Smart Meters

The first question to ask is who benefits if all of us have a smart meter. With apologies to those who have written above that they are happy/satisfied with theirs, it is the suppliers who benefit. They can have in most circumstances up to the minute information on any meter's usage. Then if there is an increase in usage their computer will tell you they are increasing your monthly direct debit when they send/inform you of your next bill/account. That fails completely to recognise that any increase in usage is temporary or special and normal usage will continue.

All of us are paying for these smart meters because the costs are being included in ALL our bills. Yet most of us know how we use fuels and can monitor our usage without these meters. I have records going back over 30 years on a simple spread sheet which can also calculate costs when I input the current unit costs.

You do not need one unless you can see a personal advantage. What is much more relevant is what we are being charged by our supplier(s). The need to switch is paramount I believe and even with stage 2 meters I expect there to be problems for some users.

I will not have one unless forced to and then under strong protest. For most of us they are unnecessary.

Energy companies are wasting a huge amount of money installing smart meters. The rollout is failing to meet its targets. The whole scheme was designed to get rid of meter reading jobs. It will only save you money if you change your behaviour as a result of staring at your smart meter.

I've had a Smart Meter for my Electricity for around 3 years, no problems, accurate bills is a bonus. I don't often look at mine as I'm well aware of what I'm using.

I persuaded my elderly Mum to have one fitted last year, she could no longer see to read her meter, monthly bills were a problem for her as they always wanted a reading, I live too far away to read her meter. The only thing she worried about was having the Smart Meter where she could see it, easily solved, it sits in the spare room, plugged in but not where it doesn't intimidates her about how much electricity she's using

been with first utility for years both disabled they are amazing .if electric goes off problem up road we as disabled get a small generator just for us as hubby needs medical equipment in night, they help on phone if needed special fast getting through line,no more reading the meters and submitting it, 100% great company.customer service second to none

I can’t have one as old connections need replacing before anything new can be fitted. This is down to the freeholder! Having read about them, I’m not inclined to think they will make any difference to my consumption

As others have said, make sure your smart meter is one of the new ones that will stay smart if you switch supplier.
The Government has pledged that every household and small business will be offered a smart meter by the end of 2020 (a deadline that is likely to be missed but they are pushing to meet it). However, there is no obligation to take a smart meter, so you can say no.
However, these meters are the gateway to a cleaner, greener, more flexible energy system in the future. It might be about saving a few pounds now, but the real benefits are further down the line.
There's an interesting article here if you want to read a bit more: theecologist.org/2017/apr/03/smart-meters-way-new-age-clean-energy.

I have had my smart meter for about 2 years now and to be honest I never look at it. When it was first installed I used to look to see what used what but I am careful with my gas and electricity so I never bother to look at it. There is no catch with them they are useful because no one has to come to read the meter it also lets the company now if there is a power cut so you do not have to get in touch with them.

Legs55
Who reads your mother's water and gas meters ? (if she has gas)

CardiffJaguar
A very perspicacious comment. ???

I asked for smart meters to be installed, and got them, a couple of years ago. We have prepayment meters (by choice, we're not in debt) and the smart meters can be topped up online instead of having to visit a shop. We've had no problems at all with ours and its interesting to see how much electricity and gas different devices and appliances use. By the way, your electricity does NOT get cut off if your broadband goes down - we get the odd broadband outage occasionally and the electricity has been just fine every time. As for health risks, I'm skeptical about this but, in any event, our actual meters are in a cupboard just outside our front door (purpose built apartment block) - we just have the small monitoring meter in the kitchen.

Against my advice, my mum had a smart meter fitted last September. She thought it would make life easier for herself and for me, as she would no longer have to take monthly readings then phone me with them so that I could enter them on her online account. She also thought it would be useful to be able to see how much energy she was using at any time, via the in-house display monitor.

It didn't take long before she unplugged the monitor and put in a drawer - from the information it gave, Mum was convinced she must be using far more energy than she really was, and she became quite worried about it, even though I keep an eye on her account and tried to reassure her that her usage hadn't increased and no, she was not about to get a demand from her supplier for a lot more money.

The next problem could come when her present energy contract ends in June and I (probably) need to find her a new supplier.
If the smart meter no longer works, she will not be able to take manual readings, because with the new meter, even if she manages to press the right button to make the reading show, she can't see well enough to read it. As I live 120 miles away, I am not going to be able to do it for her!

I have had two fitted so far. One by British Gas. Other by octopus. Both were fine. Saved me climbing into tiny space to read meters. Octopus guy said most firms fit their type. But British Gas have been obstinate and do one hardly any other company uses, if you want to switch power firms. But it’s easy to change the meter, if that is the case. Someone comes in, takes about 20 mins.

Two comments so far indicate that the particular posters mothers 'can't see well enough to read it' (the meters) so how do they watch tv, read the paper, read letters (mail), labels on food etc?
Besides which, there are gas and water meters to read. Who reads those? Don't they wear glasses?

*posters' mothers.

I will fight tooth and nail not to have one fitted for two reasons.

1) it would result in divorce proceedings, DH is obsessive enough about energy usage without having proof that I have used the hair dryer for five minutes too long.

2) They are a security risk. www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/dec/29/smart-electricity-meters-dangerously-insecure-hackers

Help, please, if I agreed to have one fitted (and I won't) how would I know it was actually 2nd generation? Just trust them? Don't think so somehow.

GabriellaG54 you seem to have a bit of a bee in your bonnet about people being unable to read meters. Visual impairments take on many forms. Of course some people can watch TV (there's rather a huge difference between a large modern tv and a tiny meter!) but perhaps struggle with reading a meter. My husband is registered visually impaired and can see the tv perfectly, but yes it is hard to read a meter. He has very very poor vision in low light and even with a strong torch it would be difficult as the meter is right at the back of an understairs cupboard. Plus the numbers ARE small. He does struggle to read normally, but manages using assistive technology on a screen. Food labels? He would probably say - what are they? On the other hand my Dad who has poor mobility, is physically unable to stoop down enough to read his meter, although his eyesight is fine. The OP was asking if there were advantages of smart meters and for some people who struggle to read them, for whatever reason, yes there is.

My fear is that eventually the suppliers will say "well if you haven't got a smart meter we will have to send someone to check you are sending in accurate meter readings so will charge you £xx extra."

I do not want a smart meter - I already use as little electricity as possible and don't need a machine to tell me.

Things to consider:
Use of smart meters will likely lead to precision pricing, to increase prices when we have a high usage at any old time of day or night.
There is a White Paper somewhere dating from the 90's to the effect that this is to enable better balancing of renewable energy that fluctuates in production, so for this reason, a good thing.
Finally, do those of us with solar panels trust the people doing the installation work to be familiar with the panel set up, and for the installation to be insured if something goes wrong? Asking this question was a bit of a puzzle for EDF.

GabriellaG54

There are three reasons why my mum can't read her new meter:

Firstly, it is in a very dark, small space, where she would need one hand to hold a torch, another to press the correct button on the meter to show the relevant reading, and another to write it down. Unfortunately, she only has two hands. ☺

Secondly, she finds digital figures particularly hard to read, especially in poor lighting.

Thirdly, once you identify and press the correct button, the meter shows several different readings in very quick succession, and she can not focus quickly enough to even identify the required one, let alone read it, before it is replaced by a different one.

I am talking about the actual smart meter here, not to be confused with the in-house display monitor.
I have tried to find the actual meter readings on that myself as yes, she can read that (when it was set to show the monetary cost of what she had used so far in a day), but while I could get it to show all sorts of other figures, such as daily and weekly usage, I couldn't find the necessary reading. Maybe it is in there somewhere, but if I can't find it, my mum stands no chance!

Gabriella I agree with Helennonotion one can see a TV but in my case, I cannot read a newspaper and need a magnifying glass to read a book. I am not registered partially sighted yet but it is a progressive disease so it will be sooner rather than later. I feel you should be less sharp with your comments when you do not know how people manage.

It has been acknowledged (by the suppliers themselves, no less) that the Smarty-Arse Meters currently being foisted on us are now well out of date and many European countries are installing the latest generation, supposedly much more accurate and efficient.

Also, the current meters are worse than useless if you want to change suppliers.

Typical of the way things work (or don't) in the UK!

I read that you are better changing suppliers annually to get the best deal if your aim is to save money. Smart meters are to make the meter reading easier for the suppliers which is not necessarily a bad thing.

My DH really doesn't want one and cites that it might interfere with the stairlift (have seen concerns about this) and that it might go wrong and cut the power off.
Our DD has moved into a flat where one was provided as soon as she moved in. I thought I'd see how she got on. But 4 months on hers is still not working properly, despite numerous phone calls.
And I'm astonished, as a partially-sighted person, that someone else would presume to judge what someone else can or cannot see! I have all sorts of gadgets to help me but none of them work in all circumstances. When I watch TV I piece together what is happening from the things I can vaguely see on our huge screen with what I can hear. And yes I'm engaging on a forum now - by using a huge PC screen, with the magnification turned up, and specs that are made specifically for me to do this. If I get up to make a brew I need to change to another pair of specs. I have 7 pairs plus various other magnifying devices, but I manage all sorts of things, albeit very slowly, with the help I have. But still, in poor light, there are some things nothing can help me see.

hdh74 I have a stairlift and mine works perfectly with or without my smart meter. I have had my stairlift since 2009 whereas my smart meter a few months and I have had no problems at all. Mine is the second generation and works well.

I agree, it is downright rude assuming that you and I cannot see because we neglected to put on a pair of glasses. It makes little difference to me whether I wear them or not but some people like to cause trouble.