Smart meter advice

S

stephen cartwright

Guest
According to the rip off Britain show, once installed by your current supplier, if you change, there has to be an appointment made to get their smart meter out and your new supplier has to install their version.

Also smart meters are no good if you have solar panels installed.

Anyone had a smart meter installed had the above problems?
 


Only recently had one installed as it was free. Isn't the goal for every household to have one by 2020?
We're getting ours done in a few weeks. The 2020 was mentioned.

Our deal is up in March and I said I'll be leaving if they can't match any deals around. They said I might have to return the devices around the house, but they were working on some kind of universal software making them workable across all suppliers.
 
Only recently had one installed as it was free. Isn't the goal for every household to have one by 2020?
It is and I'm possibly getting one shortly but what I said above concerns me.

Seems a clart on getting one, only to have to get it out, if changing supplier.

No mention of this previously from the companies I have enquired with.

Was on rip off Britain on thursday

We're getting ours done in a few weeks. The 2020 was mentioned.

Our deal is up in March and I said I'll be leaving if they can't match any deals around. They said I might have to return the devices around the house, but they were working on some kind of universal software making them workable across all suppliers.
Not according to this TV show
 
No idea on solar panels Stevie C.

It is and I'm possibly getting one shortly but what I said above concerns me.

Seems a clart on getting one, only to have to get it out, if changing supplier.

No mention of this previously from the companies I have enquired with.

Was on rip off Britain on thursday


Not according to this TV show
Replacing a meter only takes about an hour of you waiting round the house. There's no monetary cost as far as I know.
 
No idea on solar panels Stevie C.
The Mrs watched the show and told me. It will be on BBC iPlayer probably

No idea on solar panels Stevie C.


Replacing a meter only takes about an hour of you waiting round the house. There's no monetary cost as far as I know.
I don't mind that, but some work needs doing, around the area of where the meter would be.

That will be costing plenty and I don't want some half arsed bloke ripping out one for a new one.
 
The Mrs watched the show and told me. It will be on BBC iPlayer probably


I don't mind that, but some work needs doing, around the area of where the meter would be.

That will be costing plenty and I don't want some half arsed bloke ripping out one for a new one.
Understandable.

They seemingly aren't, but there's no reason why smart meters can't be universal across all suppliers.
Every time I've changed supplier historically (pre smart meters) I haven't had to rip out my meter.

It's the government pushing for the 2020 thing, they should oversee that everything is as hassle free as possible.
 
You’re correct, the meter is only compatible for your energy company and their systems (unless another energy company runs the same system, which I doubt).

You’d have thought that would have been one of those things where the government would’ve said all energy companies need to be compatible across suppliers. It’ll be a clart on changing but my thought was it’s either do it now or get it forced in a few years time.

I’ve stopped bothering with mine, you only save money if you put your washing machine on after midnight etc.

Equivalent to £5.00 an hour to have a shower, 50p an hour to put the kettle on etc.

EDIT: I had to cut my cupboard away a bit for it to fit while the bloke was there.
 
Understandable.

They seemingly aren't, but there's no reason why smart meters can't be universal across all suppliers.
Every time I've changed supplier historically (pre smart meters) I haven't had to rip out my meter.

It's the government pushing for the 2020 thing, they should oversee that everything is as hassle free as possible.

no longer is the mantle of every house will have a smart meter by 2020. it is every house will be offered a smart meter by 2020.

as far as I am aware, any special deals may not apply if you change supplier as the new supplier may not be able to read your smart meter. I don't know why particularly, as it would revert to an ordinary meter, where reads would have to be sent in every 3 months or so

Who'd have thought it? The government overseeing a total farce.

whole thing set up by labour
 
no longer is the mantle of every house will have a smart meter by 2020. it is every house will be offered a smart meter by 2020.

as far as I am aware, any special deals may not apply if you change supplier as the new supplier may not be able to read your smart meter. I don't know why particularly, as it would revert to an ordinary meter, where reads would have to be sent in every 3 months or so



whole thing set up by labour
I might cancel our fitting.

I want the cheapest energy, not a gadget that tells me how much it costs to watch Go Jetters.
 
Hey Stephen, I used to work for a big energy broker so I know a little.

No urgency and no massive savings from getting a smart meter. However, when you're within 6 months of your current contract ending, start shopping around for quotes etc. and see which (new) supplier will install one for nowt. Amazingly, you still have to read thing for them, but only once a year to sort of calibrate it.

We have solar PV panels which don't facilitate a smart meter because quite often your meter goes backwards, especially on sunny days when you generate leccy yourself.

If you can get a grant or funding for solar panels, you'll save much more than you ever would from just "keeping an eye on things" with a smart meter.

We get an annual rebate because of the Feed In Tariff and the leccy we generate. Last time, it was £350. We pay c. £55pm for electric, same for gas.

12 * £55 is £660pa minus the £350 means we pay less than HALF price over the year.

This comes from thinking ahead a little when using high-consuming items. If you're going to use the washer, the dryer or the dishwasher ... only use one at a time and do it when it's bright and sunny, or at least in the middle of the day.

Hope that helps, my friend :)
 
no longer is the mantle of every house will have a smart meter by 2020. it is every house will be offered a smart meter by 2020.

as far as I am aware, any special deals may not apply if you change supplier as the new supplier may not be able to read your smart meter. I don't know why particularly, as it would revert to an ordinary meter, where reads would have to be sent in every 3 months or so



whole thing set up by labour
Whole thing carried out under a Tory government.

All privatised companies under the Tories, resulting in billions of profit flying overseas to subsidise their customers at home.

It's not politics man. It's privatised companies pulling a scam, as you can lay odds, that after the initial roll out, it will cost you plenty to change a meter and supplier in the future
 
Hey Stephen, I used to work for a big energy broker so I know a little.

No urgency and no massive savings from getting a smart meter. However, when you're within 6 months of your current contract ending, start shopping around for quotes etc. and see which (new) supplier will install one for nowt. Amazingly, you still have to read thing for them, but only once a year to sort of calibrate it.

We have solar PV panels which don't facilitate a smart meter because quite often your meter goes backwards, especially on sunny days when you generate leccy yourself.

If you can get a grant or funding for solar panels, you'll save much more than you ever would from just "keeping an eye on things" with a smart meter.

We get an annual rebate because of the Feed In Tariff and the leccy we generate. Last time, it was £350. We pay c. £55pm for electric, same for gas.

12 * £55 is £660pa minus the £350 means we pay less than HALF price over the year.

This comes from thinking ahead a little when using high-consuming items. If you're going to use the washer, the dryer or the dishwasher ... only use one at a time and do it when it's bright and sunny, or at least in the middle of the day.

Hope that helps, my friend :)
It does. Good stuff
 
You wouldn’t have to have a smart meter installed by a new supplier but your existing smart meter would stop functioning as a smart meter and become a normal dumb credit meter. The new smets 2 meters are coming the beginning of next year so I would just wait till then as they will swap between suppliers.

They do work with solar panels. Only problem you would have is if you have a green electric meter as that measures import and export in one meter and the smart meter wouldn’t be able to measure your feed in for any payments you receive. But most setups just have a seperate meter for the panels.

You say your getting work done around the meter location what exactly?
 

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