Meter replacement

[DiyNutJob]

Have you not been watching the news recently?
Admittedly for debt, but...

What's in the news, is it good or bad? I only watch youtube.

 

[GarethW]

Would wrapping the antenna/transceiver stop communication ? Thus turning it back to a dumb meter !

 

[johnny2007]

Some horror stories about being charged thousands in a day.
If the meter can do that, what's stopping it charging a tenner extra a day and go undetected for months/years/ever?

 

[DiyNutJob]

Would wrapping the antenna/transceiver stop communication ? Thus turning it back to a dumb meter !

I suspect the small prints would say it's illegal to interfere with their equipment.

Some horror stories about being charged thousands in a day.
If the meter can do that, what's stopping it charging a tenner extra a day and go undetected for months/years/ever?

Doesn't the meter come with a count on it like the old meters? I have never seen a new meter.

 

[JohnW2]

Would wrapping the antenna/transceiver stop communication ? Thus turning it back to a dumb meter !

It would, if it could be effectively done - but I strongly suspect that such 'tampering' with a supplier's equipment would constitute a breach of contract.

Kind Regards, John

 

[JohnW2]

Some horror stories about being charged thousands in a day. If the meter can do that, what's stopping it charging a tenner extra a day and go undetected for months/years/ever?

That can happen with any malfunctioning meter - whether dumb or 'smart'.

Kind Regards, John

 

[johnny2007]

That can happen with any malfunctioning meter - whether dumb or 'smart'.

Kind Regards, John

True, but at least with the dumb meter I can see how many units I'm using and how much I'm charged without them having any remote input.
So if I turn everything off and go away for a week, on my way back I find the same numbers on the display, all is good.
With smart meters you have to constantly be looking at the display in case some smart arse decided to add a few units here and there remotely.
Many people have resorted to fitting a camera videoing the meter so to have proof that they're being overcharged.

 

[JohnW2]

True, but at least with the dumb meter I can see how many units I'm using and how much I'm charged without them having any remote input.
So if I turn everything off and go away for a week, on my way back I find the same numbers on the display, all is good.

The same should be true with a 'smart' meter.

With smart meters you have to constantly be looking at the display in case some smart arse decided to add a few units here and there remotely.

I can't see how any meter, 'smart or otherwise', can 'add a few units here and there'. The meter simply measures the number of units used. The communication between meter and supplier as regards usage is one-way - from meter to supplier. Turning the units used (at various different times of day) into money will dependent upon the tariff (which may change), but nothing can actually alter the recording of number of units used (*unless is meter is faulty).

Many people have resorted to fitting a camera videoing the meter so to have proof that they're being overcharged.

I'm really not sure how a camera would 'prove' that.

Kind Regards, John

 

[Mister Banks]

I have had a smart meter for many many years, never been overcharged, never had my whereabouts communicated to any criminal enterprise, never had any reason to be concerned. Having a smart meter has saved me hundreds of pounds off my energy bills over the years.

 

[JohnW2]

I have had a smart meter for many many years, never been overcharged, never had my whereabouts communicated to any criminal enterprise, never had any reason to be concerned.

I'm sure that you are very far from alone.

Those inclined to worry (or 'be paranoid') probably have far more reason to be concerned about ownership of an (again ''smart') mobile phone (particularly if used to interact with 'social media'!!), let alone the even-worse likes of "Alexa"!

Having a smart meter has saved me hundreds of pounds off my energy bills over the years.

Unless you are with Octopus (maybe others now?) and are inclined to expend the time and effort required to play with their 'dynamin tariffs', having a smart' meter, per se, does not really save any money.

Kind Regards, John

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

A close to real time detector of if anyone's home. Isn't that all enough? If they plot it on a chart, they will know in advance no one will be in from 11am to 4pm on tuesdays. How much is this worth to people who buy this kind of info? When there is profit, there is a way to make that profit.

Then you should always wear a hat made from cooking foil. What I wonder, use do you think they might make of that information?

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Some horror stories about being charged thousands in a day.
If the meter can do that, what's stopping it charging a tenner extra a day and go undetected for months/years/ever?

Sillier than even your usual posts. Faulty meters have always been around, and mistakes made in reading them - SM's drastically reduce the incidents of such errors, rather than increase the incidents.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Have you not been watching the news recently?
Admittedly for debt, but...

That has more to do with the drastic increase in energy cost, than with the actual meters, smart or otherwise. Did you not see the stories on the news, of them breaking into homes, to swap meters? The point you seem to be missing is that they can swap smarts to prepay, without ever going near the premises.

Debt is correct. All those who fail to pay their bills, add to the cost of energy for those who do pay their bills - rather unfair don't you think?

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

True, but at least with the dumb meter I can see how many units I'm using and how much I'm charged without them having any remote input.
So if I turn everything off and go away for a week, on my way back I find the same numbers on the display, all is good.

You can see exactly the same on a smart as a dumb meter, except a smart gives you even more information, all there on an easy to read display, where ever you feel inclined to put the display. If you fancy, you can even have it displayed on your smart phone, or PC screen - how much better does it get?

With smart meters you have to constantly be looking at the display in case some smart arse decided to add a few units here and there remotely.

You don't constantly watch a dumb meter, why would you constantly watch a smart one - that is nonsense. Why/who would add units remotely, even if there was a facility to do that and there just isn't.

Many people have resorted to fitting a camera videoing the meter so to have proof that they're being overcharged.

Yes, I have heard of people doing that - TO DUMB METERS, to show the wheel going round, when everything off.

 

[Mister Banks]

I'm sure that you are very far from alone.

Those inclined to worry (or 'be paranoid') probably have far more reason to be concerned about ownership of an (again ''smart') mobile phone (particularly if used to interact with 'social media'!!), let alone the even-worse likes of "Alexa"!

Unless you are with Octopus (maybe others now?) and are inclined to expend the time and effort required to play with their 'dynamin tariffs', having a smart' meter, per se, does not really save any money.

Kind Regards, John

I am with Octopus Energy. My smart meter has saved me money, I discovered I was using a lot of electricity from devices left on overnight and from devices that I thought were off but were in fact starting up periodically overnight (1.5kw and 1.0kw heaters!).