Smart Meters

I think I know where my electricity is being used - I don't need to plug in another appliance which presumably uses more electric, to tell me.

Mysticaunicorn, blimey, what a load of nonsense!

Having a smart meter means the company knows when there is no usage, ie when you are on holiday and the house is empty. I have heard some dreadful stories where houses have been broken into when it's known the house was empty. Wouldn't have smart meter under any circumstances

Do you think there is someone at your power supplier who is monitoring the usage, and then calling Burglar Bill when he sees your usage drop? Get a grip folks, this is not a conspiracy. If you don't want one, fine, but let's stop the silly urban myths shall we?

Thank you, Gabriella

I havd to laugh at the outrage cum bristling, offended attitude of those who piled in after my comments.
I offered solutions. Not everyone has a bad back, needs 8 pairs of glasses or has a meter at the back of a dark cupboard. If the comment didn't pertain to you, ignore it.
It makes sense to use the camera in a mobile phone. No light, pen or paper needed. Most of us on GN have mobile phones and most of them will have cameras so a meter at the back of a dark cupboard will not present such an insurmountable problem.
If you noted my solution instead of focussing on your outrage then the world would be a happier place.

* havd had

I'm not sure how *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?*
was offering any solutions GabriellaG54 - and as your comment seemed to indicate you have absolutely zero comprehension regarding visiual impaairmant I tried to enlighten you.
Since your comments were in response to people who had already said their relatives could not see, how would they not pertain to people who DO have serious difficulty seeing.
Added to which, using anything on a mobile phone, when you can't see the buttons isn't much of a solution to someone who is sight impaired.

GabriellaG54 I am so pleased our disabled members/relatives provided you with some amusement. If you have to cope with a personal disability in the future, I truly hope you encounter people who show more compassion and understanding than you appear to possess.

Reading this thread is a bit like reading the MPs comments now in the House on Brexit. Yet this matter is very far from the complexities thrown up by Brexit. So perhaps it is a good thing that all of us here do not have a vote on smart meters.

What this thread does show is that essential Brit approach in being different when faced with a choice. We are ever at pains to demonstrate why we want to be in charge so that each personal point is included in the final result. Take back control does resonate here.

Agreed cardiffjaguar, and some of the more bonkers comments and rumours being repeated as gospel gives an insight into why some people voted as they did in the referendum.

Thanks for the info about the stairlift Charleygirl5 - I am wondering if the concerns were unfounded or maybe applied to the first generation ones. Think I'll wait and see how our DD gets on getting hers working (it seems to work with the electric but not the gas though they're both on the same tarriff) before discussing it with DH again, which will probably be next time we switch energy anyway.

hdh74 your concerns were totally unfounded. My second generation meter works like a dream, my minor problem is reading it but as I can move it around a bit I can use a magnifying glass and a good light.

The latest 'solution' offered means my mum would need yet another extra hand - one for the torch, one to press the buttons on the meter and instead of one for a pencil, she would need two to be able to hold and operate the mobile phone (if she actually knew how to do anything other than make calls on it,). Four in all. Hmm, not sure that is going to work

Gabriella - the planning was not to do with the amount consumed but to do with how much was consumed at a given time of day, okay?
I reiterate - no need to be suspicious of smart meters.