That would be the sneaky sort of thing the regulator would allow through. If you choose to accept an offer of a Smart Meter from your supplier it's optional, if it's part of the routine, statutory, replacement it's not.
Is that actually the case though? And how many suppliers actually do routine meter replacement? Note supplier not DNO, the meter is not the DNO's responsibilty theirs stops at the cut out.
Quite 1967, 1980 amd 1996 here...
Whether a meter change is part of an 'offer' or is routine, a smart meter is not compulsory. You can turn it down and insist on a mechanical meter.
Hackers don't have to meet any regulatory criteria.
In message , F writes
What is the situation for someone who moves house, and finds the new (to them) house has a smart meter? Can the new owner insist the smart meter is replaced with a traditional mechanical meter? Just idle curiosity.
h Smart meters can turn off the supply and that's a fact. Whether the provide r use that facility is another matter. If people are in debt (the usual reason for disconnection) then smart meter s come into their own. The supplier can remotely adjust the tarrif and reco ver the debt without disconnection. This is not new, the prepaid meters hav e done this for years i.e. put £1 on the card, get 80p of electric. Th is is by arrangement with the customer and not something they would do cove rtly. Advantages to customers is clearing the debt whilst remaining on supp ly and the company has a huge cost saving by not having to have a little ma n come out and make adjustments. Someone mentioned hacking and it is possible. GCHQ intervened last year to strengthen the national infrastructer against hacking.
Again we are far from the original question. No you can't be forced to acce pt one but the tarrif you choose may depend on you saying yes.
Bollocks not answering the question written by someone who has swallowed the "smart meters are spiffing and so /modern/!" crap.
I think you will find it answers the question I was asked.
For example, 'We asked Smart Energy GB, the company behind the roll-out, if it was possible to get one removed and if this would attract a cost.
It said a consumer can ask for a smart meter to be removed at any time, but a supplier could levy a charge for the cost of the switch ? although it admitted it hadn't heard of this happening'.
And, 'I also approached the Big Six energy providers to ask if they would charge a fee for the removal of a smart meter. They all said if a smart meter needed to be removed the issue would be addressed on a case-by-case basis and there should not be a charge'.
No I didn't, somebody else wrote that.
Mechanical? They are still fitting mechanical meters? Our 1996 meter is electronic.
What does ARW see in new builds?
A four foot crowbar over the nose end often offends.
Bill
No, that was relevant and useful.
Bill
So they /will/ remove the smart meter if you insist, and they /might/ charge you an unspecified (and possibly exorbitant) amount to do so.
The rest of the article is pro-smartmeter fluff.
So the question was answered. As for the rest of the article, and whether you like its contents or not, that is totally irrelevant.
You seem to have a problem that's nothing to do with what was asked.
The fluff indicates that the answer might be incorrect - it already is vague - as the writer's mind is elsewhere. Much better to give an unambiguous answer and then shut up.
You need to improve your reading skills. The answers came from two sources: 'Smart Energy GB' for one, and 'the Big Six energy suppliers who all said...'.
You seem to be in a bad mood and angry so I'll leave it there lest I'm dragged down to your level.
Geting away from smart meters for awhile I've just been reading about the a ccuracy of meters. Of the people who complain about the size of their bill
24% of the meters tested were found to be inaccurate. These are UK Gov figu res for 2016. There are approx 56 million meters in the UK so could add up to a huge overcharge if the readings are high, but they don't say whether t he meters were up or down
I couldn't think of any word other than mechanical when I was trying to describe an alternative to smart! Electronic was the word and it's nowhere near the one I used!!
Thanks.
No it isn't a fact. No doubt many can. Mine can't.
I got to the point today where I have to choose my next tariff, and they have tightened the Smart Meter point:
"We'll contact you to discuss Smart
By choosing this tariff you agree to be contacted for the installation of a smart meter and, where eligible, have one installed for each fuel we supply".
Which sounds as though they WILL install smart meter if I choose this tariff. No thanks.
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