General Chat

How does that work then if they over estimate, how do you get a refund on the over payment, do you read the meter yourself and send the reading to the supplier, what about cancel the direct debit and send them a cheque, so many unanswered questions here.

You will find it pretty well impossible to replace a smart meter with the trad type. The old ones are being scrapped on a large scale. Even if you were successful in getting hold of a trad type the conversion costs would be significant and down to you.

A simpler option is simply to put the smart meter into "dumb" mode after which it will behave like a trad meter. Do not assume your bills will be more accurate though. Most likely the power co will simply make overestimates and debit your account accordingly. My mother refused to have a smart meter, Power co refused to get the meter read and preferred estimates. By the time she died her credit with the power co was > £ 700.

However if phone queues and arguing with billing departments floats your boat go for it. Meter reading is a career about to join the lamplighters.

I really hope you do get your way, I don't see how they get away with pushing us into having what we don't need or want.

Well, it's a different company, so they don't have access (though they offered me a handset), but after the previous company's faux pas - which may have to be resolved with a meter reader coming around - I mean, an elderly 'mere' woman with a double degree may find it hard to read a line of numbers correctly, mayn't she?
I may get my way!

Will they remove it do you think maggiewinchester I hope they do.

I've requested the removal of this one.
It's obviously not too clever! :-D :-D

From what other people have said about smart metres, they aren't smart, they make life more complicated, we don't want one, don't need one and they can't make us have one.

When I moved in here there was (still is) a 'Smart' meter.
As the provider at my previous house was so slow on the 'uptake' after I'd told them I was moving - when I informed them I was moving, and asked what I should do, to stay with them, I was sent a 'support ticket' that was never acted upon.

Anyhow, this lack of activity meant I had to stay with the supplier to this house for a period of time. Now, there is a smart meter, but no handset, so I have to press a button on the gas meter to read the meter - but the supplier of the meter gets an automatic reading.
I've just reconnected with my previous supplier, and they wanted readings.
I took the readings, and was surprised to find the reading given by the supplier of the 'smart' meter, (with all the technology) was higher than the reading I took today!
I looked again, to be sure, and, yes, I was right.

It looks like 'technology' depends on a person putting in, or reading off, the correct data into/from a spreadsheet!!