I've just switched to British Gas for gas and electric ( Collective Fix December 2016 via Money Saving Expert Cheap Energy Club) and I may get the option for their Smart Meters.
If I go for this option is this likely to make it difficult to switch to another supplier in a years time, eg. they say that they can't use the BG Smart Meters? Also, do these smart meters still allow me to take my own readings for consumption?
No. If they can't use the "smart" feature for remote readings they just fall back on eyeball-based meter readings.
Yes. But you may have to push a button to see the numbers :)
BG ave just knocked on the head a deal they had with Sainsburys. 60 nectar points for every manthly reading supplied (gas or elec). Not a lot (£7.50 per year) but better than nothing
Malcolm
£3.60 ITYF ...
What region and what tariffs?
Dual Fuel = 24 readings per year
Well, I was talking to EDF the other day and they said, if you believe it, that all the various smart meters are compatible as far as the supplier is concerned, relaying the info via a cellular system to a central hub, where the companies can get hold of it. as far as customers are concerned the ones I've seen seem to come with a king of touch screen remote ting that gives various options to read and set things for calculating the costs. I asked them as in the next year they are supposed to be doing my area, and I had a moan at them for not making the devices speak as this would once again mean I could not read my own meter
Bah humbug. What is the matter with these people, they have the same issue with thermostats as well. Now I happen to know that there is a talking thermostat for central heating and there is no reason on earth not to put voice on the meter as well, The speaking controller at cost price is much the same as the non speaking one soonce again bah humbug. Brian
I suspect some of the early ones might not play nice ...
Once the meter has reported the readings back to base, you could access them from your supplier's web site, where presumably your screen-reader could speak them?
== £7.20...
Do wonder about the technology used.
Mate wanted one. Lives in Tooting in a terraced house similar to loads in the area. Gas meter in cupboard under the stairs.
Couldn't be fitted - no mobile phone reception for the service it uses.
If it can't be made to work in a pretty standard location in a pretty standard house in London, I'd guess it will have even more problems elsewhere.
In article , Dave Plowman (News) scribeth thus
They tried one out at a radio comms site we have all phone networks are nearby but they still couldn't get a signal seems there using O2 ?.
In message , Davidm writes
I thought the reason for smart meters was to give the supplier full control over supply and pricing on a minute by minute basis. So on a cold, still winters evening they can put the price up or switch you off altogether as, I understand, they do in California.
On the first visit here the guy couldn't get the gas meter to connect, full signal strength but some sort of "server" problem. Different guy turned up about two weeks later and got it to connect first time.
This was back in April...
When I saw one being fitted, albeit an electricity meter, he had a network analyser so chose the operator with the best signal and fitted a SIM for that network. He then drove off leaving it first on the roof of his van and finally in the road! Fortunately I retreived it and was able to give it back to him when he returned an hour later, he seemed very pleased to get it back!!
What I do find slightly irritating is that it will take another visit when (if) British Gas decide to fit a smart meter on the gas supply, but never mind the government is paying for all this :-)
Peter
Oh no it isn't! The cost of rolling out smart meters is met by the consumers through their gas and electricity bills.
The "government money" was yours once. It all comes from the tax payer.
In suspect the OP's comment was designed to mean:
"it doesn't matter if we waste money doing this - someone else is paying"
"The government" was just a proxy for this someone else
tim
Having been a tax payer since I was 15, some 53 years ago, I am well aware that the government doesn't have any money of it's own, but is very good at spending everyone else's!! Hence the smiley.
Peter
I was on the Sainsburys fixed price to Feb 2016 deal, but as the BG offer was running out at the end of Nov 2015 I switched a bit early (no exit fee as the Sainsburys deal was basically BG anyway). Get £30 cashback as well by switching via the MSE Cheap Energy Club. The switch happened very smoothly, about 9 days, and didn't even have to supply readings.
Assuming they do not tart up the screen using java or some other kind of flashy meter look alike. I'd like to think this would work but wonder if it will be real time. Apparently ou can view real time usage on these little marvels, and it would be nice to have that. Brian
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