back.

Yes I know about that. With me being on a state pension and likely to be in the smelly stuff if I get a large unexpected bill a few quid available from here can prove useful, though I don't let it build up too much.

 

[Bazzer]

The carrot is "save money with a smart meter"

I don't see any carrot. My useage would not change with a smart meter. I don't leave devices on standby and as I said upthread I have LEDs throughout the house. (Correction, I have fluorescent tubes in the garage, which will be replaced by LEDs as they start to fail). And there are no old, less energy inefficient kitchen etc., appliances. But even if there were, the cost of replacement would have to be balanced against the savings to be made.
Before I binned Scottish Power last month, their push for smart meters extended beyond telephone calls, to cleverly worded emails suggesting I had already agreed to a smart meter, (which when she read them, Mrs B fell for. Fortunately she checked with me before making arrangements having been aware of my rantings after previous telephone calls from SP).
SP even emailed and text messaged mid morning Christmas Day.
If that was their idea of encouragement, someone in that business needs to take a long hard psychology course.

 

[numbnuts]

As many has already said I can't see how a smart meter will save any money, not unless your a person that leaves electrical appliances running for the sake of it.

 

[Drago]

If you set fire to your smart meter it will hear your house, thus allowing you to switch the electric fire off and safe money.

 

[Bazzer]

If you set fire to your smart meter it will hear your house, thus allowing you to switch the electric fire off and safe money.

Blimey. I didn't realise that were that smart!

 

[icowden]

A Smart Meter will save you money as the provider of your gas and electricity will offer you a cheaper tariff if you have one installed.

Remember that potential fine from our lovely Government? If they can't induce you to have one by virtue of being eco-friendly, then their last resort is to put your prices up.

Simple.

 

[I like Skol]

A Smart Meter will save you money as the provider of your gas and electricity will offer you a cheaper tariff if you have one installed.

Remember that potential fine from our lovely Government? If they can't induce you to have one by virtue of being eco-friendly, then their last resort is to put your prices up.

Simple.

Tosh!

I have done the power provider shuffle in the last few months and having/not having a smart meter wasn't even a thing, providers were simply compared on price and length of term. I went with the cheapest company and I still don't have smart meters, any intention to have them fitted and no pressure from my new company to fit them.

I don't believe I could have got a better price by having the modern meters fitted* and unless you can substantiate your claim please stop peddling the rumour, disinformation and fear mongering that may trick people into making the wrong choice.
(*my own experience only)

 

[Drago]

Theyll fit a smart meter over my cold dead body. Big Brother is bad enough, but the thought of Scottish Power as Big Brother is horrifying.

 

[Bazzer]

A Smart Meter will save you money as the provider of your gas and electricity will offer you a cheaper tariff if you have one installed.

Remember that potential fine from our lovely Government? If they can't induce you to have one by virtue of being eco-friendly, then their last resort is to put your prices up.

Simple.

Didn't happen when I switched last month. No questions were asked about whether I had a smart or a dumb meter, nor was the tariff I was offered on the basis of one meter or the other.
Ironically, I was emailed yesterday by my new provider, asking me to send my latest meter readings.

 

[icowden]

I don't believe I could have got a better price by having the modern meters fitted* and unless you can substantiate your claim please stop peddling the rumour, disinformation and fear mongering that may trick people into making the wrong choice.
(*my own experience only)

OK,

https://www.which.co.uk/news/2019/11/can-you-get-a-cheaper-energy-deal-with-a-smart-meter/

Of the 11 big energy firms we approached, five told us that their current cheapest tariffs are exclusively for those who have smart meters or agree to get them fitted. These are British Gas, EDF Energy, Eon, Npower and Scottish Power. Other firms, including Shell Energy, sell tariffs that encourage customers to get smart meters, but aren’t their cheapest deals. SSE and Utility Warehouse’s deals encourage customers to have smart meters, but you don’t have to. Companies are under pressure from the government to install smart meters – or face fines from energy regulator Ofgem – so you could see this as the latest approach to getting customers on board.

Read more: https://www.which.co.uk/news/2019/11/can-you-get-a-cheaper-energy-deal-with-a-smart-meter/ - Which?

The cheapest deals that don’t require smart meters usually include other conditions, for example paying by direct debit, paying a month in advance, foregoing paper bills, or managing your account online. You don’t have to have smart meters fitted. They are not compulsory. However, you may end up paying a premium, just like those who prefer to pay when they receive a bill rather than by direct debit.

Read more: https://www.which.co.uk/news/2019/11/can-you-get-a-cheaper-energy-deal-with-a-smart-meter/ - Which?

No rumour, disinformation or fearmongering. You can get good prices without a smart meter from some companies, but in the face of a fine from OFGEM, don't expect that to stay true.

The power company don't own your meter and the data is used to help make us more energy efficient (which is a good thing for the planet). Your bills can be more precisely calculated so that you don't end up banking credit with your energy supplier. I can't really see any negatives myself unless your job is meter reading.

 

[MontyVeda]

A Smart Meter will save you money as the provider of your gas and electricity will offer you a cheaper tariff if you have one installed.

Remember that potential fine from our lovely Government? If they can't induce you to have one by virtue of being eco-friendly, then their last resort is to put your prices up.

Simple.

They only risk a fine of they refuse to offer their customers a smart meter. They have no incentive to force us to have one installed. Simple.

 

[vickster]

We’ll all have one in 3 years
(Friend is a civil servant leading the project , have her to thank for plastic fivers too )
Just make sure you get a 2nd gen one

 

[icowden]

They have a massive incentive to force you to get one installed. By knowing the exact patterns of energy usage of their customers they can make more intelligent energy purchases thus pushing up profits, or enabling savings to customers (or a bit of both) depending on the operating model of the company,.

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publicatio...s-700000-after-missing-gas-smart-meter-target

Also, that isn't how the fine works. Energy suppliers with more than 250,000 customers must set annual targets for the proportion of their customers that will have smart meters by the end of each year. If the target is missed then enforcement action can be taken and they are fined. They are required by law to take all reasonable steps to roll out smart meters to all homes by the end of 2020.

The programme is expected to deliver 17.1 bn of economic benefits against costs of 10.9bn:-

DECC is leading the Smart Metering Implementation Programme. It expects the programme to deliver £17.1 billion of economic benefits against costs of £10.9 billion. 1 Consumer benefits from smart meters include lower energy consumption, load shifting from peak periods, improved consumer experience and engagement, easier switching between suppliers and reduced carbon emissions. Cost savings for energy suppliers, network operators and terms of generation capacity are also expected.

They don't expect everyone to agree to have a meter initially, but you can bet if there is money to be made / losses to be avoided, that they will do all that they can to persuade you to change meter.

 

[Drago]

Harvey Weinstein had a smart meter. Nuff said.

No way on Gods green earth will we all have a smart meter in 3 years. Aside from all other considerations, it's a logistical impossibility. If 10,000 were installed every day for the next 3 years, including weekends and bank holidays, the country wouldn't be halfway to achieving universal fitment.

 

[MontyVeda]

They have a massive incentive to force you to get one installed. By knowing the exact patterns of energy usage of their customers they can make more intelligent energy purchases thus pushing up profits, or enabling savings to customers (or a bit of both) depending on the operating model of the company,.

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publicatio...s-700000-after-missing-gas-smart-meter-target

Also, that isn't how the fine works. Energy suppliers with more than 250,000 customers must set annual targets for the proportion of their customers that will have smart meters by the end of each year. If the target is missed then enforcement action can be taken and they are fined. They are required by law to take all reasonable steps to roll out smart meters to all homes by the end of 2020.

The programme is expected to deliver 17.1 bn of economic benefits against costs of 10.9bn:-



They don't expect everyone to agree to have a meter initially, but you can bet if there is money to be made / losses to be avoided, that they will do all that they can to persuade you to change meter.

Well Eon aren't trying very hard to force me to have one installed. They asked me if I wanted one and I said I didn't.