I have no gas, and my smart electric meter does not have the capability of being switched off, as judged by its spec found online, and by the assurance from the electricity provider on the phone when I agreed to have it installed.
Aren't they a bit small to contain something capable of switching 100 amps?
The problem is that the spec may tell you how it's supposed to work, not how it's going to work after the firmware is hacked. :)
In particular, the manufacturer might have two models: one that can be turned off remotely, and one that can't. The difference may just lie in the firmware. If that can be updated remotely, then ....
I suspect they lied (or at best the person you spoke to didn't know) because all the specs for them I've looked at show the electric ones having a 100A contactor and the gas ones having a shutoff valve.
They're the same size as pre-pay meters, they chop you off when the shilling runs out ...
The technical spec for smart meters has required a load switch for a along time now - eg to disable supply if the meter detects tampering. I don't see that it's hard to do that inside the meter given this is not a means of isolation or emergency switching: it's usually just a single pole job.
Some lobbied for all smart meters to incorporate double pole isolation so as to avoid the need for people to pull the supply fuse, work live or call out the operator where there's no isolator )and possibly no room to fit one). Apparently unsuccessfully.
Would you prefer to work on an installation that could come live at the press of a wrong button in Bangalore, or where you know the supply fuse holder is in your pocket?
Where is this technical spec for smart meters?
Several I suspect.
It seems that the various suppliers fit different ones and, if you change supplier, the 'old' smart meter is likely to be incompatible with the new company. Therefore it is switched to a 'dumb' mode, even as I understand it the 'remote display' can stop functioning.
There seems to be a lot of negative propaganda re smart meters but the incompatibility issue seems to be genuine.
Of all of the basic functions the various designs should surely include is a basic 'smart mode' which is allows all companies to use them- at least for remote reading and maintaining the remote display operation. But, of course, the smart meter idea was a knee jerk reaction to 'a problem' (real or not), rushed into implementation.
I had to phone EDF yesterday to cancel the appointment they had made for me (_again_) to come and fit a smart meter, in spite of being told repeatedly that I would contact them when I was ready. Whilst there, I asked about this and (FWIW) they confirmed that these are first generation meters that revert to dumb if the supplier changes, and that the second generation ones would be out 'sometime next year'.
I haven't yet read them.
Chris
Thanks. The top document is a draft update published in 2014. The website also includes responses from many suppliers to questions raised regarding earlier editions in 2012. I looked at my own supplier's response (EDF) and am glad to see (Question 21) that they are not in favour of allowing suppliers to disable the supply remotely. They did suggest that if they were allowed, then the meter should have a countdown timer to re-enable the supply after some period if no further command was received.
There is no money to replace the first generation ones - if you have one, you are probably now stuck with it.
The original idea was to just update the firmware, but the security now required by SMETS2 to prevent unauthorised access to switch you off (at GCHQ's insistance) can't be implemented in first generation smart meters by firmware upgrade.
If you want a smart meter, wait for a SMETS2 one.
Indeed. I feel I might want to go to some lengths to avoid having one.
Even the name, which apparently has nothing to do with surface finish and cleanliness, is worrying.
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