Smart gas meters?

[Citizen of Legoland]

If you change provider you have to change your meter, for me it’s a no

Don't think that's for every provider, if any. I had a smart meter but changed to a provider who can't use it so I just read the meter and submit it like normal.

Now working out how to read the thing is a totally different matter ...

 

[knuckles]

Nex

Just had a letter from Br Gas offering to install a new smart gas meter at no cost. Has anyone had one, and is it worth getting one? I'd love to know if they are worth the trouble and - of course - are there any disadvantages?
Thanks for any advice.

Next year faster supplier switching comes in, reduces from 21-28 days to 5 days but only if you have a smart meter. The year after it reduces to 2 days to switch supplier, people will be able to switch supplier very easily via comparison sites, but it all depends if you have a smart meter, if you don't then it will continue to take 21-28 days which will reduce your ability to get the best deals for energy. Other things to consider are electric vehicle charging, the UK's electricity network is already creaking (except in london - of course!), so a smart meter will determine the best time overnight to charge your electric car as an example. Gas will start to become a thing of the past, the UK has to reduce gas consumption.

 

[chesterbells]

A huge pointless waste of time. We had one fitted by one supplier a few years ago. I’m not one for changing suppliers or insurance companies etc but they were starting to take the **** with prices so I changed supplier about 6 months later.

Now, you would think in the 21st century, with all the joined up technology that your “smart” meter would work with the new supplier, wouldn’t you? Not a chance - there is no common specification and once you change you are left with a dead piece of electronics.

Will only ever have a new one fitted if forced to be law. The energy industry should be ashamed of this shambles.

Well said, helpful post.

 

[chesterbells]

Smart meters by themselves do not save you a penny.
They may make you alter your behaviour if you leave lights on in unused rooms etc.
A recent survey by comparethemarket found the average smart tariff is DEARER than the average non smart tariff and smart meter owners have less choice of tariffs when changing supplier.

Energy bills: Are smart meters so smart when it comes to cost?

Smart meter owners have fewer tariff options from which to choose and typically pay more to switch energy deals, new research by comparethemarket.com has found.

www.themoneypages.com

The govt released figures recently that showed only 44% of households and small businesses had smart meters fitted and 20% of those were “dumb”, ie they no longer worked as smart meters.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/968356/Q4_2020_Smart_Meters_Statistics_Reportv2.pdf

Why would you want one?

Again, spot on.

 

[denislawsbackheel]

We had one fitted around four years ago and then as we do every year changed supplier for better tariffs. The new supplier couldn't remotely access this new meter as it was geared to the old supplier.

Our new supplier Avro who are the top bollocks of suppliers only ask we submit meter live readings monthly. Cheap rates and an on board dashboard to handle the account although they are more than happy to take calls.

Well done Avro in a proverbial sea of dinosoric soup. Only 15.5 p for each kilowatt of deliriously delicious elecktrickery. Their gas is for absolute pennies too!

What’s Avro’s daily standing charge?

 

[denislawsbackheel]

All they do is give meter reads so you don’t have to do it yourself. This means your bill is always accurate. Plus you get visibility on what you use which might help you pay less if you know where you’re going wrong.

Why Smart meters cause so much push back and angst is beyond me.
Some right weird replies in here.

This is the naïvest post I’ve read today.

 

[denislawsbackheel]

Nex

Next year faster supplier switching comes in, reduces from 21-28 days to 5 days but only if you have a smart meter. The year after it reduces to 2 days to switch supplier, people will be able to switch supplier very easily via comparison sites, but it all depends if you have a smart meter, if you don't then it will continue to take 21-28 days which will reduce your ability to get the best deals for energy. Other things to consider are electric vehicle charging, the UK's electricity network is already creaking (except in london - of course!), so a smart meter will determine the best time overnight to charge your electric car as an example. Gas will start to become a thing of the past, the UK has to reduce gas consumption.

This is nonsense.
When you first apply to change tariff the price you get is the one on the day you start the process.
You can already get tariffs that let you pay for cheap electricity overnight to charge your car. Of course you pay more than a regular tariff for the rest of the time.

 

[LongsightM13]

This is the naïvest post I’ve read today.

In a previous job I had discussions with a very senior person in the industry who openly admitted the privacy and surveillance concerns were genuine and the biggest single hurdle to mass adoption. The government is pressing the companies to try and ‘persuade’ consumers but has stopped short of making adoption mandatory because they know that it will probably lead to protests, open hostility, and potential civil disobedience and unrest as it has done in France, parts of the US and Canada

Is your smart meter spying on you?

The French are getting heated up about their meters collecting data on their daily lives. Perhaps the British should be concerned too

www.google.co.uk

 

[knuckles]

This is nonsense.
When you first apply to change tariff the price you get is the one on the day you start the process.
You can already get tariffs that let you pay for cheap electricity overnight to charge your car. Of course you pay more than a regular tariff for the rest of the time.

Clearly not nonsense as I was explaining a benefit of getting a smart meter means from next year you can switch suppliers faster, weekly if you want.

 

[Barcon]

In a previous job I had discussions with a very senior person in the industry who openly admitted the privacy and surveillance concerns were genuine and the biggest single hurdle to mass adoption. The government is pressing the companies to try and ‘persuade’ consumers but has stopped short of making adoption mandatory because they know that it will probably lead to protests, open hostility, and potential civil disobedience and unrest as it has done in France, parts of the US and Canada

Is your smart meter spying on you?

The French are getting heated up about their meters collecting data on their daily lives. Perhaps the British should be concerned too

www.google.co.uk

Protests, open hostility, and potential civil disobedience and unrest in Canada over a gas meter?
We have far more things to worry about mate, like raccoons in our bins.