Is it smart to get smart meters yet (/ever)?

[T i m]

Mum (88) had a letter from e-on suggesting she would have to have her meters changed and they would be smart meters, except if she couldn't have them or didn't want them? ;-)

I'm pretty sure she's not going to start leaving lights on where she didn't before, or replace the LED / CFL's with incandescent or turn the heating up to use more gas, even if she found out it wasn't as expensive as she thought?

So, where are we on them now ... are they a 'good thing' or likely to be / stay one, do I ring them up and say 'no thanks' for her?

Cheers, T i m

[Bill Wright]

It means she will know that anyone knocking on the door claiming to be a meter reader will be a crook.

Bill

[Andy Burns]

No guarantee that any that is fitted yet will be portable between suppliers, if not it may be re-configured to become portable, otherwise it will get replaced again eventually.

Except every couple of years when they *will* send a human to read one or other of the meters anyway ...

[Robin]

Ofgem abolished in Feb 2016 the obligation to try to check meters every

2 years. We've not had the (indoor) electricity meter read since 2014.

[Martin Brown]

They are desperately trying to install the last of old bad ones with all the security flaws in an attempt not to look so far behind schedule. I wouldn't want to get lumbered with a first generation dumb "smart" meter. They are potentially a threat to national infrastructure. YMMV

The guy who turned up to do my brother in laws was in and out in flash because he couldn't get any kind of mobile signal. Odd they don't check mobile network coverage before offering the service.

[Andy Burns]

e.on did ask if I knew whether there was good O2 coverage at the electricity meter position.

[Brian Gaff]

Personally I'd leave it for as longer so possible as many companies have got them sitting in warehouses and they are the old types. They would just love to clear the space. The newer ones will, I understand be able to more readily cope if you change supplier and also be more secure and according to ofgen, have facilities for talking control boxes. In the main the companies seem very unaware of the capabilities of the current or future meters I've found, so hold off.

Brian

[Brian Gaff]

Yes but you can work it out now as I have a password set up with meter readers. I myself cannot read the meter, so when its getting near to the time I get an appointment set up. Brian

[Brian Gaff]

Yes, but that is only because people can read their own, but many of us are unable to do this and basing it on estimations is very dangerous when a reading is finally made. Brian

[The Natural Philosopher]

I told SSE unequivocally that there was no mobile coverage of any sort here. They said 'we will take you off the list then'

That is why I now only get two invitations to fit a smart meter every week, instead of three.

[whisky-dave]

Now they have to call themselves safety inspectors.

[AnthonyL]

Maybe but my supplier sent a reader round a couple of weeks ago (presumably prior to the forthcoming price hike they are introducing). If the reader had come round to the other door he's have passed the external meter on the way.

[Robin]

Can the supplier read your (allegedly) smart meter ?

[Pamela]

On 19:46 18 Oct 2018, Nightjar wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Nice to know my lethargy at not getting a smart meter installed is being rewarded. :)

[ARW]

My late Aunt Lucy (who had already been done over twice this way) let the third bloke in to read her meter and then locked him in the coal store [1] before calling the police to report catching a crook.

The nice legal meter reader waited for the police to arrive and let him out.

[1] Bill will not be surprised, but others might, be that the coal store was inside the house.

[harry]

I thought the bath was the traditional coal store up North? We had a cellar with an iron plate in the pavement.

[AnthonyL]

?? - are you responding to the right post?