Smart meters

My supplier tried to make me have one by saint that it was the law … so no.

I wasn't going to mention, having to call out the National Gas Emergency Service on top of all my other woes. It was the last straw.

My neighbour came to tell, me that there was a terrible noise coming from my gas meter, which was housed in a box outside.
When I opened the box, the meter was vibrating. I had to immediately switch off the gas and open all the windows and doors, it was the middle of winter and I was looking after a sick grandchild.
DH of course, was on the golf course, oblivious. 🤬

The outcome was that I got a spanking new, old style, gas meter. The engineer said to not build up my hopes, because Scottish Gas only installed refurbished ones and may replace it the new one, once informed of the problems. I still have the new one. 🤞

You may understand why I hate smart meters! I like them in principle, but not in my home.😉

Curious to learn what the issues are. Have had one for years and never realised there were any dangers associated. Now you’ve got me wondering what I need to be anxious of. I just presumed a smart meter is only a digital interface of the traditional meter. I did become addicted to checking usage in the early days and did become somewhat anxious when I tracked usage and costs but surely that takes the sting out of any unexpected high bills and encourages more informed energy usage decisions. Checked mine at 5am when I got up for work and noticed it had already measured £0.73 in electricity costs ands that before a single light switch or kettle has been activated. Gas usage £0. Being informed and in control is a good thing?

Marydoll

Sarahr

Why are you concerned about a smart meter? It saves having to keep reading the meter and you can see how much energy you are using. We have had one for 8 years now.

That's ok if it works. Unfortunately, our two didn't! That's why I don't want a smart meter. End of.

My partners was taking the wrong reading for ages. I’ve heard so many bad reports. I’m only getting one so I can get a better tariff but I’m really worried about it especially as my gas meter is in the garage and everything I try to do in the garage seems to go badly wrong.

Sarahr

Why are you concerned about a smart meter? It saves having to keep reading the meter and you can see how much energy you are using. We have had one for 8 years now.

That's ok if it works. Unfortunately, our two didn't! That's why I don't want a smart meter. End of.

Why are you concerned about a smart meter? It saves having to keep reading the meter and you can see how much energy you are using. We have had one for 8 years now.

Ditto...I take my own too

Awful, never worked since it was put in! Gas will not pair as it's outside and I have an old house with thick walls. Trust my own readings more!

Mt61

BlueBelle

Refused one for years then they talked me into it They came took the other meter out and started to put the smart meter in,they got a phone call half way through to abort it. Took the smart meter out put the old meter back in and that was at least two years ago and not heard another word
Suits me fine I ll stay as I am reading my own meter, thanks

Wonder what made them change their minds?

When they installed mine they had to contact their office to make sure that they were getting a signal from the meter. Some areas apparently do not have a strong enough signal (as with mobile phones on some networks) so perhaps that is what was the problem? An attempt to put in a smart meter for my son failed for this reason, and they had to use an additional piece of kit in my meter box for the same reason when I had my latest meter.

LOUISA1523

Had ours for both g and e since we moved here 8 years ago.....absolutely fine, never had an issue....pay exactly what we use every month....no hassle of sending in readings

Same goes for us, though our meter failed at one stage and we realised that it wasn't sending readings so they were estimating bills. They replaced it very quickly. I don't use the plug in consumer display as I don't see the use of it.
We have a holiday home and a smart meter is really useful there as they tended to over-estimate bills if we didn't send readings.

I have them, dumped them in a cupboard somewhere. I don't want them in the kitchen.
Just send if needed via my app.

we had a smart meter as it was a new house but I still do monthly readings as I don't trust the meters

I've had smart meters for years! I won't say I've had no problems, but for a few months, the company (one that ceased to exist!) I was with had issues with computers not communicating with each other. It took about 3 months to get it sorted out. Apparently, many other customers had this problem, and it wasn't until I phoned up and queried "no gas bill?" that they realised something was wrong!! Now I'm with Octopus, all is fine, and there's no way I'd go back to poking around the back of a big cupboard on my hands and knees clutching a torch just to get meter readings - having first emptied it, of course!! I often joke I'd need a JCB to get me back up from kneeling! For me, smart meters are a godsend. We have one that measures our water, too.

Another one here who won’t have a smart meter either.

Ovo keep badgering me to get one, but I’ve stayed firm.

I’m quite happy to read my own meters and send readings to them online via the app.

We had one installed two yrs ago, hardly look at the thing now. We also had a deal last year, if we didn’t use electricity between 4/6 pm we saved money- so hubby would put the electric banket on just before, then switch off. Min to 4pm & we would go to bed & read for couple of hrs- bet KS doesn’t have to do that

BlueBelle

Refused one for years then they talked me into it They came took the other meter out and started to put the smart meter in,they got a phone call half way through to abort it. Took the smart meter out put the old meter back in and that was at least two years ago and not heard another word
Suits me fine I ll stay as I am reading my own meter, thanks

Wonder what made them change their minds?

My meter has one rate for "Peak time", a second rate for "Off Peak" and a third rate for the storage heaters. It's a minor chore to read the three values every month and report them. I've asked more than once about getting a smart meter but my supplier says either they aren't installing them at the moment or they don't have one for that sort of tariff.

Octopus are excellent to deal with, they answer emails! Had a smart meter with them for years with no problems at all. Use their tracker account and it is much cheaper at the moment than my old fixed account. This may change but you can change too.

I moved house in January 2022. Was with BG at the previous house so just moved with them. Between January & September because I was trying to find out what we were spending, BG sent me 13 different bills. Some were in debt, some were in credit, they even sent me a cheque! In the end I said I wanted a smart meter as it was getting ridiculous. It took them 5 attempts to get it going, and then I got a bill for £1800!! Fortunately because of the pickle they had caused, and it was their fault and I could prove it, BG Foundation paid the majority of it off although it took a fight. But once the SM was fully working I found out that the heating in my room (underfloor) was costing me £21 a DAY, and it hasn't been on since - I'm being kept alive by a heated throw.

I don't like it as it is just another form of control they have over us, and there will be many more, but in my situation it helped ...

Yes, I bet AR doesn’t practise what she is preaching.

youtu.be/loyUVB7zKhw?si=RHKfbnpmRpT0wEjn

The above link is a video by a Bristol electrician who had been called back to a house he'd rewired 3 years ago when the owner reported the inset lighting in every room kept flickering even when switched off and even when the lighting circuits were switched off. It turns out the subcontractor who installed a Smart Meter in July 2024 had reversed the polarity of the fuse box which not only caused the annoying light flickering but was also potentially lethal.
Like the OP we took continue to resist smart meters as a few friends who have them also report problems. Given that SIM card devices,like the pagers which injured and killed so many in Lebanon recently, remote control items are to be trusted. Energy companies can switch homeowners to prepayment terms with telling them so I wonder how many more will be switched this winter now that Labour has announced withdrawal of the WFP for pensioners? And who wants to do their batch cooking and gardening late at night in order to benefit from cheaper electricity? Angela Rippon should hang her head in shame for selling out

The explanation.

CariadAgain

I've just this second put up a query to one of my Facebook groups I'm on - ie "The Analogue Alliance UK" and asked them if it's true re a radio service to traditional meters. Will see what sort of response I get to that....

I’ve read up on it CariadAgain. I’ve got Economy7, and apparently on the old style meters the radio frequency has been used to control the switch between the two rates via the two dials each evening/morning.

Heaven help us all the way things are generally going 🙄

I've just this second put up a query to one of my Facebook groups I'm on - ie "The Analogue Alliance UK" and asked them if it's true re a radio service to traditional meters. Will see what sort of response I get to that....