Moving to Air Source Heat Pump? Bulb & Co will still charge a daily fee for smart meter

[JP_]

https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/cost-of-living/bulb-energy-give-great-bookham-23903915

Man replaced gas heating with heat pumps, but Bulb charging £317 to remove the smart meter, and will charge 27p a day until it is removed.

Another reason not to get a smart meter from anybody.

 

[Old Salt]

Standing charge relates to any meter not just “smart” meters.

 

[IT Minion]

Standing charge relates to any meter not just “smart” meters.

The article says that it costs £320 to remove the smart meter but if it were a dumb meter it'd only be £120 or so.

 

[Old Salt]

The article says that it costs £320 to remove the smart meter but if it were a dumb meter it'd only be £120 or so.

Cost to remove may be different but the standing charge relates to having a meter (any meter) installed at the premises.

 

[IT Minion]

Cost to remove may be different but the standing charge relates to having a meter (any meter) installed at the premises.

I'd assumed that you could have your gas cut off and avoid the standing charge without having to remove the meter. But I am a complete lay person on this.

 

[ajohn]

The standing charge was introduced due to the "new" set up. It's supposed to cover the cost of the company that provides the street end of things who are a different lot to your supplier. I assume those still have to pass the money on to them.

I had 2 of the dam things. gas. Getting one removed had it's problems.The supply before the meter needs to be capped. Later some one turns up to inspect the work. I also had several strange letters warning me that I didn't have a gas meter. I just ignored them. 2 of those came and they stopped. They sounded like I would be hung or something.

Why did I have 2. It goes back to previous occupiers that wanted separate bills. Not flat related. They just lived here on different floors.

 

[gas112]

Takes no more than 15 minutes to remove the meter and do the paperwork and is the same to remove a smart or dumb meter even at £120 its taking the pish

 

[ajohn]

Takes no more than 15 minutes to remove the meter and do the paperwork and is the same to remove a smart or dumb meter even at £120 its taking the pish

I wasn't charged for the removal. However due to 2 meters at the same address I needed the flexible to be reconnected to the pipe work we were now using. I had to pay some one gas safe to do that. It developed a leak which I reported so they came along and changed the flexible mentioning how thin they are now. We needed a longer one than they usually use and guess what the man didn't have one in the van so was going to go away. So I said why not make an extension, smiled and went back the van and made one.

I arranged for the meter removal via the supplier but as there were 2 I had problems getting the message across. Eventually transferred to complaints at my request and she sorted it out rather quickly.

 

[The Samaritan]

A couple of months back we were going to get smart meters.
Then I read about the varying tariff over the day EG
higher rates during peak periods, EG luch, dinner etc.
I can see them do that, so we decided against it.
Water meters cost a bomb via bills and forget the average payments they tell you
about especially if you work from home or taken a retirmenet.

 

[gas112]

yep it wont be long till real time pricing is in with the excuse of saving the planet ,