[OT] Smart meters

Not with lights anymore.

They can however be selective about when the higher power devices are used with stuff like washing machines and dishwashers.

The best

You get a much better result by being selective about when some of them are used.

Not with some like washing machines and dishwashers.

And I

Pity about the other stuff like washing machines and dishwashers and driers.

Reply to
Jack James
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It isnt just about cooking, it is also about washing machines, dishwashers and driers.

It isnt that black and white.

and

Reply to
Jack James

Except that is not a saving. It is simply penalising normal working people who want to come in, have an evening meal and then have the evening free to relax, carry out their hobbies, or go out and socialise, etc.

I can't see many families with children being overly pleased when they have to choose between paying a high price for cooking or getting their children to bed at a sensible time; or washing and drying the blazer that has come home dirty, and is needed in the morning, late on, so they themselves get to bed late or get up early to iron it.

Agreed.

SteveW

Reply to
Steve Walker

No electricity company actually wants customers to save energy. That's like asking Bernard Matthews to promote vegetarianism.

What they do want is to even out demand over time so they don't have to pay for expensive peak production (like Mr Matthews wanted us to eat turkey all year round, not just for Christmas).

Smart metering can work as part of a smart grid, especially where electricity is still used for heating (as it's easy to store heat) as demand side management.

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Owain

Reply to
spuorgelgoog

Did it say, "You've left your iron on"? If you're using a lot of power that is needed, for example electric heating, cooking, or a washing machine, you won't notice a little extra for an iron.

A smart meter is no more use than gazing at the spinning disc in an old-style meter, and saying, "Ooh! What a lot of leccy I'm using!"

Reply to
Max Demian

Exactly. They claim that they will put customers "in control of their energy use" but in reality they will be controlling the customers by using pricing to coerce them into using energy at times to suit the suppliers.

Reply to
Mike Clarke

Maybe if they worked.

The report cited in the first post suggests that 50% of those already installed have lost contact with a supplier and 10% cannot work because of a lack of mobile signal coverage where they are installed.

Reply to
alan_m

You say that as if it's a bad thing!

Reply to
mechanic

Exactly! who uses so little electricity 'all the time' that the odd few hundred watts up or down will be noticeable?

Reply to
Chris Green

Mike Clarke explained on 21/07/2018 :

For many, at least for some things, that needn't be a problem. Running the weekly wash overnight, likewise dryer and stored water heating.

When there is a peak in demand, nothing at all wrong with fridges and freezers being disabled from running for an hour or two, until a peak has subsided.

However, no one should be penalised on time/cost and each should have an over ride button.

Reply to
Harry Bloomfield

Andy Burns was thinking very hard :

Unfortunately, there are several different displays, so tapping into the received data at the display will only work for one type.

Reply to
Harry Bloomfield

Max Demian used his keyboard to write :

Why might I want to go out on a cold day and watch a disc spinning around? A simply LCD display inside, in the warm, shows exactly what both my gas and leccy consumption is, minute by minute. It even hows the history of my consumption.

Reply to
Harry Bloomfield

Does 2MWh/year count?

Reply to
Andy Burns

alan_m submitted this idea :

I believe the 50%, because it took many months after each supplier switch (3) to get the 2x SM's back to smart again.

Reply to
Harry Bloomfield

In message , Robin writes

Whoops! Yes, that was May 2017. We used 5674 units year to 20.05.17 and 5288 to 20.05.18, so a decrease of 386 units over the year.

Not sure what that proves, as we used 5426 units, year to 20.05.16, although that is still a huge reduction since we discussed usage Sept.

2014, when ours was over 9k units p.a. That has reduced to just over 5k units p.a. just by replacing conventional bulbs with LEDs in the most used lights and being a little more careful, without being anal about it. Simple things like turning desktops off overnight, and switching off things that spent far too long on standby.
Reply to
Graeme

Funny how - especially with droughts looming, there aren't smart meters for water. My theory is it's because the business case (as pushed to the plebs) is bollocks.

Reply to
Jethro_uk

Only if you have time-sensitive tariffs.

Reply to
Jethro_uk

A few years ago Severn Trent were developing smart water meters to communicate via gas/elec meters, then they sold that part off

Reply to
Andy Burns

Aren't there? Funny about all the companies reporting they are installing them. Eg

Reply to
Robin

The world seems to have survived time-sensitive tariffs for many other things - eg travel (including on nationalised railways and on Transport for London Underground under Labour mayors).

Reply to
Robin

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