Are Smart Meters Worth It?

[DarceyK123]

British Gas have contacted me today about getting a smart meter installed.

Was thinking it might be a good idea but was wondering if anyone has one and if they are worth bothering with but mostly are there any negatives?

Many thanks

[bookbinder]

This might be of some help:
https://www.householdmoneysaving.com/is-it-worth-getting-a-smart-meter/#:~:text=Smart%20Meters%20Pros%20and%20Cons%20%E2%80%93%20Quick%20guide,meters%20will%20stay%20smart%20if%20you%20switch%20suppliers?msclkid=c8e9a6d5a61811ec885df149fd493fa6

[davebro]

worth it? they don't cost anything how can they be not worth it?

[douglas9401]

No need for meter readers any more and free and fitted in less than an hour, get one.

I wonder if we'll get the usual deluge of lies, myths and misinformation in answers to this latest outing of the question.

[fender62]

im wondering about this with utilities going up.

[bobbinwales]

No doubt douglas we'll get the stories that it allows the suppliers to turn off your electricity on a whim or that there spying on you and will start to charge a higher rate at the times you use lenergy

[Bazile]

It's a ploy by the government to spy on you .

It will include a hidden camera and a chip

[Peter Pedant]

worth it? they don't cost anything how can they be not worth it?

because they may malfunction - read high and overcharge
and the last lot didnt work if you changed supplier
and you cdnt get any moolah back as the meters werent meant to used with other companies

BG are krap by the way - they wrote and told me I was in default as I hadnt paid a bill - - as the first letter - i hadnt had the first three as they had toggled me to email when I has told them not to

then they charged me £25 as default when I had paid

told my credit card company I was a late payer when I wasnt see above. tji clearly affects my credit rsting - |I got the £25 knicker back

and then said they cdnt do anything about it - are you listening Karen McClintock but I cd anyway be assured of her highest possible standard of service from her and her minions as ever

other than that - they arent too bad - I am not in prison or been cut off

oh and then they did it again - but scans of cheques defeated that little light fingered money maker

[TherefinedByron]

A refined man like me would not need smart meters. I am assured that I am man of wit.

[Peter Pedant]

chrissakes
he means that he had no need of smart meters as he is smart enough
jesus

[douglas9401]

The meters my be smart but their IT department is useless.

The 'temporarily unavailable' message for their My Energy Usage has been up since 17th February and no answer is forthcoming from the customer service drones.

Pretty grim really.

[nailit]

My sister has one.
her bills are still estimated (Go figure)
I wont have one

[Maydup]

I have one and have no negatives. Positives mean no meter reading needed, no estimated bills and if you’re that way inclined, the ability to monitor your useage as it happens.

[nailit]

How much electric does are smart meter use per year?

[nailit]

That was badly worded....
Ill admit.....

[bobbinwales]

//My sister has one.
her bills are still estimated (Go figure)//

Sorry dont get that at all.
I have one and never anymore have to get out a torch on my hands and knees in the rain to scribble it down and enter/ring it in. My bills are based on actual readings now not estimates. Of course it doesnt allow me to accidentally misread my meter readings sometimes just before a price increase is due or when fund's are bit tight

[bobbinwales]

How much electric does are smart meter use per year?

Id have thought 50p at most. I got a lower rate last year if I had a meter so it didnt worry me. At first I use to adjust my usage based on readings by turning things off but I soon got bored with that... but may start again if prices keep rocketing

[gingejbee]

I don't have one and no negatives. Positives are that I read my own meters (and get the readings right unlike those that used to do it), so no estimated bills. And I don't require monitoring of my use, as it happens.

[windywillow]

I've had mine for a couple of years, and no complaints. For a while I left the monitor plugged in so that I could see my usage. Soon unplugged it as I've always been aware of not wasting energy anyway.

The cost of leaving it plugged in is minimal. Think I was told £1 per year at the time.

[nailit]

//Sorry dont get that at all.//
neither did my sister?

[New Judge]

//No doubt douglas we'll get the stories that it allows the suppliers to turn off your electricity on a whim or that there spying on you and will start to charge a higher rate at the times you use lenergy//

Smart meters would allow a supplier to disconnect supply remotely. They'd only do so when necessary (as they do now when necessary) and not on a whim. The only way they'd be able to spy on you is to monitor your energy usage. Quite why they'd want to do that is anybody's guess. What they can (and almost certainly will) do is introduce differential pricing. They'll charge you more to turn your CH on when its cold and more to switch the lights on when it's dark. Here's one article that outlines the idea (others are available):

https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/electric-power-and-natural-gas/our-insights/solving-the-rate-puzzle-the-future-of-electricity-rate-design

"Utilities need to implement a time-of-use (TOU) pricing component for energy and demand charges, under which prices are higher during peak periods. Consider if electric vehicles were charged at peak times; they would create a substantial burden on the electricity grid and necessitate capital investments. But a TOU-linked demand charge would help stimulate optimal charging behavior (such as charging overnight when demand is lowest)"

This is no scare story. This will happen. And so-called smart meters are the tool to facilitate it.

What a smart meter will not do is save you money. The "On/Off" switches provided on your lights and other appliances will do that.