Had an SMS yesterday from a relative asking if they have an electric boiler as their gas had been off a couple of days and they were still getting hot water.
So I phoned back and said "Yes, but you shouldn't be using it normally as electricity is 3 times the cost of gas. Why is your gas off."
Reply, "OK where is it? How do we know if it is on?"
"It is an immersion heater in you hot cylinder. There a switch on the landing outside the cupboard. If it is down it is on. There may even be a red indicator light on it. I can't remember. Why is your gas off?"
"We had smart meters installed ......"
"What", I interrupted and told them all the reasons why smart meters are a very bad idea.
"But they told us we would not have to read the meter any more, and it would be cheaper."
"That only takes 10 seconds once a month, and they lied. Anyway why is your gas off?"
At last I got a reply. "When they did a test after installing the meters the gas was losing pressure, so there was a leak. It was not their job to find it so gas off until we get an engineer. We have booked an engineer for tomorrow."
Hm I thought. There was a new boiler and cooker around three years ago and no leaks then.
So either
1. Pipes have sprung a leak - unlikely.
2. Someone has not fully turned off a cooker tap - quite possible.
3. Meter installer has not sealing his joints properly - quite possible as well.
"Back to this smart meter. Saving money depends on you altering your ways which people only generally do for about 6 weeks. I presume your tariffs are still the same cost per kWh."
"Er no. We now have a peak rate from 0600 to 0900, standard during the day which is less than we paid 24/7 before and an even cheaper overnight rate."
"What about the standing charge?"
"That is the same. They have put us on a special trial, not generally known about. The utility supplier is Bob?"
Thoughts racing through my head. Never heard of Bob supplier. Presume peak rate is when people get up and have showers (40 years ago we didn't have showers every day, just a bath once a week, and no one smelt then, the myth that showers save water falls down if you have 7 per week).
This must the start of fluid pricing that smart meters are really about. How long before another peak is introduced at dinner time and on Christmas day between 1200 and 1500? I asked them to send me details of these new and old tariffs.
Two more questions for them.
"Is it SMET 1 of SMET 2 because if the former it will not be smart next time you change supplier?
"Don't know anything about that."
"Have you got your landlords permission to have smart meters? Because if he does not want them he is going to have enormous problems to get them changed back? He won't be happy with you."
"No."
I left it at that point.
Update. The gas engineer came this morning and can't find the leak. He is using foam on the joints, but does not seem to have a sniffer. He thinks there could be a leak in the pipes in the walls and suggests all new pipes round the walls.
So I phoned back and said "Yes, but you shouldn't be using it normally as electricity is 3 times the cost of gas. Why is your gas off."
Reply, "OK where is it? How do we know if it is on?"
"It is an immersion heater in you hot cylinder. There a switch on the landing outside the cupboard. If it is down it is on. There may even be a red indicator light on it. I can't remember. Why is your gas off?"
"We had smart meters installed ......"
"What", I interrupted and told them all the reasons why smart meters are a very bad idea.
"But they told us we would not have to read the meter any more, and it would be cheaper."
"That only takes 10 seconds once a month, and they lied. Anyway why is your gas off?"
At last I got a reply. "When they did a test after installing the meters the gas was losing pressure, so there was a leak. It was not their job to find it so gas off until we get an engineer. We have booked an engineer for tomorrow."
Hm I thought. There was a new boiler and cooker around three years ago and no leaks then.
So either
1. Pipes have sprung a leak - unlikely.
2. Someone has not fully turned off a cooker tap - quite possible.
3. Meter installer has not sealing his joints properly - quite possible as well.
"Back to this smart meter. Saving money depends on you altering your ways which people only generally do for about 6 weeks. I presume your tariffs are still the same cost per kWh."
"Er no. We now have a peak rate from 0600 to 0900, standard during the day which is less than we paid 24/7 before and an even cheaper overnight rate."
"What about the standing charge?"
"That is the same. They have put us on a special trial, not generally known about. The utility supplier is Bob?"
Thoughts racing through my head. Never heard of Bob supplier. Presume peak rate is when people get up and have showers (40 years ago we didn't have showers every day, just a bath once a week, and no one smelt then, the myth that showers save water falls down if you have 7 per week).
This must the start of fluid pricing that smart meters are really about. How long before another peak is introduced at dinner time and on Christmas day between 1200 and 1500? I asked them to send me details of these new and old tariffs.
Two more questions for them.
"Is it SMET 1 of SMET 2 because if the former it will not be smart next time you change supplier?
"Don't know anything about that."
"Have you got your landlords permission to have smart meters? Because if he does not want them he is going to have enormous problems to get them changed back? He won't be happy with you."
"No."
I left it at that point.
Update. The gas engineer came this morning and can't find the leak. He is using foam on the joints, but does not seem to have a sniffer. He thinks there could be a leak in the pipes in the walls and suggests all new pipes round the walls.
I've personally known of at least two copper (water) pipes that have corroded to the point of leaking - so extrapolating, it's can't be extremely rare for it to happen.
