Smart meters

I moved house.the one does not connect properly.only shows gas usage! (as much use as a chocolate radiator)

There still seem to be a lot of people who think that the little plug in screen with readings, budget etc. is the Smart Meter. It's not. The Smart meter is the big thing in the cupboard that has replaced your old meter. The small screen with readings is an unnecessary distraction that needs to be plugged in and so uses electricity. It is not part of the system and can be safely unplugged and put away.
If you need to read the meter it can be plugged in and booted up at any time.

Smart meter?
Over my dead body!

When we needed a new meter s few years ago, the electrician discouraged us from having a smart one,
I am, and always have been, very careful in my use of power so it wouldn’t affect me much, though it might me make very cross!

We've done all the energy saving stuff without help of a meter. Stopped using tumble dryer long time ago. Knocked heating and water down a little. All LED lights. Shower bit more quickly. Don't put dishwasher on unless it's absolutely full. Not much else we can do. But it has all helped.

I wondered about the ‘budget’ setting on the smart meter. If you set it does it switch your energy off when you reach that sum?
It has made me constantly aware of what the cost is of e.g. boiling a kettle or running an electric radiator in the Conservatory.
It cost 80 pence to put the electric grill on and cook 8 sausages.
I never knew that before.

For those people who say they are exceeding their budget, according to the smart meter: it's actually easy to adjust the budget figure. Just saying!

Greyduster

I don’t get this budget thing. You are supposed to set your budget, but I never have set one. It tells me constantly I’m over budget but I just ignore it.

Same here.

Agree they become an obsession. I was horrified about the cost of the energy I was consuming and it definitely made me more mindful about consumption. My office works from home and am shocked to see my colleagues visibly feeling the cold with many dressed in hats, gloves and layers whilst sitting in their home offices. I have moved the smart meter out of sight as it was making me feel extremely anxious and worried about how much the bills are. If you don’t have one please be prepared for extremely high bills going forward. My December bill was 3 times higher than last years and this was based on a much lower consumption.

i don't have a smart meter and don't want one, i live in a h/a flat and 10 years ago they renovated and put in economy 10 meters and we had to change energy companies with no choice, my meter is a pre-paid and i get a call most weeks asking me to have a smart meter, they say it will help me keep an eye on what i am using...........i know what i am using, i put the bloody money on the key card, we have cheap usage from 1.30 to 4,30 and then 8.30 to 12.30, i do my washing, batch cooking and heat water during these times, i never use the radiators and only heat one room with a small halogen or oil filled heater....nothing to do with the planet or climate...it is because i live on benefits and that is what i can afford.

I curse our smart meter because DH is obsessed with it - not because he's particularly concerned about energy use but because it's become an academic exercise for him. He studies it, compares daily usage, writes spreadsheets... The irony is that he has never been much interested in how much energy we use. He's the one who continues to leave lights on, cooker on, radiators up high etc and I go round turning them off and down.

I had one fitted several years ago as at the time I could have a cheaper duel tariff if it was fitted. Never look at it - its on in a cupboard.

We cannot have one as there's no space below our old meter to instal the equipment required. The technical guy from EDF said "you need to get yer meter sorted missus"! EDF wanted us to move the meter at our own expense to facilitate a gadget we didn't really want - don't need a gadget to tell us to turn off lights etc., I am intelligent enough to know how to do that, thank you!
EDF constantly badger us about having a smart meter - they simply do not get the message - IT WILL NOT FIT!!!!

This thread is just right for me. Octopus is asking if I want a smart meter. When I was with British Gas they actually sent me an appointment to install one without asking first! I said no because I knew that in those days I'd have to remain with BG because meters wouldn't work with another supplier.

From reading the posts, I think I will get a smart meter. I don't think the Chinese will be interested in how much energy we use and why would anybody else be interested?

I am so fed up of crouching over my gas meter box which is on the ground and full of spiders and horrible thick webs! The electric one is in a dark under stairs cupboard so it's a fight with broom handles, bags and yet more spiders.

Should I go ahead and get one?

MrNick refuses to have one , we get letters and texts a few times a month saying they are ready to install it…. It all falls on deaf ears !!

My meters were very difficult to read and the only way we could get a reading was to stick a mobile phone in the cupboard, photograph the dials and enlarge the photo.
I now have smart meters for both gas and electric and usage is displayed on one monitor.
I use the dishwasher and dryer all the time and it does not make a great difference to the readings, only the gas central heating sends it soaring. I now site the thermostat in the study, smallest room to heat, and use this room if I want to be cosy otherwise I wear another layer of clothing downstairs.

Oh my days!!! 😂

fancythat

www.msn.com/en-gb/money/technology/government-to-collect-data-from-your-smart-meter-fresh-privacy-row-breaks-out-as-energy-companies-share-information-on-usage/ar-AA14YQ6H?rc=1&ocid=winp1taskbar&cvid=7915afdeb0b34bf7b14b828e72fcb8fa

This says the data could be used for example, to know when someone is not in the house.
Bit of a long shot maybe, but like someone else said on here, all sorts of scams abound.

Think this is important to know...

‘Any data needed . . . will be processed fully in line with UK GDPR and the Data Access and Privacy Framework, which protects smart meter customers’ privacy.

‘Personal information such as names, addresses and bank details are never stored on a smart meter.’

PS. I’m all electric. My meter is outside my front door and the smallmdisplay unit sits on the bookcase in my hall.

Oh yes, absolutely! I was looking at it constantly, switching everything off - completely obsessed. Now after 3 months I am slowly learning to not look at the display and most times I leave it face down. Now I know what costs a lot and what doesn’t I’m a lot calmer, Also I am in the lucky position of affording my bills so now I think what the heck, I’ll be damned if I’m going to be cold, but I am being careful. I have however participated in the Octopus Saver Sessions and so far earned £19.77 since November towards my bills.

www.msn.com/en-gb/money/technology/government-to-collect-data-from-your-smart-meter-fresh-privacy-row-breaks-out-as-energy-companies-share-information-on-usage/ar-AA14YQ6H?rc=1&ocid=winp1taskbar&cvid=7915afdeb0b34bf7b14b828e72fcb8fa

This says the data could be used for example, to know when someone is not in the house.
Bit of a long shot maybe, but like someone else said on here, all sorts of scams abound.

Sorry all, I’ve just pinned him down and asked him how many meters. One for gas, one for electricity and one little gadget that sits on the worktop measuring our usage. My mistake!

Forsythia

We only have one smart meter which DH tells me is for both gas and electricity.

I think you'll find that is the consumer display. The 2 meters are big and are sited wherever your old meters were. Our gas one is under the stairs and the electric one is on an outside wall.

We only have one smart meter which DH tells me is for both gas and electricity.

Chestnut

Ah, I've just found the answer. You need two smart meters! Hence the need for two of them (someone queried that).

I have two meters - as I've always had. However, I've only got one of the little on the counter boxes.