If your energy company has contacted you to change to a smart meter because your current meter needs replacing, it could be a safety hazard not to. But if you really don't want a smart meter, tell your supplier and they will probably offer to install a smart meter set up to work with all the communications switched off.
The smart meter fiasco was a nice piece of lobbying by the energy companies that the government fell for hook line and sinker.
The idea behind them, is that if you can see how much electricity you're using, then you'll be more careful, but as you'll have several things going at once, you won't know which item is burning the juice.
The smart meters send a signal to the meter reader as he drives round (at least I think that's how it'd done) so they need less meter readers to do the work. On top of that, you're bills have already gone up to cover the cost of the smart meter installation - about £200 I think - but of course they tell you that there'll be no additional costs for it.
The biggest fiddle as I understand it, is that they aren't designed to an industry standard, so one companies won't work with anothers, so if you change supplier, you may find you have to get another smart meter fitted.
You can refuse to have one installed, as I have, but I suspect they just keep chasing you to get it fitted.
That will be possible, of course if they are allowed to do it.I can only think that it's a way of cutting off the gas supply if you don't pay your bill.
Currently you can't be disconnected for none payment unless the meter has been read and they therefore have proof you owe the monies.Smart meters are to save money, no meter reader to pay [used to be one] and in due course with the right legislation the aim is to charge consumers as you use power, so your bank account will P.A.Y.GO.Interesting article in the Daily Mail yesterday whereby the smart gas meter kept switching the gas supply off. Apparently, they have a solenoid in them, and I can only think that it's a way of cutting off the gas supply if you don't pay your bill.