Smart meters - good choice?

[ericmark]

like to fact you can see how much you are using

Mine often flits between the two reading shown, but in daylight hours it does not help one bit to know what one is using. By around 00:30 when it will likely show some use, we are normally in bed, and the display has switched off anyway.

I can see it on the PC but that is nothing to do with smart meter, and the phone app is a day behind.

 

[aveatry]

i am presently with british gas on lower standing charge tarrif or i was over the last year
if i had a smart meter i could get free sunday afternoon electric units now this sounds great but is is virtuallty zero value as i dont have a smart meter but most off all my base load is about 2.7 electric units a day so a free units for 3 or 4 hours on a sunday may save me perhaps 11% off normal use as thats about 70p a day thats perhaps 8p that could be further bolstered by farting about cooking things short powering fridges and freezers and charging powertool batteries a washing and drying cycle and using perhaps another 20- 40p in other words a saving off 50p for loads off effort so not off any real value on a sunday only but needing a smart meter that incidently they already fitted about 15 years ago but non functional now as a first generation

Sounds like a big con to me

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

I can see it on the PC but that is nothing to do with smart meter, and the phone app is a day behind.

Mine is a maximum of ten seconds behind. The Octopus pink gadget, works rather well

 

[Rodders53]

Don’t know what happens when it’s life span is up though.

Same as when a dumb meter certification time is up (or one goes faulty)... It gets replaced (but with a smart one).

My supplier paid me £50 to have a smart meter.
Having that smart meter lets me access a EV tariff with 6.7p inc VAT electric 0000-0700 each day. Peak rate is a tad over 27p inc.

Average cost of my electric consumed since the EV rate has been between 16.6 and 17.9 p per kWh (inc VAT) according to my monthly bills; but it's only been 3 full months so far.

 

[ericmark]

Mine is a maximum of ten seconds behind. The Octopus pink gadget, works rather well

I also have Octopus Tuesday for export and Wednesday only shows standing charge as yet on the App.

 

[Rodders53]

I also have Octopus Tuesday for export and Wednesday only shows standing charge as yet on the App.

Harry will have the Octopus mini to read the IHD LAN signals via an App in the same way as the IHD does https://octopus.energy/blog/octopus-home-mini/

It also acts as a LAN range extender to smart gas meters (and 30 minute measurements).

 

[ericmark]

Harry will have the Octopus mini to read the IHD LAN signals via an App in the same way as the IHD does https://octopus.energy/blog/octopus-home-mini/

It also acts as a LAN range extender to smart gas meters (and 30 minute measurements).

Thanks, that explains things a little, but it will still show same as IHD just what is imported or exported, what is of interest is state of battery, so it does not really help much.

 

[Colin Brenton]

They are to benefit the supplier, not the customer (hence why the suppliers are so aggressively pushing them, despite a high percentage of them not working properly / at all).

So no thanks.

Just my take on it, have a read and see what you think.

 

[SUNRAY]

We keep getting emails asking us to read the gas meter as it has only managed 5 times in the 4 months since installation, the electric meter seems to be communicating often enough to keep the supplier happy, the last time we spoke it had been over 2 days and the operator couldn't force a reading at the time. Our monitor seems to be reading ok.

I did warn prior to installation of poor phone coverage and they pooh-pooh it acording to the coverage maps, a dozen houses along the road the meters hardly ever communicate, even with the additional antennae.

 

[JohnW2]

We keep getting emails asking us to read the gas meter as it has only managed 5 times in the 4 months since installation, the electric meter seems to be communicating often enough to keep the supplier happy, the last time we spoke it had been over 2 days and the operator couldn't force a reading at the time. Our monitor seems to be reading ok. ... I did warn prior to installation of poor phone coverage and they pooh-pooh it acording to the coverage maps, a dozen houses along the road the meters hardly ever communicate, even with the additional antennae.

As I've often observed, I would suspect that the same problem would arise at my house - since, whilst I realise that there are technological ways around situations in which GSM coverage is iffy, but it seems to me that it is only rarely, if ever, that they actually do that.

As I've also said, although I have no problems with 'Smart' meters, per se, (I have one in a house that I own), if they ever try to force one on me, despite my warnings about the potential communication problems, I will make it very clear that once they have installed an SM, there is no way that I am ever going to 'give them a meter reading' - so if they want readings, they'll have to send someone to read the meter

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

They are to benefit the supplier, not the customer (hence why the suppliers are so aggressively pushing them, despite a high percentage of them not working properly / at all).

I would suggest the 'high percentage', is an exaggeration. They are of great benefit to the supplier, the generator, and the end customer - hence the aggressive push. The supplier can be better informed, both suppliers and generators can help smooth out demand by unit pricing. Finally, the customer, can tune their time of demand, to save themselves money, or even just choose a cheaper tariff.

We keep getting emails asking us to read the gas meter as it has only managed 5 times in the 4 months since installation, the electric meter seems to be communicating. Our monitor seems to be reading ok.

So, your electric meter is providing regular readings, but not your gas meter? That suggests a communication issue, of your gas meter. The gas meters data, is relayed to the electric meter, the electric meter then relays it's readings, plus the gas readings back to base.

 

[pete01]

Yeah they are a good choice, you can keep an eye on what you are spending, not that theres much you can do about it.

 

[EFLImpudence]

They are to benefit the supplier, not the customer (hence why the suppliers are so aggressively pushing them, despite a high percentage of them not working properly / at all).

So no thanks.

I agree with your sentiments but it is the government forcing the suppliers to fit them or they will be penalised.

 

[Why Not Indeed]

I've got one, pretty much the same story as Harry Broomfield. No TOU tariffs without one.

 

[aveatry]

My supplier has been harassing me for years with letters and phone calls ranging from extolling benefits, offering bribes, saying my old one needs updating, trying to scare me that it will stop my heating from working, booking a date without my say so and offering me to contact them to re arrange.
Next will come that I am not allowed to travel without one -- sound familiar - the more they try to coerce me the more it feels like it is not for my benefit at all.