Who Amongst Abers Would Have Been Smart Enough To Know That We Would See Problems With So Called Smart Meters?

[Hymie]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cz9zqn77ezno

 

https://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Technology/Question1823228.html

[naomi24]

You're a veritable genius, hymie ... and so modest with it.  🙄

[youngmafbog]

I believe I called this out from the very begining.

It's not rocket science.

[ToraToraTora]

I think anyone knows that any device can develop faults. What is your point?

[Hopkirk]

My smart meter works but the in home display doesn't.

[ichkeria]

As I said before if we'd always had them and someone had suggested replacing them with someone coming to your door to check you'd not been sending in false readings there'd have been an outcry. 
Its bad there have been issues with them but I hope you aren't claiming superior intelligence in predicting that nothing is perfect 

[ichkeria]

Maybe the Chinese are using them to spy on us. I never thought of that. That would be bad 

[Hymie]

I don’t recall any of the supply companies wanting to fit smart meters, saying that they could go wrong (in such large numbers), resulting in incorrect billing or cutting you off.

[youngmafbog]

To be fair supply companies were pushed into it with threats of fines for not achieving targets.

Long term there are bigger problems with thse things, just wait until you see the bill for turning your kettle on a 17:00 (or any other prime time), plus 'fuel tax' for charging your leccy vehicle.

It will come.

[Prudie]

 I have refused to have one from the word go, the potential 'control' errors were well publicised even back then. I thought that made me resistant to change rather than smart. 

[Old_Geezer]

Just about everyone who advised others against them.

[douglas9401]

Some say that the main problem isn't the meter, it's being mad enough to give the companies authority to take what they want from your bank account just to 'save' a couple of quid.

[New Judge]

I have just keeled over and had to be brought round with smelling salts because for once I am entirely in agreement with Hymie.

Smart meters were always a solution looking for a problem. They were sold on the basis that they will “save you money” when any fool knows that only the “off” switch will do that and you don’t need anything “smart” to help you with that task.

The issue with estimated bills should not arise. It is easier than ever to take a reading and submit it. I do so every month and have not had an estimated bill for more than 25 years. Even before the internet it was (and still is) possible to submit them by phone.

Their principle purpose in the long term is to control usage and impose “dynamic” pricing.  Ofgem has announced that it is to investigate a price cap on dynamic tariffs:

 https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/ofgem-launches-discussion-future-price-cap#:~:text=As%20part%20of%20the%20discussion,of%20factors%20such%20as%20vulnerability

There is no doubt that in the future it will cost you more to turn the heating on when it’s cold and more to turn the light on when it’s dark. There’s no reason why any consumer should make that easier for the suppliers to achieve and the longer they resist smart meter installation the harder it will be for them to do so.

There is nothing to be gained from having a smart meter. It’s easy to work out how much various appliances cost you to run (if you must) but the only way to save money is to switch them off.

[jourdain2]

Count me in amongst the ones who refused to have them fitted from the word go. I just say that we have no mobile reception in our house (very nearly true, you can lean out of a bedroom wiindow for a signal).  'If it ain't broke - don't fix it'.

[ToraToraTora]

I just don't get all the furore. They are just a tool to read the meter more conveniently. If they go wrong get another. The actual meter still has the reading as before.

[youngmafbog]

At present yes TTT, but that is not the long term aim.

As I said above, turn your kettle on at peak time expect a premium tarriff, plug your EV in expect a "vehicle" tax (got to repplace the income from petrol/DERV afterall)

[ToraToraTora]

well fair enough but I won't be plugging in an EV until they are viable and that's a long way off.

[Peter Pedant]

Count me in amongst the ones who refused to have them fitted from the word go.

very soon after they 'came in' there were reports that if you changed suppliers ( churned) they malfunctioned

[brainiac]

Confirmation - as if any were needed - that nobody should succumb to the badgereing of their energy provider.

I give regulkar qharterly readings for gas and electricity and will be doing so this Sunday when the current tarrifs come to an end.  Although I have a monthly direct debit, to reassure myself I work out how much the bill they will send should be (because I know the standing charge and unit prices) and it's usually correct to within a few pence.

But don't get me started on the imminent rise in electricity standing charge - mine is going up to an outrageous 63p per day - much of that to pay for the roll-out of these crappy faulty 'smart' meters.