Smart meters - are they being 'forced' on us?

We have one. The readout thingy sits in the corner of the living room. I mostly ignore it.

I keep posting links to try to dispel the myths about smart meters. Here's another:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/smart-meters-radio-waves-and-health/smart-meters-radio-waves-and-health

Manhattan I have given up on doing this, nobody is listening. Its a bit like trying to change the mind of Anti-Vaxxers.

Manhattan, M0nica I'm with you. Just in case anyone thought otherwise

M0nica

Manhattan I have given up on doing this, nobody is listening. Its a bit like trying to change the mind of Anti-Vaxxers.

Crikey yes. What a load of urban myths and downright nonsense from people who already have wifi to be able to post on GN. Get a grip folks

We have no signal here.
Despite attempting gas, electricity meters and even BT TV, no reliable, consistent signals could be found for anything! We can only receive mobile phone signals by going to the highest point in the house and holding the phone up to heaven.
We have a meter cupboard, however the new meters would not fit in. We would have to pay for a new one to be built.
I have written, emailed and rung numerous times, explaining this, Yet we still get asked to make an appointment for Smart meters regularly.
If I’m told one more time that Smart meters will save me money, I’ll scream! How??
Last time I rang up and lost my rag. I repeated my 12 reasons we couldn’t and wouldn’t have a So called Smart Meter and told the girl I’d shove the meter where the sun don’t shine if they asked me one more time.
I’m probably on a watch list now!

oh yes the Govt are to be trusted in all matters!

Let other poeple have their own experiences. this is not like antivaxxers.

If you think microwave radiation is a good reason for not having a smart meter, and you think the government are to blame, then it's very much like the anti-vaxers indeed.

CleoPanda I feel for you. You could be my sister in law, who has similar problems.
Like Anti-vaxers? It’s more like the constant cry about vegans being better for the planet.
It may be true, but telling people they’re wrong if they don’t agree or that they have no right to choose or implying they are ignorant is unlikely to encourage people to change their mind.

No really, the microwave thing....

Anybody want to comment on that?

Alegrias1

*Manhattan, M0nica* I'm with you. Just in case anyone thought otherwise

Me too, as they used to say on AOL.

We have one, but I do agree that it doesn't change my behaviour, I already know that if I want use less electricity I, ermm, use less electricity.

On thing puzzled me about the current spate of adverts - the Einstein-a-like talks about them reducing carbon emissions. How?

My understanding Petera is that by sending near real-time data about energy use to the suppliers, smart meters allow the suppliers to forecast usage better. Thus they can be more efficient in generating the levels of power needed at any time. Hence, reduced surplus energy generation and reduced carbon emissions.

The Einstein-a-like drives me bonkers

Alegrias1

My understanding Petera is that by sending near real-time data about energy use to the suppliers, smart meters allow the suppliers to forecast usage better. Thus they can be more efficient in generating the levels of power needed at any time. Hence, reduced surplus energy generation and reduced carbon emissions.

The Einstein-a-like drives me bonkers

Ah, makes sense

Yes, Alegrias1. It also enables consumers to get the best tariff and reduce carbon footprint based on their lifestyle. This is where smart time-of-use tariffs come into play.

To my knowledge, only Octopus currently offer these but more will come on stream as more people switch to smart meters. Octopus offer 5p/Kwh for four hours between 12:30am and 4:30am.

This kind of thing appeals to me as it makes me more conscience of how much energy I am using and when and allows me to make both greener and more economical choices.

www.smartenergygb.org/en/smart-meter-benefits/benefits-for-britain/how-smart-meters-can-help-to-reduce-your-carbon-footprint

And Octopus:

tinyurl.com/ydxemyhb

If you think microwave radiation is a good reason for not having a smart meter, and you think the government are to blame, then it's very much like the anti-vaxers indeed.

If you think microwave radiation is a good reason for not having a smart meter, and you think the government are to blame, then it's very much like the anti-vaxers indeed.

this is just not true.
I want the choice to not have a Smart Meter you can have tw, take mine I don't care.....
the antiVax debate is completely different for a number of reasons...... I don't have the energy to discuss.

But conflating the two issues is not correct.

I don't have the energy to discuss.

Maybe if you had a smart meter that would be different. (Joke)

Seriously, if people don't want Smart Meters it's not my place to tell them to have them. But if the reason they don't want them is because of some misplaced worries about microwaves, that is something that needs to be refuted.

Our energy supplier kept encouraging us to have one installed. We relented, booked for a chap to come and fit the bit that goes near the consumer unit, he arrived and announced " there's no room, you need to get your consumer unit moved "! We told him " not likely! There's nowhere else for it to go" He went off in a huff muttering about us wasting his time. Consequently, the energy supplier received a very strong email from me..........but they still keep pushing for us to have a smart meter. ??

We had a smart meter installed some years ago, after installation the engineer said it wasn't going to work because the local signal was so poor so removed it and put the old one back. BUT he had already activated the smart one and for several ensuing months our bills were wrong , i.e too high, because readings were allegedly being collected from this meter, not the one in our cupboard. It took ages to get corrected, phone calls, emails, complaints etc. We are surely not alone in this.

As I've mentioned, nobody has asked me to have one. No idea why not. I'm almost feeling peeved at not being included.
Made me think about how much better off we are now that the gas industry has improved post privatisation. So much choice. Has to be a good thing.

I've had one for ages, changed suppliers with no problems. I don't think the microwaves are gettng to me(but others might disagree)

Had one in my old house and had one installed not long after I moved into my bungalow. Don't know what all the fuss is about. Just means I don't have to get my daughter to read the meters for me as they are to low down for me to read in the cupboard. Don't have the bother of a meter reader having to come to read it. I don't have the reader plugged in all the time as you don't need to. Just plug it in every couple of months.

Why are people saying they give off microwaves they must be the same people who say stupid things about the Covid vaccine.

I have one, they are not called Smart Meters for nothing.
My DD is desperate for one but apparently cannot have one as her meter is too far away. Not sure what that means!!

We had a smart meter for 10 years, unfortunately it was an early model and as we changed suppliers 6 months after it was installed, it ceased to be smart.

I appreciate this may cause problems for a very few people, but that applies to anything, but except for the very very few, I cannot see where the problem lies with these meters.

Yes, they could be hacked, but the effect on us will be no worse than a gale and hundreds of thousands of properties cut off at a time and it taking weeks to reconnect everybody. If giving the grid more control it enables them to peak shave more easily to keep power running at times of possible overload, surely that is an advantage.

When I read these threads I am reminded of those old ladies of my youth who believed that electricity was dangerous because it leaked out of the sockets and that telephones were listening to their conversstions when not in use, then there was the fear of wat wirelesses were doing to peoples health and, of course, currently, the fuss about vaccines.

The one thing I do not understand is why, when we had our meter moved and replaced earlier this year, our current supplier replaced our defunct smart meter with a standard meter and not a smart meter.