Smart Meters

[Andrew Gabriel]

Caught a tiny bit of a call-in on energy suppliers on the car radio just now...

I seems there's a problem with smart meters if you want to switch supplier - not all suppliers can use all smart meters, and you might find that your new supplier cannot use the smart meter you have.

This will require you to reverse the switch, or to buy a new meter, both being options that cost you (£60 was mentioned).

Energy regulator is aware of the problem and is trying to get the suppliers to allow a free switch back when this happens, but suppliers don't currently to do that.

I only heard the tail-end of the section on this issue. There might have been more to it.

[Adrian]

It was on in the background here, so I can't really say what was discussed, but if anybody wants to know more, it was MoneyBox on R4.

[Jethro_uk]

I believe it's "impossible" to reverse the switch, as it would allow people to get rid of the smart meters the government is so keen for us to have. Not dissimilar to the way water meters can't be removed one installed.

[Tim Watts]

Thank you - that is worth knowing.

[Andy Wade]

The main point was said to be that with "first generation" smart meters it is not possible to take a simple cumulative kWh (or gas m^3) reading. Therefore you can't take ordinary readings to send to a new supplier if they're not set-up for smart metering.

I find that utterly amazing. Is it true though?

[dennis]

Not on the one I have. You just don't need to get to the meter to get the reading, its on the remote display.

[Andy Burns]

I have "first gen" smart meters, I did enquire of another supplier if they could read them if I changed supplier and they didn't seem to think so, thankfully I'm happy with the supplier who fitted them, you can read a cumulative reading either from each meter, or from the remote display,

I'd say it's not .. you could read the meters and submit them online, or let a meter reader bod read them (though *not* having to be "in" for meter readers so frequently was my main reason for getting smart meters, the gas one has been "manually" read once and the electric one not at all since fitting them in 2011)

[Michael Chare]

That might be a bonus as presumably they then can't switch you off remotely or monitor your usage and presumably they could still send a meter man to read it.

[Brian Gaff]

Is this not why we have British standards and a regulator? Surely its fundamental that in a market situation all suppliers need to have a standard meter.

Brian

[Peter Johnson]

When Ovo changed my meters to smart meters last year they said something about if switching to tell the new supplier what sort of smart meters you had as the systems weren't all compatible.