Smart meters again -Eon

[alan_m]

+1 Often energy companies do not have the best tariffs two or three years in a row so swapping on a regular basis can save paying a couple of hundred quid too much. Insurance companies are notorious for hiking up premiums for loyal custom and again it is likely that you can save up to 30% of a renewal quote amount by changing companies. Some insurance companies are now guaranteeing no price increase in a second year BUT only if you have the expensive policy, with many unnecessary extras, in the first place. The guarantee usually doesn't apply to their baseline policies.

[Harry Bloomfield, Esq.]

alan_m explained :

I saved 80% on house insurance by shopping around. They (bank) had hiked it year upon year.

[Harry Bloomfield, Esq.]

on 29/11/2019, Theo supposed :

Can you provide a URL to a CAD, assuming you mean something I can access with a PC?

[Andy Burns]

ofgem say that now smets2 meters are available, any smets1 meters fitted since (?march?) no longer count towards the target number of meters.

[Harry Bloomfield, Esq.]

Andy Burns presented the following explanation :

March when? Or was that the reason for the ?march? ?

My present pair of smets1 meters were installed maybe 18 months ago, I wonder where that leaves me.

[Dave Liquorice]

I wish that was a couple of hundred quid each time, I'd have nice little earner by now. B-) These days it's an increase limitation excercise rather than money saving.

Or asking the current insurer if they can do any better than the renewal offer. They normally can for the exact same cover. Last renewal knocked about 10% off the offer price. I hadn't shopped around for other quotes and they asked that info. I suspect if I had had quotes they'd have matched if not bettered them.

[Andy Burns]

I thought it was March 2019, but see below

I see changes to the gas/electricity supply licences saying

"In order to protect customers and drive the uptake and roll-out of SMETS2 meters the Government mandated an end date after which the installation of SMETS1 meters would no longer count towards the 2020 target for each supplier. The end date for credit SMETS1 credit meters was amended by way of a Direction issued on the 4 October 2018 by the Secretary of State, BEIS, pursuant to SLC 39 and 33 of the electricity and gas supply licences, to 5 December 2018."

Turns out the March 2019 date I had seen was for pre-payment, and it's possible the date for credit meters has been moved again, it's quite difficult to disentangle the actual licence conditions from the public registers

supposedly section 39 of this

and section 33 of this

[John]

Interesting

[Harry Bloomfield, Esq.]

Andy Burns laid this down on his screen :

Thanks..

[Max Demian]

I've heard that smart gas meters turn the gas off when the battery runs down.

[Theo]

Only SMETS1, but for instance:

I don't know how 'cloudy' that particular one is, or whether there's a local web interface. Your supplier also needs to approve its connection to the meter.

more details.

Theo

[tim...]

leccy meters get their power from the mains, so it is only gas meters that have batteries that will fail

There are fewer smart features in gas meters than leccy ones so less to go wrong when they fail

[tim...]

I think you are wrong

the basic rule of gas supplies is that it should NOT be turned on/off when a resident is not in occupation, as turning it on in an uncontrolled way could kill people.

tim

[tim...]

unfortunately:

yes

tim

[Robin]

I don't know where they ended up on that. There were clear arguments for closing the valve (else scrotes would get free gas by removing batteries). And for the valve staying open (else vulnerable consumers bringing ordure on suppliers - eg by dying of hypothermia). At one stage it was going to be configurable by the supplier.

I think the policy with batteries takes that into account as the person sent out to replace the battery would be trained to restore the supply safely.

[Harry Bloomfield, Esq.]

Theo formulated on Friday :

Thanks, I will look into that..

[Harry Bloomfield, Esq.]

Andrew brought next idea :

Maybe you don't have enough to make it worth your while, I certainly do.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Then you are doubly a fool for not investing it sowmeher that makes a lot more than bank or building societies.

[tim...]

and what low risk liquid item would you suggest

tim

[Max Demian]

I refer learned council to Which? (October or November this year; letters section). (The device is supposed to tell the suppliers when the battery is running down.)

I expect it won't be turned on "in an uncontrolled way"; only when a 'man' comes to replace the battery.