General Chat

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!!

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.

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

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

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!

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.

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.

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.

I read my meter every month and send the readings to the provider. I also pay a set amount each month, by a set direct debit, which means I don't have huge payments to make in the Winter, and they can't 'over estimate' when they wish - they have to give me 10 days notice, and I can quibble..
If I find I'm substantially in credit in April, I demand a refund, which they have to pay back, although they will try not to.
If I'm in debit, I'll arrange for my monthly payment to be increased.

Not sure what your last sentence alludes to, R TR.
Is it a swipe at my not wishing to cow-tow to a system that patently doesn't work, or are you under the illusion that I will allow utility providers to over-estimate my bill to the extent your mother did?
Or maybe the folly of not following technology - which as is evident by the company's wrong reading - is cr*p, and probably means my hanging on the phone for ages to tell them they're wrong!

I've re read this thread a couple of times and can't find where Maggie actually says she wants on old style meter. :-S

If I had a piece of equipment that appeared not to work properly I would want it replaced too.

I would prefer 'old style' meters, but if that can't be achieved, replacement ones would obviously be the alternative - and I would still read the actual meters!

There may be nothing wrong with the meter, it may be an admin error, but getting a utility company to admit either may be a long haul - hence my suggestion that they send a 'meter reading technician' around to confirm my reading. I would send a photo, but if you send an email to my utility company, they send a 'support ticket', which is then studiously ignored.

Technology may make life easier - mainly in that the general public are doing a firm's admin for them, but as is evident by the apparently 'incredible' track & trace, where the spreadsheet was used incorrectly, most technology finally comes down to a human being doing the 'donkey' work. As a temp, I've been there, done that.

As for putting it into 'dumb' mode, without a display panel, that is essentially where I am. However, the readings are still automatically sent to the original supplier, as is evident from my first posting!

I just love technology :-P

I,m off to the dentist later and am looking forward to them telling me to hold my phone up to some gadget so it can read the code. Sorry, but I don’t want arm ache as well ;-). I’d be there for ever waiting for something to happen.

Ooo-err, never had that shenanigans at the dentist!
I'd pretend I didn't have a smartphone.
Actually, I usually leave it at home, anyway! :-D

We had our meter replaced by a smart meter in the normal replacement system. Unfortunately it didn't send the readings remotely, so OH had to read it. No problem in principle, but the meter and display was so close to the floor he had to lie on the floor to read it (varifocal specs....) and the display scrolled so quickly he struggled to read the numbers before it moved on. Eventually a man looked at it and said it hadn't been 'switched on' for remote readings.........
So that problem has now gone, after about 2 years.

We are with Ovo energy, if you are overestimated and pay more than you need to, they pay interest on the credit, much better than any bank.

Maggie

That’s the point - I don’t have a smart phone. :-D

I rarely have my phone o and often don’t have it with me anyway. People know not to ring me on that unless we have agreed they would on a particular day.

I am switching it on a couple of times a day at the moment because I am waiting for the second jab text.

:-D :-D :-D

My smartphone is on, and my children and I often message each other.
When I hear the 'message' tone on my smartphone, I look, and reply, on my laptop, :-D :-D

The current generation of SmartMeters do not require that the householder has a smartphone. They have a data display seperate from the meter(s) which can be positioned somewhere convenient.

The current SMETS2 devices do not use wifi or the mobile phone network for connecting to the dedicated GDN (govt data network) which is designed such that 99% of households can access it. The older SMETS1 meters will have to be replaced at some point ( loud noises off, who pays ? ).

A book could be written about the vast amounts of money spent and the poor decision making behind "smart meters" . Nevertheless now that there is a workable system users should be aware that at some point the option not to have the meter remotedly read will cease.

Gas heating will not be available for new build property after 2025 and possibly as soon as 2023. Replacement into exisiting properties will cease about 2033. Add a year or so for oil systems.

The English have never been keen on shelling out for insulation. One reason is that families tend not to stay in the same house long enough to make it pay. However the new technologies are not very good at providing enough heat on a cold day with the outside temp below zero. The only fixes available will be big woolly jumpers or much better insulation as is already usual in Scandinavia, Germany, Austra - but not in France even the chilly bits. It will not be a practical proposition to update a lot of property while the cost will be steep for nearly everybody. That is why the can is being kicked down the road as far as possible 'cos the wailing of complaint will be loud and furious..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1dvAxA9ib0

No-one was saying smart meters needed a smart phone!

What you DO need (apparently) for it to be effective, is a display panel.

RTR - YOU may say it's a workable system - that would be because it works for you. Your usual I'M not affected, it's wonderful - therefore, you're the one at fault, attitude.
Obviously it doesn't work for everyone - and before you assume I must have the older 'Smart' meters, they were put in last year - and the system - be it the technological system, or the admin at the end, isn't working properly!

As for 'shelling out for insulation' - quite a lot of it is rubbish - it's all 'marvellous' -unless! (see below) Or dangerous (Grenfell)

https://www.reenergizeco.com/replace-home-insulation/

RTR, we do not want or need a smart meter, they are like smart motorways, not smart at all, we have only electric on the meter, they send me an email for a reading, we read it and send it, we have gas delivered to a tank in the garden so no need for a meter there. So all i see the smart meters doing is meeting government targets and lining the pockets of the rich by stealing from the poor.

I echo ZZzzz there I still have the old meter and send my readings to them online. We have been pestered by door to door callers to have a smart meter and have told them in no uncertain ways where to go.