Smart Meters

I had one fitted. It really annoyed me because it was plugged in a socket in my kitchen, which doesn’t have many sockets anyway. Also, of course, it uses electricity. So it is now unplugged and in its box in a cupboard.

20+ years ago I was informed that my 'ends' (the bit of wiring between the heavy input cable and the meter) were to be overhauled, and a new meter installed. No choice was offered, the work was done in my (and everyone else's) house.

Now they want 'smart meters'. They can read your meter remotely. You get a display that shows useage. I used mine for a bit out of interest, then it went back in its box. The engineer who installed the meter asked me if I wanted it set up at all, apparently lots of people don't bother.

The meter doesn't just send a reading four times a year. It can monitor your useage more closely, sending information on demand patterns to the supplier. I believe some people see this as a privacy issue.

I have 2 problems with Smart Meters.
They have been pushing to get all our road onto this scheme & I know people who say they save a lot BUT we have 2 ponds that need topping up a lot in hot weather. I doubt we would save anything- probably quite the opposite.
Also a friend was in same situation ( no ponds- just pressure to change) & finally agreed to have a meter- once the whole road was on the scheme the prices went up & she was far worse off.
I'm sticking with water bills thank you.

SORRY! Just re-read post & I see it is electric meters not water meters.

Would you tell your friend or neighbour on a constant basis when you are having a shower, making a cup of tea, going out or on holiday or staying up half the night watching tv? I don't think, it's none of their business, so why would you let your energy supplier monitor your behaviour! Being able to see how much energy I am using wouldn't make me use less. I use what I want, if I can afford it, and I don't want anyone or any machine snooping on me.

They are useful for reminding you how much the tumble dryer or fan heater is costing you!!

I have had one for a couple of years. I found it useful to check how much energy my Conservatory’s heated floor uses. Sadly, way too much, so we no longer use it. Other than that, I don’t refer to it. I like that our bills are accurate with no meter reader coming around to the house. After all there are enough unknown people coming around, it’s one less to concern ourselves with. It is the case that often another provider can’t read it. So as another poster said, if you transfer to another provider, you loose that benefit. I don’t plan to leave my provider Ovo Energy though. They are independent and behave much better than the big 5!

After twenty yes twenty ! loyal years with the same supplier and of the opinion when checking with other suppliers that my present tariff reasonable, always room for improvement no doubt, but would not be any where near that which would cover me taking my friend out every month for a extra large coffee and Danish ?I am informed that someone will visit to read my meter as for the last two months ???? I have not been sending in my readings.?????
When questioning this 'so how is it my bill shows my submitted readings' I was informed yes correct but you are submitting on the wrong day.When I came back into orbit I asked 'so when would you like me to submit, and no I haven't a smart meter, the answer was seven days from start of month not as you have been doing ie mid month
.So it appears that it has taken my supplier twenty years to work that one out. I question THEIR motive.??

They are great, no bother having to read the meter any more.The little monitor I have in the kitchen tells me where I am using a lot of energy, the kettle is the main culprit, but for the few minutes its on it doesnt make any diference.
The smart meter was installed without a problem in a few nimutes, I can recommend them

Slap on the wrist recently that for the past twenty years as a customer of those 'who will be nameless' and would not have made me wealthy overnight in changing supplier I have been informed of submitting my readings seven days after they should have been. sent.Twenty years before advising me ?no I do not have a smart meter, what be their motive.?

There are concerns that smart meters can affect health. They use microwaves and these are not proven to be safe when used in such proximity 24/7.

This is unproven science......no-one knows how safe it is. I cannot use a mobile phone because I get a headache so I know it will affect me. I have friends who feel the same way.

There is also the issue that someone can turn off your power supply without gaining access to your home. Is this a good thing?

Apart from all meter readers losing their jobs what benefit do the meters bring to the Utility companies?

Why do they want us all to know how much we use, because I do not believe it will save money. I only use what is necessary, most of us do. Who will benefit and why?

The rumour is that the Utility companies will put prices up during peak hours so that cooking dinner and breakfast and watching TV etc will cost more.
It is not a good idea IMO.

My smart meter means my bills are accurate, no manual readings needed and no meter reader calls. I can change provider as I wish as well. I’m not worried if ‘big brother’ can tell I’ve put the kettle on either.
However, I do think that water meters should be compulsory as that is an important resource that some might abuse . For example, my neighbour’s son ran a small car wash business from his drive and left the hose on all day!!

I had one fitted but as it couldn't connect to a broadband signal, it was removed and the old one put back.

I don't have a smart meter but haven't seen a meter reader for at least two years. They ask for readings and if I remember I submit one. I pay a set figure each month and when the tariff ends the final payment is either larger or smaller but never by much. I use what I need and knowing how much the tumble dryer or kettle costs is irrelevant to me, what matters is that my washing is dry or I can make a cup of tea or whatever. I shall continue to refuse a smart meter just as I refuse a water meter. Water meters are a great idea for low users but not for others. I'm not a low user but my bill is high and I pay it without complaint. I don't waste water but would hate to feel I should use less based on a bill.

My smart meter doesn't work. Not all that smart after all :D

Not read all replies so sorry if this has been said already.
I think if you get a smart meter it helps to see how to make changes to aid money saving. If you are not bother or willing then you may be stuck with a smart meter that isn’t compatible with other suppliers so may make it harder and more time consuming to swap in the future.

It also helps you to know what you’re bill will be because you may have a similar daily usage as I do, so I know that I very rarely spend over £2 a day (plus standing charge) so I know a direct debit of £60 will cover usage or if doing quarterly payments I know what to save up so I’ve got the cash ready for the bill.

It can also be quite interesting to see how much you can save by simply switching things off at the wall. When I only leave my fridge freezer and I can’t reach my washer switch so that’s on but not in use, it costs 0.5p an hour!

I was having a smart meter fitted , when the man came to fit it , there were a view problems . First there wasn't enough room in our electric box to fit it . Then he explained the meters run on mobile phones signal . where we live in the country the phone signal is awful ,sometimes we have to walk round the garden to get one. When he looked at his own phone and saw the signal was bad he said it was waste of time having one fitted . So until the phone signal improves in this area its a waste of time and money for electric company's fitting them .

We got the "hard sell" from our energy supplier. They pushed us relentlessly to have a smart meter. So, installation was arranged, the day came and......................no room for the smart meter! ?. We did try to tell them!

As Witzend says, changing suppliers after getting a so-called Smart meter fitted causes difficulty,
Also, the money saving is a myth - apparently you change your ways for around six weeks or so and then fall back into old habits.
My Smart meter means that I no longer have to prat about reading the meters every month and phoning to tell them. That's really the only advantage.
Apparently, if you live in a house with lots of old lead/copper pipes they don't work and if the mobile phone signal is weak they're also useless as they rely on a mobile signal to send the data to the supplier.
I'm glad all I wasted was my time in waiting in for the a fitter to install this. They're not what they're cracked up to be.

I agree with Bluebelle entirely.

You could go into the Which? site and see what they say about them. I did read in one of their mags last year that they are not worth what the energy companies say they are. I changed my supplier last year and they did not require a smart meter. I think British Gas is more demanding. They have an electronic device which enables people to turn their heating on and off and regulate the house temperature while they are at work. Maybe the smart meter helps this process. I would not have one.

Smart Meters are useful for the electricity companies as they no longer have to employ meter readers. If you don't make sure that the one being installed is from the second wave of what is available then it will have to be replaced every time you want to change supplier. It is claimed that second wave meters are more reliable and flexible but they haven't been around as long so there is less information, and the First Wave meters were reported to be trouble free until it was shown that they weren't

Inundated with offers of smart meters: “We are in your area.” “We are sure you’ll enjoy the benefits.” etc. I’m already careful with electricity, I read my meter and submit readings without problem, but I don’t feel I need to advertise when I am away from the house. We have a neat brown box with our unused free electricity monitor, a gift from British Gas. It uses Electricity! What I do know is that I can save electricity by charging my phone when I’m driving to and from work.

My DH is very energy conscious and was keen to trial a smart-meter when they first came out so he could monitor our consumption. All went well until he came down one warm, sunny morning to see that the meter was reading over 2kW; he went round madly turning off everything he could think of! It turned out it was reading the electricity our solar panels were generating!
The so-called 'smart' meter couldn't tell the difference between generation and usage. We had it taken out and he won't have it replaced until every energy company recognises the same meter, as my OH changes supplier frequently.

I fit elec and gas meters for one of the big 6 ,they are not compulsory,if you get one fitted and then change supplier they wont work as each company has different technology,the only advantage is that you don't get estimated Bill's,but you can give your own readings for you present meters,you also get an in home display but all this does is show how much you are using.
They wont reduce your Bill's,!only applying energy efficiency advice will do that.