Smart Meters

[granny grump]

I have just received a letter from N-power saying that they are rolling out the installation of smart meters. I have read some very negative articles and they all say that they offer no benefit or substantial saving Can I refuse to have one fitted? Any feedback or experiences would be very gratefully received

[EDDIE51]

Just look at my profile to see the real reason why 'Smart Meters' are so popular with the energy companies.

[douglas9401]

Thanks, but no.

[sunny-dave]

If there is even a whisper of using smart meters for enforcing 'load shedding' or 'premium time pricing', then mine will have a faraday cage constructed around it before you can say "no signal in there matey".

Until then it is a useful device to save me grotting around on my hands and knees once a month to read the old meters.

[EDDIE51]

Sunny Dave, the ONLY reason smart meters exist is to facilitate
load shedding ,premium pricing and remote disconnect!
Every smart meter made has a remote disconnect function built into it
Remote disconnect means the power company can disconnect you
( or change your tariff ) direct from its computer , they do not need to bother to actually come to your meter they just do it from their computer.

[sunny-dave]

They can't do that if they can't talk to it - and I can stop that in a matter of minutes - and will do if your worries show even a hint of being reality.

[EDDIE51]

Read this !
http://stopsmartmeters.org.uk/resources/what-are-smart-meters/

[EDDIE51]

And this
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/dec/29/smart-electricity-meters-dangerously-insecure-hackers

[EDDIE51]

This is the worst yet!!!!
https://www.nickhunn.com/when-smart-meters-get-hacked/

[douglas9401]

Will my tinfoil hat help protect me?

[EDDIE51]

Sunnydave, it matters not if you put your smart meter in a faraday cage, in that case it just acts like a normal meter. If they want to disconnect you they will do it the old way and come to your house.

[EDDIE51]

By the way smart meters are going to be compulsory from 2020 so you are going to get one like it or not!

[anneasquith]

We were contacted by our supplier over a year ago, they fitted the meter, no more readings required from our end, bills have been very slightly lower, can't see the problem if every household will have one eventually.

[douglas9401]

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/energy/energy-supply/problems-with-your-energy-supply/if-youve-been-told-your-energy-supply-will-be-disconnected/

Now please take your tablets and turn off the computer for the night.
The power companies don't, can't just disconnect a consumer on a whim because they have a smart meter.
You're scare-mongering at best and I hate to think of what's worst.

[sunny-dave]

Yes doogie - like the one I'll build round my meter if necessary.

I've never read such a conflation of half-truths, scare stories and plain old cobblers as the first of Eddie's links - my goodness you'd need to be quite dim (perhaps because the smart meter has cut your lights off?) to swallow all of that.

The hacking story in the Graun is at least more sensible - but still just speculation without any actual basis in hard fact.

[sunny-dave]

Eddie - the whole point about my Faraday Cage comments is to prove that I can have the advantages of a smart meter but revert it to 'dumb' when it suits me.

Of course they can come to my house and disconnect me - just as they can to yours - but that is nothing to do with smart meters.

[EDDIE51]

Yes of course you can screen a smart meter with a faraday cage instructions are all over the net.
My point is that Smart meters are NOT for the benefit of the customer as the adverts would have us believe, they are for the benefit of the power companies for the reasons I have stated.

[dannyk13]

There are problems with smart meters, one of which if you have your present meter on the floor of your garage (like me) then a smart meter will not work.E-on informed me that the meter must be raised in oredr for the smart meter to work, but they weren't prepared to pay for this to be done,

[donny48]

The main gripe that I have with smart meters is that they are not compatible between companies, I recently switched supplier and was told that to continue with smart meter I would require a new meter. With me and a lot of others swapping annually this will mean a vast stockpile of useless meters.
If this was a vast conspiracy, Eddie, then they should get their act together and fit a universal model that fits all suppliers in order to be more efficient when they come to control my power.

[EDDIE51]

All meters are actually owned by the company that supplies the power so it is quite normal for a new meter to be fitted if you change suppliers. Usually they agree to let the new company use the same meter as the new company reimburses the old one the cost of the meter.
Smart meters are more complicated as they have an internal wireless internet connection with the power supplier so changing a smart meter to a new supplier will not be so easy.

[Barsel]

Eddie //My point is that Smart meters are NOT for the benefit of the customer//
I disagree. With the compact monitor in my kitchen, I can check how much I have used today, in the last week, since my last bill, etc.The bills will be accurate and not estimated, and if I get the chance to read the instructions, I daresay I can learn even more.