Not so Smartmeters again

Last year, my local water company converted my supply meter to a 'Smart' meter. It worked, but there were always gaps in the readings. Then at some time before Christmas, I noticed that there had been no readings logged since October. I queried this, and they confirmed that it had lost connection to the network. Eventually, they decided to replace it, which they did two weeks ago. Since then, I have expected to see readings again. There are none. When I asked about this, the reply was that it might take a whole month before the meter is successfully logged into the network and reporting readings. So far, it is not doing anything to contradict this. I had also asked when they would have noticed the lack of readings if I had not alerted them, and the reply was "At the next billing date", which would have been another couple of months.

It's good to see how efficient 'Smart' meters are.

If it says 'smart' it is targeted at the most stupid sector of the population.

I refuse to have one installed

I dunno. If my meter said £0 for the entire year, who am I to disagree ?

The mains in our road was renewed, and as part of the process they connected up a new mains pipe we had had dug across the front garden and into the house. This pipe did not have a meter attached as it had not previously been connected up.

For several years after that the water company sent people round to read the old meter in our garage. I handed them a length of disconnected pipe with the meter attached. They read it, noted down the reading, and went on their way. Simple job, reading water meters. Done on auto-pilot.

I have a lot of sympathy for that opinion. In this case, I was informed that it had been upgraded after the event. So far, Stupid meter would be a better description than 'Smart'. Although the meter is probably fine, but the network is the problem. We are in an area (East Anglia) that has something of a reputation for 'Not-Spots', but even inside my house, I can get a clear mobile signal.

I have reported this somewhere before, but back in 1991, we lived in a house in Kansas City, MO for a year. For the first few months, the electric meter, which was mounted outside the house, was stuck. We received monthly bills for the standing charge and no dollars for power used. Then one evening, there was a knock on the door, and outside was a technician with a new meter in his hand, warning us that the power would be off for a few minutes. He replaced the meter quickly, (it was a plug-and-play spinning disk unit), and soon we received an estimated bill for the previous missing months. I thought it was a little high, and contacted the Missouri version of Ofgem, who said that it fitted perfectly into the average costs for our situation. Oh well, I tried.

Many years ago in the Uk there was a spate of stories about cash machines not dispensing the full requested amount. All the banks as one repeatedly insisted that their cash machines could not go wrong. A stance they rather regretted when some machines dispensed *more* than requested and the banks could not exactly ask for their money back.

For well over 10 years I kept a letter from my bank returning my cared after (their words) "a fault with the machine".

Smart Meters can work properly. And, without friction.

The trick is the communications standard.

Paul

Maybe call it a 'dumb' meter - since the defect is its failure to communicate.

Yeah, my stupidity has pushed my electricity costs as high as 11p/kWhr in December. Absolutely gutted to be paying so much.

More fool you.

Tim

Water metering doesn’t need regular comms as unlike electricity there are are no “time of use” tariffs. Consequently, fixing comms issues isn’t a high priority. If the worst comes to the worst they can come and read your meter and you will pay exactly for what you’ve used.

Tim

Or even a dumb waiter, as it's always waiting for a signal?

Words, just words.

LOL! Nice one

-- “Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.”

― Voltaire, Questions sur les Miracles à M. Claparede, Professeur de Théologie à Genève, par un Proposant: Ou Extrait de Diverses Lettres de M. de Voltaire

Si9nce the ex-grid cost is around 25p or more,. you are ripping off some other poor sod.

We weren't given an option. Thames Water dug up the street & installed them in the pavements. That means each household is now has to pay for any leaks in the 30 feet of underground pipe work between the meter & the building. I'm told the idea is that one man can drive round & read the meters without leaving his vehicle.

Same here, but no compulsion to change from billing on rateable value to metering.

Ours have a LoRaWAN transmitter (not sure if they're actually in use yet) we're promised daily usage graphs "soon".

Is he a LoranWANVanMan?

AIUI they are fitting loads of meters (presumably that are read remotely) at strategic points in the network to aid in isolating leaky sections.

They fitted one across the road from me last week (on a Sunday). And a couple of new inspection covers have appeared along the street.

The electricity suppliers have done this for years - compare the grid meter to the sum of the consumer meters and look for any discrepancy. That'll be the bit where they've fiddled the meter.

There was for us (Thames Water again).