The Smart Meter Con

Originally Posted by Chrysalis

My smart meter has saved me a ton of money, but I still see often people not wanting them.

More a case of not trusting them I think, or more specifically, the companies controlling them.

[Itshim]

Originally Posted by Taf

Welsh Water has is going for a big push to fit Smart Water Meters to ALL customer's supplies.

They say it will "help" households use less water and save money. But once the majority have them, I bet the unit rate will rise to return income to previous levels. And then the annual increases will surge I bet.

Not for Wales , just for profit and big bonuses

[Dude111]

Originally Posted by GrimUpNorth

Feel a bit guilty now because he only sounded a young lad and I could tell he was nervous, but he shouldn't be allowed to ring people up and try to bully them however much they laugh at his outlandish claims.

Dont feel bad.. You stood up to him,he shouldnt be adding to the fear mongering!

[Ms NTL]

Originally Posted by Chrysalis

Even Martin is telling people now the only non SVR tariff worth considering is Octopus agile (although the normal trackers are also good).

My smart meter has saved me a ton of money, but I still see often people not wanting them.

What he said. My bill is halved.

[Sephiroth]

Originally Posted by Chrysalis

Even Martin is telling people now the only non SVR tariff worth considering is Octopus agile (although the normal trackers are also good).

My smart meter has saved me a ton of money, but I still see often people not wanting them.

To some people, the “ton of money” is less important than letting the company/state have its hands on your energy switch.

We can save a ton of money by turning the Hive setting down to a tolerable temperature and adding a layer of clothes.

[jfman]

A smart meter can only “save” you a ton of money if you change your consumption.

If the devices are out there scaring folk into being cold to save money that can - and absolutely will - have longer term implications on the health of those falling into the trap.

[Jaymoss]

Originally Posted by jfman

A smart meter can only “save” you a ton of money if you change your consumption.

If the devices are out there scaring folk into being cold to save money that can - and absolutely will - have longer term implications on the health of those falling into the trap.

or if it allows you on a Tracker Tariff. Octopus now only allow you on it with a Smart Meter. And for at least 6 months the Tracker Tariffs have saved people money

[Chrysalis]

Originally Posted by jfman

A smart meter can only “save” you a ton of money if you change your consumption.

If the devices are out there scaring folk into being cold to save money that can - and absolutely will - have longer term implications on the health of those falling into the trap.

Not quite.

I am actually paying lower unit rates on my smart meter tariff. The actual unit cost is lower.

In addition my old dumb meter was faulty, it got escalated, they refused to test it, so I ended up ordering a smart meter to "force" the meter been removed, and then the readings for the same usage were considerably lower. I ended up getting a rebate for nearly 2 grand.

Octopus also last April tried to raise my DD to an amount that was about 4x my bills, I told the operator to check my smart meter readings and she fixed it within a minute after that, I expect with a dumb meter I would have had a harder time getting them to fix.

I have even been paid to use electric for periods.

---------- Post added at 13:11 ---------- Previous post was at 13:08 ----------

Originally Posted by Sephiroth

To some people, the “ton of money” is less important than letting the company/state have its hands on your energy switch.

We can save a ton of money by turning the Hive setting down to a tolerable temperature and adding a layer of clothes.

I can understand that to a degree but then the question is what kind of actions are they fearing?

We have seen in the news e.g. that with a dumb meter, warrants can still be obtained to force people onto prepay or to disconnect supply, a smart meter isnt required for that.

For reference I already do layer up and only sparingly use my GCH.

[Sephiroth]

I don’t like the idea of the power company being able to turn me off at their whim. I don’t anticipate struggling to pay my bills. I also hope that they can’t switch mew to a higher tariff at peak times. We are being conned.

[jfman]

Originally Posted by Sephiroth

I don’t like the idea of the power company being able to turn me off at their whim. I don’t anticipate struggling to pay my bills. I also hope that they can’t switch mew to a higher tariff at peak times. We are being conned.

It’s when they start differentiated pricing at peak times everyone who got one will panic.

[peanut]

I have a dumb meter for gas, and still paying the unit price from 2021 so still very cheap for me. I don't get why people want a smart meter, it'll be something that you will keep checking and worrying about where I'm happy to just pay what I use. That and they can change the charges when they want can't be a good thing.

Edit...

'Smart meters to save UK households only £11 a year, report finds' - Various sources...

So £11 for the stress of watching a meter, trying to turn off things that you won't usually bother in hope of saving less than a quid a month... Not for me.

[GrimUpNorth]

Originally Posted by Sephiroth

I don’t like the idea of the power company being able to turn me off at their whim. I don’t anticipate struggling to pay my bills. I also hope that they can’t switch mew to a higher tariff at peak times. We are being conned.

What Seph said.

[Chrysalis]

Originally Posted by peanut

I have a dumb meter for gas, and still paying the unit price from 2021 so still very cheap for me. I don't get why people want a smart meter, it'll be something that you will keep checking and worrying about where I'm happy to just pay what I use. That and they can change the charges when they want can't be a good thing.

Edit...

'Smart meters to save UK households only £11 a year, report finds' - Various sources...

So £11 for the stress of watching a meter, trying to turn off things that you won't usually bother in hope of saving less than a quid a month... Not for me.

Well you on an expired tariff so yeah you paying obsolete cheaper prices now, you in for a shock when the tariff runs out though, although looks like you have ridden through the worst of it as its forecasted for prices to drop in July. (although will still be at least 2x 2021 pricing).

The thing you mentioned about constantly watching your usage would be the in home display device, mine is powered off. However I dont think its a bad thing if a smart meter and/or the IHD can help identify a energy guzzling device in the home.

It is a free country and I think choice is king, but I dont think smart meters are some kind of trick to con people. The obvious benefits and motivations for a supplier to want people to have smart meters is we can be done away with estimated readings, so many people have bills based on estimated not actual usage.

I also think time of use tariffs are the future. Let people benefit from cheap off peak energy. Its a shame only Octopus is modernising and the rest of the industry is stuck in old ways.

[peanut]

Originally Posted by Chrysalis

Well you on an expired tariff so yeah you paying obsolete cheaper prices now, you in for a shock when the tariff runs out though, although looks like you have ridden through the worst of it as its forecasted for prices to drop in July. (although will still be at least 2x 2021 pricing).

The thing you mentioned about constantly watching your usage would be the in home display device, mine is powered off. However I dont think its a bad thing if a smart meter and/or the IHD can help identify a energy guzzling device in the home.

It is a free country and I think choice is king, but I dont think smart meters are some kind of trick to con people. The obvious benefits and motivations for a supplier to want people to have smart meters is we can be done away with estimated readings, so many people have bills based on estimated not actual usage.

I also think time of use tariffs are the future. Let people benefit from cheap off peak energy. Its a shame only Octopus is modernising and the rest of the industry is stuck in old ways.

I agree, but I have enough on the meter for a good few of years yet, but I budget for everything. If or when it goes up it's not a problem. The refund from the £400 for bills has been put aside for just that, but for me it doesn't change anything, just using it for the intended purposes. My point is there's more to life than watching a figure go up on a meter and try to figure out what else you can turn off when it doesn't really amount to much.

[Sephiroth]

Time of use tariff can only benefit the supplier. No way can it benefit the customer. In this century, we should be able to have power on tap at a uniform price 24x7x365.\