Smart meters

Yes I am over budget. The electricity reading isn’t what shocks me as I am aware when the washing machine etc is on. It is the gas usage especially in this cold weather. I now have set the thermostat lower and we wear more layers.

At the beginning of lockdown our smart meter stopped working. After dozens of calls to EON without success I gave up. About six months ago I got the SM out of the cupboard and it worked even though I do not understand it.

I phoned EON to ask if it is working correctly or does it need replacing and was told they do not supply them any more and I might find one on ebay!!

I had a letter from my supplier to say I had to have a new meter. I don’t really want a smart meter but they say they legally have to replace it.

I agree dragonfly. My electricity bill doesn't bother me that much, but my gas usage needs watching. There was one day last week when I had the heating on all day (at 15 degrees) and my gas usage was £11.31 (it's usually less than £4 a day). It was a wake up call to remember to turn the heating off.

We got a non smart one about 1 year ago. Has saved us quite a lot.
We monitored every appliance in the house for at least 24 hours.

We replaced our old chest freezer.
And cut right back on the use of electric heaters.
We also worked out our other sources of heat as to which is most economical.

I phoned EON to ask if it is working correctly or does it need replacing and was told they do not supply them any more and I might find one on ebay!!

A neighbour said he has been waiting two years for one. No wonder he never got one!

25Avalon it is not just the Chinese who can know what we are doing .
For eg all our Apple gadgets: smart phones, I pads, camera’s, Alexa’s can all generate algorithms that “spy” on us.

Camera’s set up in streets can see where we go.

I am very much afraid the Smart energy meter is just one more thing in a long list. Big Brother is already watching us.

biglouis

I would not have one of these if they paid me to have it.

Have you not read the warnings that it gives greedy power companies to turn it into a pre-payment meter at the flick of a switch? This has happened to many people, including some of those who are vulnerable. If you dont have a smart meter they have to apply for a warrant to enter your home and the courts are rammed at present.

You may think well no danger here, I can afford my bills. However there is an old saying that we are only one banana skin away from disability.

I prefer not to put more power into the hands of these greedy corrupt companies.

Yes I don't have one and despite being bombarded with emails telling me to get one I discovered that legally you don't have to have one. I use whatever I need and send my own monthly metre readings. I'm still in credit but my fixed deal ends this month, so it'll be interesting to see how much the bills go up on a variable deal.. not looking forward to that

If the day ever dawns when we have to have a smart meter, I fear it may spell the end of our 50 years marriage. My husband is already obsessive about switching off lights and appliances, if he was staring at that meter all day seeing the pounds racking up with each necessary appliance, everything would all be off and we might as well be living in a cave - come to think of it, that would be warmer than our house at the moment! It is galling having the light switched off from above as you are starting to climb the stairs - and a bit dangerous too!

We are with EON next so don’t understand why they wouldn’t supply a meter.

I think if anybody spied on me they would die of boredom!

I am also bombarded with emails saying BG needs to change my meters as they are old and could be a hazzard they are 24 yrs old new when the house was built, as yet I have ignored all the emails, I don't need a smart meter.

But I am wondering if they could come and change them over without my consent.But would presume they would have to come into my home to turn off the mains electric.

(my meters gas/electric are outside)

Tweedle24 When you plug it back in the previous data is still on there.

I'd love to know what kind of data any hacker could glean from my energy readings. I can't say it worries me at all.

After being bombarded by mail from OVO, I agreed to have a smart meter, which was installed at the beginning of December.

I live on a very tight budget, so used to check my readings every couple of days anyway. Having a smart meter means I don't have to crawl into the furthest corner of my cupboard under the stairs with a torch or battle with plants in my front garden. The readings are updated automatically on my OVO dashboard. Apart from that, there's no great advantage (or disadvantage).

bikergran there is no way they will change your meters without you permission.

I had a letter from my supplier to say I had to have a new meter. I don’t really want a smart meter but they say they legally have to replace it

You can insist on having it replaced by a non smart meter.

If you change suppliers the new supplier can’t use the previous smart meter and will install their own. Fo some reason I have a phase2 meter so they can’t install a smart meter anyway. Hooray!

I keep getting these emails from Eon but I ignore them. Two men turned up one day a while back (without appointment) but as I did not answer the door they went away.

There is a notice on my door stating "Callers by appointment only." So they get a very snippy response from me if I do anwer the ring doorbell.

Ring doorbell now allows me to answer in a male voice or a computerised one.

growstuff

I'd love to know what kind of data any hacker could glean from my energy readings. I can't say it worries me at all.

After being bombarded by mail from OVO, I agreed to have a smart meter, which was installed at the beginning of December.

I live on a very tight budget, so used to check my readings every couple of days anyway. Having a smart meter means I don't have to crawl into the furthest corner of my cupboard under the stairs with a torch or battle with plants in my front garden. The readings are updated automatically on my OVO dashboard. Apart from that, there's no great advantage (or disadvantage).

As I understand it , it is partly to do with marketing.
Dont ask me how though!

This from The Guardian in 2017

Evidence of the race to monetise the data from smart meters is already emerging. A video on the website of Onzo, a British analytics company, says: “We take energy consumption data from smart meters and sensors. We analyse it and build a highly personalised profile for each and every utility customer.” It will have “the ability to monetise their customer data by providing a direct link to appropriate third party organisations based on the customer’s identified character.” Last year Onzo was at a “consumer goods hackathon” hosted by Procter & Gamble to help sell more detergent, shampoo and toiletries.

That's good to know, I too have just bought a ring doorbell, ready to fix up.

growstuff, I'd love to know what kind of data any hacker could glean from my energy readings.

I've no idea, but we get scammed anywhere/anytime.

Tired of getting it all put back right, now I'm over cautious.

I have often wondered how many arguments about heating there are amongst households up and down the country. Quite a few I bet!

My view is that the person who feels chilly should have the final say, and I’ve finally got my husband to agree !

We are fortunate though in that we are still on a fixed rate deal which comes to an end in the Spring.

But fancythat, if energy companies are selling the data from smart meters, they could just as easily sell the data from all their customers. Their databases hold more information than the meters themselves do.

Norah I hardly ever receive spam calls or emails. I'm not sure why I don't because there must be countless organisations with my phone number and email address, although I do use a separate one for personal contacts. For all I know, Gransnet sells the data it has about us.

JenniferEccles

I have often wondered how many arguments about heating there are amongst households up and down the country. Quite a few I bet!

My view is that the person who feels chilly should have the final say, and I’ve finally got my husband to agree !

We are fortunate though in that we are still on a fixed rate deal which comes to an end in the Spring.

I take a different view from yours.
The one who is chilly could easily wear more layers (the one I have in mind could anyway, as their 'normal' upper-body wear is just a thin shirt and jumper ), whereas there is only so much clothing that the warmer person can remove before they become indecent. .

Sometimes it isnt about more layers.
It is about the dangers to health about breathing in cold air, for some.

We have got one which was here when we moved in. I don’t have feelings for or against. It’s here and that’s that. I checked our account online today and we’ve used less energy this week than last, which I’m glad to see as we did the big switch off earlier in the week.

On another note, I can’t see why the Chinese would be interested in my electrical consumption. We are small fry.