Has anyone had smart meters fitted for their gas and electric. I was thinking of having them fitted so I could see what I was actually using but have heard some bad things about the meters. A friend said I would be constantly looking at the tablet thing with the meter to see how much I was spending, I've also read that some suppliers are bringing in new peak time tariffs for people with smart meters. Basically you pay more for your gas and electric during peak time periods. Just wondered if anyone had any thoughts about them? Black MY2013 SD4 GS Auto, Wood Company Armrest, Freel2 sticker.
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Never been concerned about my useage of electric or oil, not worth looking just live  Black FL2
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Hqaving mine swapped in December all of the uk is to be done over the next five years.

Smart Meters aren't actually that smart. They do let you monitor your usage closely though and that should help you save some dosh. 10% to 15% isn't unrealistic but you do have to do the work to decide when to switch things on and off.

Off peak tariffs (Economy 7) are available on traditional meters so they aren't new. Fancier tariffs will arrive in due course I'm sure but they aren't here yet really.

Meters being installed now aren't interoperable between suppliers so if you switch they will revert to being "dumb". This is until the Government launches its long overdue Data Collection Company (DCC) in Oct 2016. After that new meters will be interoperable.

Assuming the comms to your house work, then extimated bills will become a thing of the past, but your supplier still has a legal obligation to visually inspect the meter every 2 years. They will try several times but ultimately if you don't let them in they are obliged by the law to get a warrant of entry from a magistrates court and break in if necessary.

Overall, they are worth having if you want access to your data. Otherwise I'd wait until after the DCC is launced in 2016.

The 2020 requirement is for your supplier to offer you an installation before then, You don't have to accept it. Though there is no good reason not to (unless you are big on conspiracy theory)

As you live in Brighouse and are being offered one I'm guessing your supplier is British Gas or Npower?

Thanks guys for the replies. Bibendum I'm currently with Atlantic, part of SSE. I got a letter recently saying they were installing meters in my area. I think I will wait until after 2016. Every time in the pat I've had an estimated bill I've always sent in a new reading online. Whilst I would like to monitor my actual usage I'm not that anal about it. Black MY2013 SD4 GS Auto, Wood Company Armrest, Freel2 sticker.
Gone MY2010 Freelander 2 Manual TD4.e S, Alaska White.

I had one of those electric usage monitors you clip on too the cable near the box

Basically went round switching lights on and off and seeing what the watt increase was, made no difference in how I had my lights on though.

I did however swap my Halogen kitchen lights too, led's which having all 11 of them on is just about the same has having 1 X 55w halogen burning, so a nice saving, along with the other LED bulbs installed Former Mod/Member, with the most post & Chicken George Arch nemesis

I've just done the same, swapped 25 50w bulbs to 3.5w LED lights. 1250w down to 100w. That should make quite a saving. Black MY2013 SD4 GS Auto, Wood Company Armrest, Freel2 sticker.
Gone MY2010 Freelander 2 Manual TD4.e S, Alaska White.

I swapped suppliers from eon to uswitch Eon collective which saved ££ a month, they kept my DD the same till they had meter readings further down the line, then I have them the readings to correct their estimates and they suddenly turned into the eon Christmas collective and paid me £340 overpayment back Former Mod/Member, with the most post & Chicken George Arch nemesis

I'm extremely wary of these "smart" meters. Basically, you find that you end up paying more down the line, and then, apparently, it's illegal to fit a dumb meter to a property that already has a smart one fitted - and if you want to switch suppliers, they'll charge you to transfer the meter. Once it's fitted they've got you on their puppet strings.

Brittish Gas (whom I'm with) have been lying to their customers saying they have to have them fitted, which is utter tosh. We've had one letter about it, and if (when) they say "we're going to install yours", I will tell them to get stuffed - my house, my choice.  Freelander 2 2007 TD4 Manual HSE Tambora Flame
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Previously: Freelander 2 2007 TD4 Manual SE Santorini Black

Brit gas fitted my smart meter, I swapped to Npower, no change of meter required.


Brit gas used to let me access a web portal showing nice graphs of electric usage, in 1/2 hour columns. backdating a couple of years
Npower would struggle with such advances, they took 4 mths to send out my first bill.


So far led lights in house are a mixed bag, some reliable, others fail too often to actual save any pennies.

gu10's seem ok, bayonet ones either fail or have insufficient diffusing/light spread

Ive a ceiling panel led in office 50cm square, excellent
8ft led florescent tube replacement in kitchen also excellent

leds in poultry sheds have saved me £1000's  At work
At home

"I can't always believe facts I read on the web" - Charles Dickens

winner by default of the tractor vs caravan race

Even if you switch everything off at the mains switch and your smart meter says nothing used, you still get charged, a basic standing charge and then if you dont use anything at all, say youre away and its all off, when you try to put your next reading in on line when they ask for it, it says you cant put that reading its the same as last time, please put the correct reading in, so you have to put something different say just 1 unit then youre paying for something youve not used, plus vat of course.
There will never be a case you get charged nothing unless you have the meter ripped out completely, and they will probably charge you for doing that too.

And I never did understand how different companies charge different rates when its exactly the same gas or electricity coming down the pipe, I mean its not a different flavour or anything its exactly the same stuff whoever bills you.

chicken george wrote:

Brit gas fitted my smart meter, I swapped to Npower, no change of meter required.


Brit gas used to let me access a web portal showing nice graphs of electric usage, in 1/2 hour columns. backdating a couple of years
Npower would struggle with such advances, they took 4 mths to send out my first bill.


So far led lights in house are a mixed bag, some reliable, others fail too often to actual save any pennies.

gu10's seem ok, bayonet ones either fail or have insufficient diffusing/light spread

Ive a ceiling panel led in office 50cm square, excellent
8ft led florescent tube replacement in kitchen also excellent

leds in poultry sheds have saved me £1000's

My mate is a lighting engineer and his spreadsheets calculate cost saving including the heat produced by the bulb,

if you are heating the building ,this alters the led savings considerably. Basically leds into something like an old folks home isnt a saving at all, unless they last longer so less maintenance charges replacing them.

A big market for him has been led's into commercial cold stores, there they save light energy but also dont heat the freeze sheds and that heat costs twice as much to remove as it took to make.

I read an article recently saying a well insulated home should be able to stay warm with the heat produced by the fridge and the TV. so stick some incandescent bulbs in there and it could be tropical.


saying that incandescent bulbs are all eco halogen/low power now so I guess you have to fit more or go led,

eg my office was fine with 100w bulb, hopeless with eco bulbs. not great with an Led bayonet , so I got the panel light and that the answer. Not for the front room though a bit industrial. At work
At home

"I can't always believe facts I read on the web" - Charles Dickens

winner by default of the tractor vs caravan race

npinks wrote:

I swapped suppliers from eon to uswitch Eon collective

We are also with the uswitch eon collective. They recently offered to fit smart meters. The guy came along (Nov 3rd), looked, then had to give up as he couldn't get a signal

Still, my solar panels pay me more than the combined gas & electric bill anyway

Bob 10MY (Sept 09) TD4 HSE Auto in Stornoway Grey (Now Gone)

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Our PV panels more than pay for our heating and hot water bills over the year, glad we got them fitted before the FIT changed