01-02-2018, 05:40 PM
192
Re: Energy: SMART Meters
Originally Posted by tarantula
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Water meters are compulsory in our area, which can be a bit trying. However, I guess it does make one stop and think about our water usage.
04-09-2018, 02:31 PM
193
Re: Energy: SMART Meters
Reviving this a bit - new member so please bear with me...I had problems with EON a while back and took them 3 months to listen and act on what I was saying so I am not too happy with them generally.
Today I had a letter saying they were wanting to put in a smart meter as my current meter was old. To me this sounds like a way to get around the option I have to refuse a smart meter.
Now I actually think smart meters are a good idea.
However, it seems, on looking at the current situation with smart meters, there is no guarantee that their meter will be compatible with another supplier should I wish to switch at some point.
So, I am reluctant to let them install it but am not sure where I stand if I refuse. I am inclined to just ignore it until they start threatening me... then switch.
What do you think?
04-09-2018, 02:56 PM
194
Re: Energy: SMART Meters
I'm no expert but personally I wouldn't have one ... not now anyway.The compatibility issue has to be sorted, also, there was something on the TV recently about these metres now being out of date: part truth and part sensation I think.
The whole country will have one one day, but I wouldn't be in any rush to join them.
04-09-2018, 07:02 PM
197
Re: Energy: SMART Meters
Originally Posted by galty
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Its a wonder to me. why some of you Luddits use the internet.
Besides - how else could we have the pleasure of your company?
04-09-2018, 07:23 PM
199
Re: Energy: SMART Meters
Originally Posted by mmadhat
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Now I actually think smart meters are a good idea.
A Smart Meter exists for one reason and one reason only, to generate BILLIONS more dollars for energy companies and YOU will be the person providing those profits.
Whatever benefits they try to trick you with, the neat gadget they give you for inside the house, the so-called energy "savings", money saved etc etc IT IS ALL A TOTAL LIE.
Smart Meters exist to herald in a MASSIVE change to energy billing which is VARIABLE RATE BILLING.
So be very clear.
Currently your gas and electric meters just display a number which you report to the company who then bill you a SET RATE per UNIT of energy used.
It's simple, it's easy and it's been fine for us all for years.
This WILL change to Variable Rate Billing.
That means your energy company will start charging you different rates for energy used at different times of the day.
Can you guess which parts of the day will be the cheapest rate?
Yep, it will be overnight when you're asleep doing nothing, not using energy.
Can you guess which parts of the day will be the most expensive rate?
Yep, late afternoon/evening when everyone comes in from work, switches on the lights, TV, hot water for a bath. When you cook you evening meal, boil the kettle lots of times to make tea/coffee and so on.
Understand that your current so-called "old" meter has no clue whatsoever how and when you are using your energy. It just logs the number of units used, not when you used them. That's why the energy companies are hell bent on swapping them out for SMART METERS.
The new meters WILL record every piece of energy you use and will know exactly what time of the day you are using it.
The Smart Meter ENABLES them to move to VARIABLE RATE BILLING.
Note however that they are NOT telling anyone this yet. They are keeping very schtum about it. Tey first want to get millions of Smart Meters installed on the back of their outright lies and sexy adverts, and THEN they will drop the bombshell that variable rate billing is coming.
When that happens, let me tell you, if you foolishly accepted a Smart Meter, your energy bills will DOUBLE or even TRIPLE.
The Smart Meter will save you nothing whatsoever, it will vastly increase your bills. Even if you make no changes whatsoever to your living style, the mere fact that they start charging a huge premium for energy used in the evening, will result in your bills skyrocketing.
This has all been done in the USA and people have seen the results. Millions of people are furious with the energy companies and the government for allowing it to happen. There is a huge anti-Smart Meter movement.
Don't become a victim.
No-one has to have a Smart Meter.
No company can force anyone to have a Smart Meter bolted onto their property.
If your energy company mandates that you must have one, then walk away, close your account with them and go with another provider. They will soon get the message when millions of others do likewise.
Also, print out an A4 sheet of paper with a clear message on it that says:
ATTENTION
DO NOT INSTALL SMART METER HERE
Under no circumstances must a Smart Meter be installed at this property without the express persmission of Mr/Mrs [insert your name]
Any attempt to do so will result in legal action being taken
Laminate the A4 sheet and make a copy for each of your meter boxes and tie them to the meters inside the boxes.
Smart Meters are terrible things that are designed purely to make YOU pay tons more for the same energy you use today. Do not accept one.
04-09-2018, 07:34 PM
200
Re: Energy: SMART Meters
Originally Posted by mmadhat
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So, I am reluctant to let them install it but am not sure where I stand if I refuse.
If you accept a Smart Meter, for the moment all will be well but when enough meters have been installed countrywide, and they switch to variable rate billing, you will be well and truly Daffy Ducked. Note that once you have switched to a Smart Meter there will be no way back. No energy company will go and put the old meter back for you. It's a one way trip.
When you refuse to have one, for the moment nothing will happen. I advise you to PROACTIVELY contact your gas and electric suppliers and tell them in advance that you will not accept one and therefore to remove you from their planned rollout list. I did this for British Gas and Npower and both were fine with it.
Going forward however I expect things to change. If they get enough Smart meters rolled out and change to variable rate billing they will start the bully boy tactics. They are going to say to us all:
"We now bill different rates and different times of the day, but as you have an old meter we can't determine when you are using your energy. Therefore we will assume it is all used at the most expensive time and bill you accordingly"
If not the above they will simply create a "special no meter tariff" for people without Smart Meters and will charge a huge amount for each unit of energy you have used.
What we then have to do in response is switch suppliers. There are tons of suppliers and for quite a while this whole fiasco is going to create a lot of competition. The BIG companies will do as I suggest above, trying to bully people but any clever smaller companies will welcome people with old meters into their open arms and thereby grab a load of new business.
The big companies are going to suffer a lot of lost customers as a result.
That situation will go on for a few years until, ultimately ALL energy companies start insisting on Smart Meters. Not sure what happens then.
What I advise I spend the current years that we have, getting yourself into as much of an "off-grid" position as you can. Get solar panels, get ground heat pump heating and so on. When variable rate billing comes in these renewable energy solutions will start to represent far bigger savings than they do now. And indeed installing them will likely get more expensive as people later rush to get them. So doing it early is advisable.
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