Smart Meters

[WJ99mobile]

There's a massive push for them at the moment. I've just done a quick comparison and the cheapest tariff requires a smart meter otherwise you're in risk of a penalty.

Are they any negatives to a smart meter?

[Penarth Blues]

There's a massive push for them at the moment. I've just done a quick comparison and the cheapest tariff requires a smart meter otherwise you're in risk of a penalty.

Are they any negatives to a smart meter?

Main problem is that none of them on the market are 'proper' smart meters yet I don't believe. I'd give it another year or two yet and I'm intending to put off getting one for as long as possible until they iron out security problems with the data collection.

Smart meter data can tell a huge amount about you, what appliances you have and when you are usually at home or not. I'd prefer other people to be the guinea pigs on this tech at the moment.

On the plus side, you should be able to control your energy use better if you are a nerd, but make sure you have absolute rights to your own data and that you won't be charged for this. Often if you change supplier the meter also becomes useless as it belongs to your old supplier and that's how they are making their money...

[Wales-Bales]

Once every everybody has been signed up, they will introduce new peak rate charges. Did anybody really think these smart meters were introduced for your benefit?

[Penarth Blues]

Once every everybody has been signed up, they will introduce new peak rate charges. Did anybody really think these smart meters were introduced for your benefit?

Yep - Time of Day charging is coming to help balance the grid better and to make more money by confusing the crap out of us

[Wales-Bales]

Yep - Time of Day charging is coming to help balance the grid better and to make more money by confusing the crap out of us

At least you will be able to save a few pennies if you have your dinner at 3am every day

[Heathblue]

Yep - Time of Day charging is coming to help balance the grid better and to make more money by confusing the crap out of us

Will be as clear as buying a rail ticket.

[Badly Ironed Shirt]

Main problem is that none of them on the market are 'proper' smart meters yet I don't believe. I'd give it another year or two yet and I'm intending to put off getting one for as long as possible until they iron out security problems with the data collection.

Smart meter data can tell a huge amount about you, what appliances you have and when you are usually at home or not. I'd prefer other people to be the guinea pigs on this tech at the moment.

On the plus side, you should be able to control your energy use better if you are a nerd, but make sure you have absolute rights to your own data and that you won't be charged for this. Often if you change supplier the meter also becomes useless as it belongs to your old supplier and that's how they are making their money...

Quite a large bit of misinformation here.

Can Smart meter data tell when you are at home or not? Not really. For example, my electricity usage is sometimes higher when I am out because I may time my cooker to come on just in time for my food to cook before I arrive home. Sometimes I schedule the washing machine or the tumble dryer to come on a few hours after I leave the house. At this precise moment, I am burning 110 w/h. I have the living room light on, probably the fridge is using the other bit, I am on the laptop (not charging), the missus is out with some friends. Between 11-2 today, despite the house being empty, we were burning much more electricity.

Which companies charge you for your own data? I haven't heard anything like this, but I am interested.

And, how does a smart meter tell anyone what appliances you have? You can make a guess, I suppose.

Lastly - the meter DOESN'T belong to your old company. However, your new company will be unable to utilise your smart meter because there's been a monumental cock-up, and the first generation of smart meters are only compatible with the energy company that has supplied them. This has led to huge waste, especially for those who switch companies. I switched 3 months after getting a smart meter from SWALEC - the meter still works, as does the device that gives all the stats on energy usage. The only thing that doesn't work is that it cannot transmit the data to my new company. I am about to switch again in a few days. I won't be taking a smart meter until it is compatible with all energy suppliers - but I took the smart meter so that we could monitor energy usage. It works fine for that - it may be a bit "nerdy", but it's resulted in lower bills, and lower carbon dioxide emissions. Nothing nerdy about trying to cut down wastage.

[Badly Ironed Shirt]

Yep - Time of Day charging is coming to help balance the grid better and to make more money by confusing the crap out of us

Does it make sense to get people to use power hungry appliances (such as washing machines and tumble dryers and dishwashers) during periods where energy usage is lower? Of course it does - I doubt if it will result in higher bills. Most appliances are now using less and less electricity. Also, this is going to be a vital tool as more and more people will be charging their 30kwh cars, and it will be desirable to get people to do this during the night - otherwise there will be localised power cuts as the grid fails to cope with demand.

It's not all a profit driven conspiracy, although I admit some of it probably is about fleecing customers - in particular customers who don't move with the technology.

[Tuerto]

Quite a large bit of misinformation here.

Can Smart meter data tell when you are at home or not? Not really. For example, my electricity usage is sometimes higher when I am out because I may time my cooker to come on just in time for my food to cook before I arrive home. Sometimes I schedule the washing machine or the tumble dryer to come on a few hours after I leave the house. At this precise moment, I am burning 110 w/h. I have the living room light on, probably the fridge is using the other bit, I am on the laptop (not charging), the missus is out with some friends. Between 11-2 today, despite the house being empty, we were burning much more electricity.

Which companies charge you for your own data? I haven't heard anything like this, but I am interested.

And, how does a smart meter tell anyone what appliances you have? You can make a guess, I suppose.

Lastly - the meter DOESN'T belong to your old company. However, your new company will be unable to utilise your smart meter because there's been a monumental cock-up, and the first generation of smart meters are only compatible with the energy company that has supplied them. This has led to huge waste, especially for those who switch companies. I switched 3 months after getting a smart meter from SWALEC - the meter still works, as does the device that gives all the stats on energy usage. The only thing that doesn't work is that it cannot transmit the data to my new company. I am about to switch again in a few days. I won't be taking a smart meter until it is compatible with all energy suppliers - but I took the smart meter so that we could monitor energy usage. It works fine for that - it may be a bit "nerdy", but it's resulted in lower bills, and lower carbon dioxide emissions. Nothing nerdy about trying to cut down wastage.

I can't imagine scheduling my washing machine to come on. That's impressive. Be careful with the cooker, you might get caught in traffic.

[Badly Ironed Shirt]

I can't imagine scheduling my washing machine to come on. That's impressive. Be careful with the cooker, you might get caught in traffic.

That's ok - I also schedule it to go off. The key point being that it's difficult to tell if someone is home or not purely from smart meter readings. I also wonder how this data would be accessed by a prospective burglar. It would probably cost him more to find out if I am home or not than he could ever earn from selling any stuff he happened to pinch.

[Cyclops]

I've refused smart meters because I understand it can be difficult to change utility providers. But I expect I've got that wrong.

[Tuerto]

That's ok - I also schedule it to go off. The key point being that it's difficult to tell if someone is home or not purely from smart meter readings. I also wonder how this data would be accessed by a prospective burglar. It would probably cost him more to find out if I am home or not than he could ever earn from selling any stuff he happened to pinch.

If a burglar went to the trouble of studying my energy usage data, over a period of time, and came to certain conclusions and probabilities, then I think i'd save him the trouble and leave him the keys. In all seriousness, I would reckon that you're in the minority when it comes to programming your appliances, although i'm a ****ing dinosaur when it come to technology, I'm at 'key under the plant pot' level.

[bobh]

All this scheduling of cookers/washers/driers to come on while you are out (or in bed) is fine for economy.
But the overwhelming advice for safety is NOT to have these devices on when you can't monitor them.

[Heathblue]

I've refused smart meters because I understand it can be difficult to change utility providers. But I expect I've got that wrong.

I agreed to one previously and the company didn't turn up on the arranged date, they gave me compo for inconvenience , when they asked to rebook i told them no thanks after reading a previous thread on here about this.

[Badly Ironed Shirt]

I've refused smart meters because I understand it can be difficult to change utility providers. But I expect I've got that wrong.

I was with SWALEC when I got my meters. 3 months later I switched, and I am switching again on Friday. One thing I will say, though, is that the new meters are a waste purely because of the lack of compatibility. New meters are proposed to resolve this issue, but the new meters are not really fit for purpose. We needed new meters when we moved in, we wanted to move the location of the gas meter to the outside of the house, and this gave us an opportunity to get it done for free.

[Badly Ironed Shirt]

All this scheduling of cookers/washers/driers to come on while you are out (or in bed) is fine for economy.
But the overwhelming advice for safety is NOT to have these devices on when you can't monitor them.

It's a valid point you make, I see it as extremely low risk though.

[Badly Ironed Shirt]

If a burglar went to the trouble of studying my energy usage data, over a period of time, and came to certain conclusions and probabilities, then I think i'd save him the trouble and leave him the keys. In all seriousness, I would reckon that you're in the minority when it comes to programming your appliances, although i'm a ****ing dinosaur when it come to technology, I'm at 'key under the plant pot' level.

Where do you live again?

[Tuerto]

All this scheduling of cookers/washers/driers to come on while you are out (or in bed) is fine for economy.
But the overwhelming advice for safety is NOT to have these devices on when you can't monitor them.

Especially tumble driers-aren't they one of the biggest causes of house fires-or maybe it's poor maintenance.

[Tuerto]

Where do you live again?

Just look for the house with the plant pot!

[dandywarhol]

There's a massive push for them at the moment. I've just done a quick comparison and the cheapest tariff requires a smart meter otherwise you're in risk of a penalty.

Are they any negatives to a smart meter?

I’ve been with 1st utility for about 5 years always pretty competitive.
However cheapest tariff is with a smart meter which is being installed 21/7.
Apparently the power goes off for about an hour

[Badly Ironed Shirt]

Especially tumble driers-aren't they one of the biggest causes of house fires-or maybe it's poor maintenance.

To be fair, I usually put the tumble drier on early morning about an hour before I wake up. If I wake up.

[dml1954]

Smart meters are not compulsory, so they cant make you get one. Some people cant have one, even if they wanted to, due to poor mobile signal. There will therefore never be a time when everybody has one. Charging more to people who dont have one is discrimination and could be illegal, especially as they are optional.