Smart metering a shambles

[Huge]

No surprise there, then.

[Brian Gaff]

Yes there was an offgen presentation a while ago about the fact that modern remote units now have spoken output for people with poor eyesight, btut when blind people began requesting them most companies said they did not supply them. What is that over there, oh, it must be my right hand, how did that get there....:-)

Brian

[Andrew Gabriel]

It would seem that, in spite of SSE's complaints, it's still rolling out smart meters which won't work with the national network, and therefore can't be used as smart meters if you change supplier, according to the invitation letter they just sent me to get converted as quickly as possible, with no advantages to me whatsoever.

No one should be getting smart meters installed at the moment. The whole thing is a complete shambles, and so far, completely unjustfied.

[tabbypurr]

That'll be why the politicians are all for it.

NT

[The Natural Philosopher]

+1

[Andrew Gabriel]

Apparently the national network isn't now going live until November (was supposed to be years ago). No current smart meters will work with it. Once it's live, a program of upgrading (or replacing) current smart meters will start, taking an estimated 18 months.

BBC Radio 4 "You and Yours" advice is not to get a smart meter until the new network and second generation smart meters are available, unless you know you won't be switching suppliers until at least 18 months after November.

What I hadn't realised is that if you switch supplier, not only if your meter no longer a smart meter, the remote display doesn't even work anymore in many cases.

[dennis]

That doesn't sound right. They may not show the correct unit price as that is fed in remotely but they should still show the meter readings and power usage.

[F]

I, and hopefully many others, will be switching well before then. On average, I've been switching at least once a year for the last many years to continue to get the best deals.

[Andy Burns]

Mine after e.on -> scottishpower switch, still functions as an in-house display, though e.on must have sent it a "zero pence per kWh" update before the switchover, as it now shows 0 for the live cost figure, which alternates with the live power figure while it's idle.

I suppose they have to do something, rather than leave it reading an inaccurate cost.

[Andy Burns]

Sounds like an incorrect rumour being spread by Y&Y ...

[Dave Liquorice]

Do what! I damn well hope the regulator insists that the cost of replacement/upgrade smart meters is borne by the companies and not passed on to their customer base.

And HTF are they going to get around all the currently installed Smart Meters is 18 months when it's taken considerably longer to get them installed the first time around.

[Andy Burns]

How would you do that? Anything that doesn't come from increased investment is going to come from the customers, force a rights issue?

[dennis]

All costs including fines for poor performance end up on the customers. Either that or they go bust and then the tax payer incurs the costs.

[critcher]

For pity's sake how will a smart meter help to save money, the only money it will save is meter reader wages.

[Huge]

In theory people say "Dear Ghod, look at all this energy, better get an energy-saving ". In practice, nobody cares. The amounts that can be saved aren't worth the effort - and in many cases the payback time exceeds the likely lifetime of the appliance.

[Bob Eager]

A bit like SWMBO, who wanted a water butt (OK, there are reasons for having one other than saving money). She was amazed to learn that when full it contains about 40p worth of water - it doesn't fill very often.

[Tim Streater]

Ha, yes. We've actually got about 1000 litres worth of butts, still only a bit over a quid.

[Max Demian]

Since energy monitors only record total energy use they won't tell you how much an individual appliance uses, what with the confusing factor of things that turn on and off with thermostats and simmerstats &c.

[Brian Gaff]

The only real reason I want one I can use is to actually be able to see the reading and not to have to wait in for a reader on an inconvenient day that never turn up. The rest of it is really hype in my view. If the industry are going to be so cheapskates as not to actually give the talking portable unit out then they can just leave things as they are as they can c*ck things up quite nicely already. Brian