Electric meters

[fixitflav]

My brother is with Eon and they have emailed him saying
"we just wanted to let you know your electricity meter has reached the end of its life. When this happens there’s a legal obligation to check and exchange your meter with a new one."

They then go on to imply, without actually saying so, that the replacement has to be a smart meter. Seems odd to me. His current meter is electronic, with date, time etc as well as the readings so sceptical that it's at the end of its life. I have a much older meter with cyclometer type figures, and nobody has said mine needs replacing. Like me, he doesn't want a smart meter, having heard enough bad stories about them.

Anybody comment?

 

[Murdochcat]

AFAIR you can request a dumb meter

 

[JohnW2]

AFAIR you can request a dumb meter

As I often say, although I often see/hear that being said, the Service Agreement/Contract that I am deemed to have signed (by using their electricity) includes my agreement that the supplier can install whatever "metering and other equipment" in my house which they see fit in connection with providing an electricity supply.

 

[EFLImpudence]

Perhaps they are trying it on.

Nevertheless, it is still possible to refuse a smart meter.

 

[JohnW2]

Perhaps they are trying it on.

They usually do, for obvious reasons - although I suppose it's probably increasingly true that they may not keep in stock (maybe even find hard to source) 'dumb' meters?

Nevertheless, it is still possible to refuse a smart meter.

So many people say. However, as I've just written, my contract seems to say that if I want a continuing electricity supply, I 'agree' that they can install whatever metering equipment 'they see fit' in my house.

Kind Regards, John

 

[EFLImpudence]

However, as I've just written, my contract seems to say that if I want a continuing electricity supply, I 'agree' that they can install whatever metering equipment 'they see fit' in my house.

As I've just written, perhaps they are trying it on.

 

[Murdochcat]

Do I have to have a smart meter? | Smart Energy GB

Are smart meters compulsory? Smart meters provide many benefits, but it's your choice whether to have one. Click here to find out more.

www.smartenergygb.org

 

[JohnW2]

As I've just written, perhaps they are trying it on.

I'm not really sure what you mean. If, contractually, I have agreed (or am deemed to have agreed) that a condition of my receiving an electricity supply is that the supplier may install any metering equipment that they see fit, there's nothing tor them to "try on", is there?

... or are you suggesting that such a condition in a contract is in some way 'illegal' or 'invalid'?

Kind Regards, John

 

[JohnW2]

Do I have to have a smart meter? | Smart Energy GB

Are smart meters compulsory? Smart meters provide many benefits, but it's your choice whether to have one. Click here to find out more.

www.smartenergygb.org

That's a statement of the government's position - and, as you imply, the government are not saying that having a 'smart' meter is compulsory.

However, that's different from the commercial/contractual situation. As far as I am aware, any supplier is free to impose whatever conditions (within reason!) in its contracts as it wishes - so I doubt that there is anything preventing a particular supplier from saying that it will only provide an electricity supply to consumers prepared to have a 'smart' meter.

If every supplier did that, such that people who refused to have 'smart' meters would not bee able to get an electricity supply from anywhere, then the government (or Ofgem) would probably have to intervene in some way, but we are a very long way from that situation.

 

[Murdochcat]

That's a statement of the government's position - and, as you imply, the government are not saying that having a 'smart' meter is compulsory.

However, that's different from the commercial/contractual situation. As far as I am aware, any supplier is free to impose whatever conditions (within reason!) in its contracts as it wishes - so I doubt that there is anything preventing a particular supplier from saying that it will only provide an electricity supply to consumers prepared to have a 'smart' meter.

If every supplier did that, such that people who refused to have 'smart' meters would not bee able to get an electricity supply from anywhere, then the government (or Ofgem) would probably have to intervene in some way, but we are a very long way from that situation.

Change supplier then

And when I eventually get one, I’ll be wrapping it in silver foil

 

[JohnW2]

Change supplier then

I don't want or need to.

And when I eventually get one, I’ll be wrapping it in silver foil

If that achieved what you intended,I suspect that such 'interference' would probably be in breach of your Service Agreement.

I don't need to use silver foil, since the very thick walls of my hose seem to work at least as well.

 

[Mister Banks]

Just accept the smart meter, I've had them for many years without a single issue.

 

[EFLImpudence]

Just accept the smart meter, I've had them for many years without a single issue.

You'll be thrilled to bits with central bank digital currency, then.

 

[Murdochcat]

Just accept the smart meter, I've had them for many years without a single issue.

Sooner or later there will be an it failure OR a hacking that will disable thousands of meters

 

[ericmark]

It seems I don't NEED a smart meter, however if I want a tariff which gives me low cost power, then I do need one installing. I will be unlikely to tell me anything I don't already know, I will be interested when it is fitted on the 28th to actually see what it does tell me.

But as said not forced to have one, there are billing agents who do not require them to be fitted, but they charge more or pay less for the energy.