That, as I understand it, is how my (indoor) water meter works. It can be read 'remotely' (by 'wireless'), but the range is so short, that they have to park a van just outside my house to take a reading
If it can be done with water flow, I imagine it can also be done with gas flow.My previous (indoor) water meter had a couple of metres of cable connecting it to a 'remote display/repair' on the outside of the house, so that they did not have to gain access to my house to read it.
Indeed - but, as I said, that was also true of my previous one (a 'repeater' on the outside of the house, which they replaced quite quickly with the new-fangled ('wireless') one, which gained them very little!
With electronic ones I believe they do them more frequently - but still good for 10 years. I vaguely recall something like 20 years for Feraris disk meters.
Even if they stick to that in general, the mechanism is there - like the mechanism is there to generate million quid bills
We inherited an already clearly pretty old electromechanical meter about 32 years ago, and that remained in service for at least the first 20 or so years we were here. In the subsequent 10-12 years, we're now onto our third electronic one (all the changes having been 'routine', not because of any problem with the meters..
Indeed, as you say, 'the mechanism is there'. However, in addition to the safety issues, it is fairly clear from what they have repeatedly written about this that Ofgem would not tolerate suppliers becoming more trigger-happy about disconnections just because it became much easier for them to do it. They stress that the rules/guidances for disconnections ('as a very last resort') will be no different with smart meters. Their attitude might change, but I frankly doubt it, particularly with media and 'interest groups' looking over their shoulders.
That might be possible, but they seem to always park outside my front gate to take the reading - maybe it's a good place for them to eat their sandwiches!
As I said, even with my previous (non-wireless) one there was no risk of their having to make "repeated visits because there is no one in", because they installed a 'repeater' display on the outside of the building, so they did not have to get access into the house to read it.
With the disclaimer that my information is a few years old, my understanding is that they have not designed them to make it difficult for anybody to connect to them via wi-fi.
Currently paying 12.05p/unit (single-rate tariff), £69pa standing charge.
Because one of the goals is not half-hourly data collection, it is half-hourly price adjustments.
Which goes half way to demonstrating the point - if they stick to thecreliable types (Feraris disk for lecky, bellows for gas) then the meters are quite rekiable and go on for years. With the electronic versions, it's obvious they they have a much shorter life - but 3 in 12 years is taking the urine
The latter does not require the former. All that is needed is one register (and reading) per charging rate used in any billing period.
As I think I indicated before, if I were on a single-rate tariff with my current supplier, I'd currently be paying 14.39 p/unit (with a £59 pa Standing Charge). Given my almost 50:50 day:night ratio, with E7 I'm currently paying the equivalent of around 12.02 p/unit single-rate - so almost identical to you.
Same here - I've got until mid April. Given the competitive nature of the market, I wonder if these people are amenable to negotiation?!
True, but that clock is never going to get turned back. However, I'd say that it also goes more than half way to demonstrating the point I was making - that if they are changing non-smart meters at anything like the rate I've experienced, then the marginal additional cost of installing smart meters ought to be pretty low (and only a small fraction of £11 billion).Which goes half way to demonstrating the point - if they stick to thecreliable types (Feraris disk for lecky, bellows for gas) then the meters are quite rekiable and go on for years. With the electronic versions, it's obvious they they have a much shorter life - but 3 in 12 years is taking the urine
I've never really understood the point in smart meters having multiple registers (or, indeed, if the communication were faultless, any registers at all!!). If they simply uploaded usage and time data, they could play around 'centrally' with how much they were charging for usage during any particular time window. ....
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