Smart meter offered by British Gas

Do you then have to stick with "BG" as supplier, or can you chop and change?

In message , Frank Erskine writes

A chum in California, who I occasionally Skype with, was having to stay in a few weeks ago to let them fit his Smart meter. The thought it was a good thing.

He seemed very keen on them being able to manage his supply as at present it was random power cuts when everyone's air con fired up.

I think that's what we are having to prepare for here. Cold, still winter's days and silent windmills.

few weeks ago to let them fit his Smart meter. The

was random power cuts when everyone's air con fired

days and silent windmills.

I didn't think "managing the supply" extended to turning your appliances on and off. Mind you, it might have its positive side if they turned the wife's Hoover and steam iron on a bit more often.

I'm not sure about that, I don't think so otherwise they would fall foul of the competition rules.

Some Q & As here

Now there's (from the FAQ) one of the scariest sounding bits of marketing speak I've heard in a long time:

"You can look forward to some innovative tariffs and services being offered to you"

I suspect you're right, because what it will allow them to do, is make peak energy *very* expensive, under the guise of greeness. Life's not about to get any simpler, that's for sure. :-{

Bet they don't do ours. The supply is medium pressure and National Grid and BGas don't seem able to agree on who pays for alterations. After 15 years, BG wanted to change our battery operated meter but failed on 3 occasions because NGs pipe work does not suit the new meter. NG man on call out told them to change the battery so, in the end, that is what they did:-)

I like one reason given for needing a remote controlled gas valve.. to prevent customer overspend:-)

I bumped into an interesting electric tariff *economy 18?* on holiday. AFAIU no electric heating during peak demand periods.

regards

Aye, that is really scary, that word "innovative" means some spikey haired red plastic framed glasses wearing sales graduate who has hardly started shaving let alone have an real world experiece has had really cool idea.

Guise is correct as well if the tarrif varies by demand and at the whim of the supplier people will just use what they want when they want as keeping track of the peak periods and switch off or altering ones schedule will be just to big a PITA.

It could be simple if they provided a gismo with several feeds from it that you could program to switch on/off in relation to the tarrif. Power is cheap; turn all the storage systems on (traditional storeage heaters and immersions or designed heat banks). Power is expensive; turn everything off except that which is really required. Maybe split lighting circuits and power distribution so that stuff that isn't essential will automagically go off at expensive times.

The other PITA will be that these plans will be so 'innovative' that it will be impossible to readily compare them as is the case now.

altering

Electricity currently isn't to bad if you can get through the innovative marketing presentation to the basic facts of pence per unit. Admitedly getting through to those facts can be hard work.

Far worse is telecoms, either fixed line or mobile, you don't stand a chance of working out what is or isn't a good deal even from a single provider let alone the plethora of ones that are out there.

Choose the one that gives free calls anytime and compare the monthly charge. Simples. Or at least I found it so.

MBQ

So where do I get gas fired storage heaters ;-)

MBQ

When you find them let me know please ;-)

Don

Cue Drivel and thermal stores:-)

regards