British Gas - Smart meter bullying tactics

[Chris B]

I have Gas and electric charged by British Gas. I am fully up to date with payments. I don't have smart meters, I have not requested smart meters, I am not on a tariff requiring smart meters and I have no particular desire for smart meters.

I received a text from BG saying than my smart meter installation at (correct postcode so probably not a scam) had been arranged for <time> on <date>. If you want to change the appointment reply with RESCHEDULE.

So I did just that. This gave me three alternative dates but stated "We will keep the original appointment until you tell us a new one.

I replied with

"please cancel the appointment smart meters not required."

which clearly confused the Bot as we got in an endless loop finishing in

"Sorry something has gone wrong - we will get an advisor to look into it"

Now I have had an e-mail saying that my smart meters will be fitted on original <time> and <date> But I can change or cancel this appointment by logging in to my BG account.

So I log into my account and find out that yes I can change the appointment but to cancel it I have to ring up their helpline.

I think its a bit rich asking me to call (and doubtless wait in a queue for hours) to cancel something I didn't ask for and don't particularly want.

I am sorely tempted to just not be in on the day they arrive - Thankfully the meters are safely locked inside the house and not in accessible boxes outside.

[Robin]

<snip>

Just tell them no by

(a) email to [e-mail]

(b) tweet to @BritishGashelp (without your details which they'll ask for by DM)

[charles]

It's quite simple. Just stop using gas and electricity. You then won't need meters.

[Jeff Gaines]

This is becoming quite prevalent nowadays. When after nearly 60 years with HSBC I decided I had had enough I moved my current account using SWITCH. I also had a savings account where the online instructions were to log in to cancel it. When I logged in it said I had to 'phone, presumably so they could give me a load of marketing bull. I transfered all the money out except for 56 pence which can sit there and rot - I accept it's difficult to do that with gas :-)

[Davey]

Or print out your messages telling them 'NO', and show them to the 'engineer' when he arrives and you refuse him entry.

[Chris B]

That did the trick, Thank You

[Scott]

Having a witness present would do no harm.

[Scott]

Lucky you. I emailed [e-mail] and received a response saying they were unable to monitor the inbox.

[Sam Plusnet]

I take the same view as you on smart meters, & don't want them.

However, as some point in time one of your existing meters will develop a fault, or 'They' will decide that your existing meter has exceeded its working lifespan, and must be replaced.

At this point, Hobson's choice applies.

[The Natural Philosopher]

What existing meter would that be?

[SteveW]

You can still insist on a non-smart meter, even then. As they run out of smart meters, they can still install smart meters without the smart part being used. However, the rules could change at any time.

[alan_m]

What's likely to change is higher tariffs for those who have refused a smart meter.

[Joe]

And at some point, legislation. The main purpose is to be able to cut off people who acquire a poor social credit rating, sorry, I mean get behind on payments.

[Falscher Bruce]

It is a general principle that utilities own the meter and connection, and if you want to use the service, you must allow reasonable access. What if gas regulator starts venting gas? They have to fix it pronto. Smart meters have not traditionally been used for residential gas, just for industrial users that might want to use large amounts at off-peak times. Perhaps they are trying to get rid of meter readers due to dog attacks or some other reason.

[Chris B]

That trend was starting just before the market went belly up. Not so much penalties for dumb meters but cheaper tariffs for those who agreed to go down the smart meter route. Just as there are cheaper tariffs for those who agree to pay by DD.

[alan_m]

Even if it's more of a publicity stunt, you cannot get a payment for not using electricity at specified peak times unless you have a smart meter.

[Vir Campestris]

They told me my electric meter was out of calibration. When I told them I didn't want a smart meter, and I didn't think it would work here anyway, they checked, agreed it wouldn't work, and decided it was no longer out of calibration.

Andy

[Chris Green]

That has basically been my experience too, they claimed my meter was at end of life but I said I didn't want a smart meter and that I doubted if mobile coverage was good enough here and I've heard absolutely nothing since.

[Tim+]

Less of a stunt than a trial I think. As the margin between power generated nationally and power consumed gets squeezed ever tighter, power companies are trying to find new ways of keeping the lights on. Now that we have smart meters, people can be rewarded for load shifting and the power companies need an idea of how many folk are prepared to do it.

In the future I foresee bigger rewards for “on demand” load shifting and more home automation to automate a certain amount of power saving during the on-demand periods.

I have a few Wi-Fi switches that I use to turn things off during the saving periods and on again afterwards.

Tim

[Max Demian]

I prefer to time dinner according to hunger or habit, not at the convenience of power generators.