General Chat

British Gas fitted it for the last tenant, a very elderly lady who couldn't read the electricity meter, as it's near the ceiling.

Because my previous supplier was so lax in reading messages, I used BG as my supplier.
It transpired that, although the 'smart' meter was new, and the 2nd generation, BG didn't automatically get the readings. So that was useful.
So, BG estimated the readings, and about every 3 months I sent them a reading.
Unfortunately, BG didn't believe my readings, as they were a lot less than their estimates.

I changed provider.
Then that provider went bust, and I ended up back with BG. However, as I had an online account with them previously, they said, to have another online account with them, I would have to set up a new email address - oh, and they over estimated my last reading with the previous provider - and, yet again, didn't believe the readings I took a month after the change-over, as they were, yet again, less than their estimate :-|

They've promised to come and fix the meter, so they get readings, but, as usual, it's just words.

I get paper bills about every 3 months - if BG remember..

I keep meaning to change provider, but am interested in their 'estimate'! :-D :-D

Vera, I don't know why they sent an estimate (through the roof!) but after having firm words they sent a far more sensible bill - how did they come to that usage cost? Read it off the smart meter!!! If only the call centre people were as smart as the meters - at least the meter is in the UK. :-|

We had one fitted several years ago. The only advantage I found is that the bills were exact instead of estimated. We never used the monitor after the novelty wore off (that didn't take long) until we switched provider and our meter wasn't compatible with them. That's when we discovered that the monitor no longer worked, we couldn't have a replacement as we had switched supplier so had to send a meter reading from the meter each month until we switched again. The last supplier and our current one can both read our meter remotely with no problem. But to be honest I think they are very overrated, although I do appreciate that others may findthem much more useful than us

I had a smart meter foisted on me (was told I would be taken off the fixed tariff if I didn't have it installed).

Having been brow beaten into having it installed , they then left it in dumb mode ie not transmitting anything. It also beeped every 5 mins 24/7, until I finally got instructions out of them as to how to turn the sounder off

Weeks later, they said I might have to give them meter readings as it was still dumb.

I said they'd better give me instructions, as the meter just showed a combined total, instead of alternating between Economy 7 ( for storage heaters & hot water) & day time tariff.

Seems that was too difficult for them to do, but at least they did then come and get the dratted thing working!

I do have the monitor thing on, and was paranoid the first few days seeing what things like microwave, toaster, kettle etc were costing. In the end I went into the settings & turned the backlight off; it still has a red, amber green, light at the bottom, and I just have to touch it if I want to check the display, but it's not catching my eye all the time.

It does happily switch between the two tariffs, Economy 7 & daytime, and adds the daily standing charge at 1 am. I suppose it's useful knowing how much I'm spending.

Could have done without the hassle of it all though. Felt really bullied :-|

We had one put in many years ago when we changed tariff as two part wasn’t working for us

Plus too meter readers thought everyone should be at home at their whim!

Got peed off sending meter readings to correct estimates or a reader who thought was ok to walk into my home with wet shoes and soil my lounge carpet!

So the meter really doesn’t make me look at usage but it does send readings so bills are actual usage

They don't work well, if at all, in our area because of poor signal (or something.)

An engineer did come to my house a couple of years ago, intending to instal one, but then said he couldn't do it because I have storage heaters. Apparently the storage heaters wouldn't have switched off (or on) if I had a smart meter.

I was happy about that - didn't want one anyway!
I'm happy to read the unsmart meter myself and submit readings online.

Our local church does have one, but it only works intermittently.

We've had one for about 3 years. Although our meters are outside British Gas seldom sent a meter reader so we often got estimated bills. Now the readings go direct to BG and we don't have to do anything. I wonder why you got an estimate Island. Good luck with that phone call - hope you actually get to speak to a human being.

We are also careful in our use of gas and electricity but I do find it useful just to glance at the gadget as I go by. If it looks as though there is a lot of electricity being used it does make me stop and think about what machines are on and if I could have left something on by mistake.

We have avoided having one up to now. Our meters are on the wall at the side so we didn't see the meter readers, even when they did used to call. We don't get estimated bills either because we submit our own readings online each month. Like Joan we tend to be quite frugal anyway, but the 'gadget' as AnnG says sounds handy for knowing the cheapest way to cook something.

That's interesting Anng. I have a smart meter but British Gas has sent me an estimate - four times that of a 5 bed house occupied by 4-5 people!
Another tortuous phone call to make.

:-| :-| :-|

We and now I have had ours a while now. I find it useful in that there is not an estimated bill as it is read directly. And I do use the ‘gadget’ as Joan calls it because sometimes it is a toss up as to which way to cook something. Oven, microwave etc and the meter shows me which is more expensive.

yeah strange world no one comes to empty the electric or gas meters....no one comes to read them now... milkman just delivers milk some time in the night, and the bill is paid by d/d ,no tally man, no insurance man....hardly ever see the postie..............no bank to visit yeah life also gets lonely....dont it?

Who has them and wish they didn't because it has caused more trouble than it is worth and who like me will stay with the one they have cos if it aint broken don't fix it.