Smart Meter Anxiety

I'm too scared to have one as I think it would send me over the edge. At 61, I'm working two, sometimes 3, jobs and still don't have enough income to cover my monthly expenditure whereas before I managed to scrape by. I work from home, seldom have visitors, don't drink or smoke and live in a small first floor flat. I really cannot cut back any further and dread the future. I'm surviving, not living, and see no way out. I know you don't have to have the box that tells you what you've spent plugged in, but the temptation would be there and I seriously think I'd simply give up.

I do not see the problem with smart meters, it doesn’t have to be looked at, the income display unit does not have to be plugged in and most meters are in a cupboard or somewhere not easily seen.

Readings are read automatically and you can check that it is correct if you want to.

I am glad to have smart gas/electric meters. It is just able to connect remotely to be read by your energy company, using wifi. Smart meters have replaced the humans that used to come round to physically read your meter.

The tiny 'worktop' gadget that shows your use is optional, and doesn't have to be used.

tanith

Don’t have one don’t want one. As I’m doing as much as I can I can’t cut down anymore if I want to stay clean and warm so why have a meter to tell me I ought to be worrying.

same here. I get they could be useful in houses where there is a family with kids and stuff can be on without the bill payer's knowledge, but there is only me and if something is on, I know its on and want it on.

I agree with you Pittcity about the standing charge. I posted on here a few weeks ago to say that my latest bill from Octopus showed that my standing charge for electricity had jumped from 19p per day to 45p per day. Nothing we can do to cut that down.
I have a smart meter because the way the gas meter had been sited outside the property meant that it was almost impossible to read. It does rest on my on my kitchen worktop but I tend to ignore it most of the time.

The personal monitor has never been put of the box. My smart meters are quietly doing their job in the cupboard sending readings to Ovo. They have improved my life in that I no longer have to get into the cupboard to send readings or let a meter reader in. I can access the readings on my phone if I wish but I just carry on as usual and check that my Direct debit will cover the extortionate cost.
I'm not an expert but I don't think phone signal matters as they use their own frequency...I may be wrong.
It's the standing charge that is crippling and there's nothing that we can do about that.

I don't want one - I can switch things off without being told. However, the power company kept nagging so they're coming to fit one next week.

I shan't be watching it constantly but I might take a look now and then to see if I can learn anything. That's if it will work - the phone signal here is pretty poor.

I don't have a nagging box in the house, but I do have online smart meter readings so I usually check on my phone in the evening to see how the previous few days have been. Although I can see the positives of all of us cutting our energy usage, no more lights on all over the place, it is important that houses are heated and aired properly for the sake of the structure of the building as well as our own health. Sitting watching a smart meter is not a good way to live.

Don’t have one don’t want one. As I’m doing as much as I can I can’t cut down anymore if I want to stay clean and warm so why have a meter to tell me I ought to be worrying.

I’m with Ovo and can access daily smart meter readings on my phone if I want to. I find this very useful for staying within my own set limit.

I am grateful for my smart meter because I am partially sighted and could not read the meter accurately so no worries there now. I am another who cannot really cut down unless I stop showering and washing clothes but my small box is a reminder.

I have been getting emails every other day pressing me to get smart meters but I will get them when it suits me. I have heard so many people complain about them.

Just put it in the cupboard Sparklefizz. I have a smart gas and electricity meter for remote readings, but don't have the tiny gadget on the worktop.

It is making everyone more mindful of their usage, which can only be positive. When I walk my dog late in the evening I am now seeing houses with one light on, rather than a light in every room. My neighbour opposite seems to be watching tv with the light off, a scary effect!

When ours was fitted I established from the fitter that the small box with the constant digital reading was not necessary for it to function. So it was unplugged, put back in its box and into a cupboard.
I don’t need virtual nagging, we’ve cut back where we can.

I’m the opposite. I really didn’t want a smart meter at all and it ended up with half my drive having to be dug up because the original meter wasn’t safe!
I had the smart meter located in the garage and when DH was ill I was horrified to see I was using £10 or more every day in gas alone.
Now on my own and the heating off, I’m quite smug that I’m barely using £3 a day, so I’m confident my new (ridiculously high) direct debit more than covers it.
Don’t forget we’ll get our £400 in 6 payments of £66ish from October through to March.

I had a smart meter a few years ago, didn’t like it at all and asked the company to come and remove the “ thick” meter which they duly did. I am with octopus energy and send my readings in monthly. Personally I use what I use and seeing it every day is not going to help me one little bit.. so I will stick with my conventional meter

We drove 180 mile round trip to have a smart meter fitted at our holiday let, we also had to book it out to keep it free for the day.
Bulb energy hounded is with phone calls, emails and texts to make sure we were there.
The time slot was between 9 and 2.30.
I spent my birthday twiddling my thumbs waiting, it was a no show, not a single call to let us know.
So we read the meters, emailed bulb and demanded a refund on their extortionate estimates, we were paying over double the estimated cost.
No smart meters for us now!

I found that too but discovered that it wasn't working and that fitting it had disconnected our heating system. Big palaver but eventually the old meter was refitted and I was given compensation by the company (EDF)