Smart Meters

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

* havd had

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.

Thank you, Gabriella

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

*posters' mothers.