It's all Martin Lewis' fault! [grin]

Volver, if things get really bad I wouldn't trust them not to switch you off. Look at what Russia is threatening to do to most of Europe. I still won't touch Smart Meters. Most people I know who have them disconnected them as they were finding their bills were increasing. I don't trust energy companies and I certainly don't trust any politicians. There were all those incentives for people to get solar panels, then the feed-in tariff got snatched away and many solar panel companies went bust. Sorry, but if people trust energy companies and politicians to do the right thing, you are naive. You can only depend on yourself. Rip-Off Britain did a segment where people with Smart appliances were getting hacked. If you don't believe me, look up their website.

Rowyn, I won't have a Smart Meter for many of the reasons you have stated. However, the main reason I won't touch one is that anything Smart, can be so easily hacked.

I tried to check my meters but had to crawl on the floor to find the numbers. I found it very difficult to get up again. Then I found that, as I have a smart meter I hadn't needed to make that effort. I should have read the small print - story of my life!

I was very pleased to find I had Smart meters for gas and electricity when I moved to this bungalow.

My 1960's electric meter at my previous house was about ten foot up, I was always nervous going to the very top rung of the ladder and wobbling around with one hand and my iphone to photograph the reading. I didn't have gas there. The estimated bills were always far more than my actual usage.

I do recommend Octopus to anyone who is thinking of changing.

There’s a lot of weird stuff on here about smart meters. Wheniwasyourage explained about the issue with mobile signal. That makes sense.

But using the readings to know when you’re away from home? It’s more likely that the guy walking past notices the house has been empty, not that someone in the utilities agency is monitoring your individual readings to see if they can come and burgle you.

Energy firms won’t be designing a plan just to target your high usage times, they can already see when the high usage times are from the electricity that has to be generated. They’re not watching to see when you put the washing machine on to charge you, individually, more for that particular period of the day.

The second generation meters will work with any supplier, so although it used to be an issue changing suppliers, it's less so now.

And they are meters, they measure and report on what you are using. So any suggestion that users might not get the best deals or can be easily switched off is a bit far fetched. Far more likely that the people who won’t move on to the system that causes least effort for the suppliers won’t get the best deal.

But, it’s a free world. Anybody can decide for themselves how they want to do it. Just please be aware that there are some unlikely scenarios being talked about.

I have just looked at my smart meter app. We used more or less the same amount yesterday as the day before. As our low fixed price ended on 31st March the 1st April cost us double on the standard variable (price cap) rate. Our DD has doubled to take this into account.

Re smart meters, another point is that apparently they will make it easy for energy firms to increase prices at peak periods, as they will know exactly when you are using electricity/gas. . This will mean those who cannot be flexible will pay more, just as with commuters on trains.
And there seems to be some doubt about how easy it will be to switch providers once your smart meter has been installed by your present provider. Plus there is a suggestion that smart meter users wont get the best deals.

Re smart meters, I've read so many complaints about them going wrong, plus ( I am told) the fact that if you have a smart meter your energy provider has the ability to cut you off at will.

And I'm still recovering from the nightmare I had when I had a new boiler installed ( a year ago) which came - without warning - with this horrendous so called smart Honeywell thermostatic control and gobblydgook instructions which were really useless. As far as I'm concerned, smart devices are often not smart enough! Admittedly I'm probably not smart enough either.

I managed to get through to EDF around 0200 this morning. Success! I don't want a smart meter because of the difficulties some of my friends have encountered when trying to change suppliers. I find things are running very smoothly by simply sending in my readings on the first of every month. Takes all of five minutes.

Last summer my fixed rate came to an end so I looked for another fixed rate to move onto.
I saw several suppliers that weren't that well known to me and decided to give them a miss, thank goodness as they were ones who went out of business.
I'm with Sainsburys (E.on) and I got a 2 year fix until August 2023!
God knows how much the difference will be by then but I feel so lucky and thankful that at least until then i am having no increases.

DH had a text message from our energy supplier this morning asking him not to submit meter readings as they had taken them already via the smart meter. They added their readings in the message and they were the same as ours for which I took photographs as evidence.
We are on a fixed tariff so we will see what happens.

Thanks Wheniwasyourage

volver smart meters may be a godsend for some, but until the manufacturers/installers get them to work for all suppliers and deal with places where mobile reception is not that great, some of us don't want one. I believe that you can choose how often your readings are sent, but I wouldn't want them to be sent often enough that it was obvious when I was away from home.

Fortunately we still have a choice.

Not sure you’re right on that Blinko, I submitted my reading to British Gas this morning for 31st March with no problem at all, the site had been updated with all the necessary info.

I'd still be really interested in why people don't want smart meters.

Is the message getting through? British Gas are worse than useless. Octopus are fine. just saying.

Pittcity

I'll make a note of my smart meter readings later but won't need to send them.
Martin Lewis weekly email highlighted a new bank account with a good interest rate. It is app based and the app crashed yesterday.
He's got a lot to answer for but is an invaluable source of sensible advice.

I read his article and immediately opened the bank account - it was really easy to open, but so far I haven't been able to send any funds.
I've done loads of things in the past on his recommendations!

rowyn

I sent in a reading to Octopus with no problem at all.
Unfortunately it was only for gas, as my electricity meter hasn't been working since October.
First they said they would send a meter reader to look at it; after a couple of months and a query from me they said that I would have to have a new meter and they would let me know when someone was 'in the area'.
I emailed back and said I did not want a Smart Meter, but their reply was that it was company policy to install them.

Does anyone know if I have the right to refuse a Smart Meter and insist that I have the old style meter replaced??
I'm still waiting so it's been around 6 months now. I'm also worried about how they are going to estimate the electricity used over such a long period of time.

I can’t have a smart meter even if I wanted one as the supply features not on our property cannot support them. In any case I don’t want one. I explained this to Octopus and they stopped sending my marketing messages.

DD2 had ordinary meters fitted by Octopus as she didn’t want smart meters either. It is definitely possible so insist you have what you want.

madeleine45 its called competition. Most of the time it works for the every day people. Times are a bit different at present. Not just COVID but lots of other issues around the world. BREXIT doesn't help either. Lots of other countries are having similar problems with Cost of Living including food and petrol.

I'm on a fixed rate until July next year (thankfully).
I usually submit meter readings on 1st of the month but I'm waiting until next week this month.
I've told so many people on various social media platforms that if they're on fixed rate contracts they don't need to submit readings on 31/3 coz their rate won't change until the contract ends. I've said that on the last day of that contract they'll need to send in a reading so avoid what's going on now happening to them at that particular time.
It's amazing how many people don't realise this.

That’s why it stays in its box Pittcity I don’t want to see the figures!
I get a monthly email so I can login and check my account, comparison with a year ago will be interesting next month, my fixed rate finished yesterday, timing could’ve been better.

Jaxjacky

I like not having to go out and read meters too, but my smart meter is switched off in a cupboard as I’m being an ostrich.

That's only the display for your information. Mine only comes out of it's box for special occasions, such as making a note yesterday when my fixed rate ended. The actual smart meters are the big meters that send the info to the company.

I’ve been able to give yesterday’s meter readings to EDF. I couldn’t do it through the app but they also have an online form you can use if you know your account number.

I like not having to go out and read meters too, but my smart meter is switched off in a cupboard as I’m being an ostrich.

I second that Volver
My Ovo fixed rate ended yesterday and I received a bill this morning just after midnight that had an accurate final reading from my smart meters and explaining the increase now that I'm on the variable rate. They even say that this is the best rate to be on at present.
I am happy with smart meters especially as I didn't have to go out in the snow to read them!