Am I Missing The Point Of 'smart' Meters?

[Impret-Sir]

OK, I accept that it would be easier if I didn't have to send in my meter readings, but its not exactly a major job, and its only four times a year. Apart from that, whats the point? I don't need a gadget to tell me that if I switch something off I will use less electricity or gas, its just obvious isn't it? I have heard that they often dont work properly, and cant handle you switching energy suppliers, and seem to be costing the country a fortune to install, (and of course the whole project is way over budget and well behind schedule). Just seems like a massive waste of money to me!

[Cloverjo]

I agree. Mine doesn't work. The meter is read in the same way it was before.

[gingejbee]

No, you've got it absolutely right...though a few will be along shortly to say how wonderful life is, if you have one.

[dannyk13]

Only advantage for me is that I don't have to traipse to the garage,where mine is installed, to read it.

[goodgoalie]

The point is that it gives them control. Control to impose tariffs you don't want - including, possibly, ones that change hour by hour according to demand - and the ability to cut you off remotely if they so desire.
You absolutely do not have to have one. My supplier emailed me to say I was on their list to fit one, and I emailed back to say I don't want one and to remove me from the list. They replied and said I'd been taken off it. Don't let them bully you!

[queenofmean]

We got one installed recently and to be fair while I don’t mind it it hasn’t made a blind bit of difference to what I do. Occasionally I’ll turn off a light more than I used to but that’s about as far as it goes.

[New Judge]

The project has been sold on the basis that it will "save energy" when, as you point in the teachings from the school of the bleeding obvious, it will do nothing of the sort. Energy companies have now cottoned on to the fact that they can reserve their best deals for those who have or agree to have a "smart" meter. I've just signed up for one of those as it will save me around £250 in a year compared to best deal without changing meters.

But the real aim of Smart Meters is to move to differential charging where you will be charged more to switch your lights on when it's dark and more to heat your home when it's cold. If only the energy companies would be honest and state that aim they might have a better response. The display unit that comes with my Smart Meter will make a nice kitchen clock and that's all. There is no way it will influence my usage as I turn lights on when I need them, off when I don't and I turn my heating on when it's cold and off when it's not.

[emmie]

i wish i hadn't bothered, it doesn't seem to be the be all and end all of wasted money.

[eve1974]

Our smart meter deffo has made me more aware of where / when extra power is used. It deffo affects our WiFi tho.... suppliers say it’s inpossible as it’s a different bandwidth (or whatever it uses) but I swear our WiFi has only started to drop out since it was installed. I asked supplier to remove it but they say will need to pay £120 to do this :(

[gingejbee]

eve....surely it doesn't need to be removed....it just needs to have it's signal turned off.

[woofgang]

Setting aside the problems with them, I was listening to an official smart meter ad on the radio the other day...they speak the small print.....do you know what the official projected saving is if you have things to turn off and use less?????


2% I mean wow!!!

If you have got a houseful of teenagers then I kind of get it, you might need to have a simple way of keeping an eye on use without having to prowl around the house switching off and unplugging. But if you already know what you are using and are using it because you want/need to use it then I can't see the point either.

[ABerrant]

"2% I mean wow!!!"

The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) appraisal for the UK Smart Meter roll out assumed electricity savings of 2.8% consumption; a big study in the Netherlands of actual performance found savings of 0.6% on average.

Other aspects of the UK Smart Meter debacle are also included in this analysis...

http://euanmearns.com/uk-smart-meters-a-ghastly-mess-created-by-decc/

[New Judge]

"...a big study in the Netherlands of actual performance found savings of 0.6% on average."

So, £6 on a £1,000 bill. Wow indeed. About 40Kwh of electricity or 150 Kwh of gas. I use about 10 of leccy and 30 of gas every day. So my six quid will buy me a couple of days' leccy and a couple of days' gas (provided it's not unusually dark or cold).