Energy bills

[Mussels]

Still no sign of being able to get a smart meter installed. Waited about a year with Bulb and now a month with Octopus, with no sign of anything moving forward. Really annoying as I have a lot of ability to shift electricity usage.

It's just not going to happen for some. They are going to upgrade gen1 meters so they can be read by any provider, that's all the upgrade will do so everyone that bought into the early adopter hype will lose out.

[Kneerly Down]

Hmmm

SmartMeterObligation.png (62.68 KiB) Viewed 358 times

[mangocrazy]

I'm actively avoiding the fitment of smart meters. No thanks.

[Count Steer]

I'm actively avoiding the fitment of smart meters. No thanks.

Ditto. Until there's a discernable £benefit for me, rather than the supplier, nope. I know that things use energy when they're switched on.

[irie]

I'm actively avoiding the fitment of smart meters. No thanks.

Me too.

[Cousin Jack]

Smart meters are a con. When most meters are smart you WILL be charged more for cooking tea at tea time.

[Kneerly Down]

With all you guys not wanting one it makes it all the more annoying that I can't...seeing as I want one!

[Screwdriver]

Just wait until we start to see energy rationing in the war against climate change. Then you'll understand why these companies (and this government) are so keen on having a networked remote control device in every home.

[mangocrazy]

Just wait until we start to see energy rationing in the war against climate change. Then you'll understand why these companies (and this government) are so keen on having a networked remote control device in every home.

I'd view it as energy rationing due to under-investment in critical infrastructure. But we are agreed in our profound distrust of these devices. Why would you want the supply of energy to your home to be at the whim of (and under the control of) energy companies and/or the government?

[Kneerly Down]

I'd view it as energy rationing due to under-investment in critical infrastructure.

Part of the critical infrastructure is having smart meters.
If you have people, like myself, who are happy to shift power usage to lower periods of demand then there may well be no need for power rationing.
If you have a smart meter you could too could be part of the solution.

Why would you want the supply of energy to your home to be at the whim of (and under the control of) energy companies and/or the government?

I think if the energy companies and government decided you shouldn't have energy supplied to your home they could arrange that.
With intermittent renewables generation I'd like to help the efforts to match demand and supply...and possibly be financially incentivised to do so!
A smart meter should enable me to do that.

[Mr. Dazzle]

If you with think that energy companies are going to start rationing power or charging you loads more for peak times, why do you think not having a smart meter would save you?

Do you not think it more likely that those without a smart meter would just get charged top whack ALL the time instead?

[Count Steer]

If you with think that energy companies are going to start rationing power or charging you loads more for peak times, why do you think not having a smart meter would save you?

Do you not think it more likely that those without a smart meter would just get charged top whack ALL the time instead?

Then there would be a financial incentive to get one fitted. When that time comes they're not likely to refuse to fit one are they? You early adopters carry on and get the problems sorted.

[Mr. Dazzle]

Can't argue with that logic

So far mine hasn't cost me anything and it might have made me three quid. Happy days!

[roadster]

My supplier is EON and they used the now familiar trick of closing the old company and reforming it as EON Next thus getting out of their previous contract with me. They claim that terms would be the same then reneged on my three monthly billing arrangements. They further insisted on installing a smart meter which has never worked since the day it was installed. Every month they send me estimated bills and I reply complaining about the smart meter not working. I receive a sympathetic email in reply but no action is taken. The public is being taken for a ride and the government regulator is a joke.

[Mr. Dazzle]

Even if you've got a smart meter you can still tell the companies your meeting readings 'the old fashioned way'? My meter cupboard still has numbers in it.

[Count Steer]

It's almost like the energy retail companies were incentivised to fit smart meters...whether they work or not. Most of the retail companies are desperate to sustain their margins and have little interest in spending money on infrastructure.

Maybe they should have incentivised the companies responsible for generation/production, load balancing, transmission and distribution to do it? Then they might have had a plan that involved fitting them in high density/high demand areas first rather than the current random approach. It's all a bit half baked at the moment. I agree with the assessment of the regulator up there ^^^ - not fit for purpose.

[mangocrazy]

If you with think that energy companies are going to start rationing power or charging you loads more for peak times, why do you think not having a smart meter would save you?

Because with a dumb meter it's a binary thing - you either have supply or you don't. And without a smart control in the house, the companies have to send a man in a van to alter the supply. Never going to happen.

Do you not think it more likely that those without a smart meter would just get charged top whack ALL the time instead?

In which case it will have to be stated clearly that there are different rates for ppl with dumb meters as opposed to smart meters when you enter into the contract. Don't see that happening any time soon.

[Mr. Dazzle]

AFAIK my smart meter can't turn the power off, its a meter not a switch. Freely admit I've not checked though.

As for "different rates" thing...already happening. There are tariffs available to me which I could only have with a smart meter. I don't actually use them, but they're there. Ditto on the demand flexibility thing.

All that will actually happen IMO is that dumb meters will pay whatever the energy cap price is all the time, smart meters won't.

[Screwdriver]

If you with think that energy companies are going to start rationing power or charging you loads more for peak times, why do you think not having a smart meter would save you?

Do you not think it more likely that those without a smart meter would just get charged top whack ALL the time instead?

Thanks for asking. I think humanity has wandered into this new age of internet connected <everything> blindly and without really thinking through the implications. Clearly "the powers that be" have spotted this a a fantastic way to express authoritarian control over their respective populations. It worries me how many world leaders are looking jealously at China, the way the CCP operates by tracking every single individual, all the time.

Smart meters are just one more step in that direction. Yes, I can see how "useful" that would be in the future when we reach a critical mass of Ev's (robots that look like cars if you ask me) and the power grid is completely overwhelmed. I can also believe it's a good idea to be able to manage peak demand etc.

What I don't believe is any government agent or utilities company who promise, "we won't use it for any other nefarious purpose".

Once we reach a critical number of installed units, they will become compulsory...

[Mr. Dazzle]

I can see why it would appear that way...I can't even say that is isn't that way!...but well, all I can say is that's the most paranoid spin you can put on it.

I dunno...colour me an optimist. Or maybe just someone who doesn't think these systems are that well controlled in the background . So what, a randomist?