First Smart Meter Tarrif to Benefit Customer?

[Dave Liquorice]

The current E7 fixed tarrif is about to end so have been digging about for a new contract/supplier. Came across Ebico's Night Owl tarrif, slightly raised peak cost, quite high standing charge but offset by free off peak lecky. You have to have, or agree to have, a Smart Meter fitted. If you have an E7 meter they want monthly readings but that is only temporary until the Smart Meter is fitted. If there is no signal to enable the Smart Meter to work I think you can stay on monthly readings.

The meters are in a small windowless, thick stone walled room, I had hoped that there would be no siganl in there but having waved a mobile phone in network scan mode next to the meters, there is a signal from all four networks. B-(

This is the first tarrif I've come across that uses the Smart Meter technology to half give some real benefit to the customer. Of course they, or any other supplier, could offer the same thing using the existing dumb E7 meters, if they wanted to.

It would be a genuine £400+/year saving for us, that almost tips the balance of having a Smart Meter for me but not for SWMBO'd (guess who doesn't pay the bill...). So E.ON have got us for the next 12 months on their "Go Online 1 year v8", DD and paperless tarrif(*1) which works out the same as the about to expire Scottish Power "Online Fixed Saver March 2018 v2". Everything else the comparison sites spewed up(*2) involved a real annual increase of between £120 and £440.

(*1) 15.404 p/kWHr Day, 7.004 p/kWHr night, 16.42 p/day standing charge (inc 5% VAT).

(*2) Including the ones that the comparision site couldn't do an online switch to.

[FMurtz]

There will never be an overall saving with the use of smart meters, their sole purpose is to make money in the long run by the supplier, otherwise they would not waste their time or investment.

[Brian Gaff]

I'm waiting for the first smart meter which can, as promised by the regulator, give me a speaking remote unit so I can tell what is actually going on in my own house, something I've not been able to do since I lost my sight. Brian

[harry]

Drivel The ultimate purpose of smart meters is to enable energy demand control. In the brave new world of renewable energy, you will pay more when the wind don't blow.

[alan_m]

In the brave new world of renewable energy, you will be cut off when the wind don't blow.

I wonder what competitive competing energy deals there will be when the power companies cannot predict what price they will be paying for power

- to pass on on a hourly basis to the customer?

[Max Demian]

How will any smart meter tell you "what is actually going on in my own house"? They only register instant total power use.

[M2T]

Once you've got Smart Meter, you're stuffed with being stuck with the supplier who installed it. Unlike mechanical meters, they are frequently linked to one company. Sign up for a bargain now, get screwed next year.

[Andy Burns]

Absolutely not true. There are people here who have smart meters and have swapped suppliers.

Quote OFGEM

"If you switch supplier and the new supplier cannot operate the meter in smart mode, they will need to operate it as a traditional meter with meter readings taken manually."

[dennis]

8<

Not true. You can switch to any supplier, they may not be able to read the meter though and you are back to manual readings.

[Tim Watts]

That's not necessarily true - what I though happens is you can move supplier, but you have to just read the meter normally with the next supplier, because their tech doesn't talk to the other supplier's meter.

[Robin]

Or not. We've had smart meters work as smart meters with 3 different suppliers over 5+ years.

And I've had the Henley block and spare tails ready to cut the seals and bypass the leccy meter (and argue my case later) should it fail to work at all and not be fixed smartly ;)

[Max Demian]

Henley block? Is that anything like Henle's loop?

[Roger Hayter]

Or, indeed, Henley regatta?

[harry]

A manufacturer of link boxes. (large cable joint boxes)

[Dave Liquorice]

The main reason they are installing Smart Meters is because they have been told to by HMG. They wouldn't bother other wise, as the meters here dated 1967, 1980 and 1996 testify.