gas/lectric smart meters

jonclox · July 21, 2016, 10:47:57 AM

Has anybody changed to having their gas and electric monitored by one of the new fangled 'smart meters' ?
How successful was the outcome?
We are constantly being urged to change by SSE. but when approached we come up against solid brick walls

Advice needed perleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeze

Bealman · July 21, 2016, 11:09:59 AM

Wots a smartmeter?

Here in Australia some bloke wanders up the street and pushes a button on some handheld gizmo then you get the bills for every bloody thing.

PaulCheffus · July 21, 2016, 11:13:21 AM

Quote from: jonclox on July 21, 2016, 10:47:57 AM
Has anybody changed to having their gas and electric monitored by one of the new fangled 'smart meters' ?
How successful was the outcome?
We are constantly being urged to change by SSE. but when approached we come up against solid brick walls
Advice needed perleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeze

Hi

I registered my interest on the British Gas website about 12 months ago and got an email recently. Arranged an appointment and had them changed a fortnight ago.

No issues so far but then it is early days. Data seems to be uploaded to them as I can view my daily breakdown on their website.

Cheers

Paul

jonclox · July 21, 2016, 11:25:34 AM

Quote from: Bealman on July 21, 2016, 11:09:59 AM
Wots a smartmeter?

Here in Australia some bloke wanders up the street and pushes a button on some handheld gizmo then you get the bills for every bloody thing.

Its sposed to save his legs and time by reading your exact power usage by the minute via the internet which may not have hit the sub continents yet

austinbob · July 21, 2016, 12:24:53 PM

I've had a British Gas smart meter for several years now. Works well with their website for checking gas and electricity usage and to check if you owe them or they owe you!!
Smart meter also has lcd display to show energy usage over last hour and how much your spending. Green light for low usage, amber light for higher usage and red light for time to get a loan from bank.

Zogbert Splod · July 21, 2016, 01:02:00 PM

When every meter in every house is phoning home, and every fridge/freezer is calling the supermarket to order groceries for us, and every booger in the world is FarceBooking the latest pic of the cat playing the banjo, and......... will there be any bandwidth left for folks like you and me to read new forum posts?
Remember when even a simple forum post involved a previous generation of the PC (post card-remember those?) and the words, "Dear editor..." blah-blah-blah..., "signed: Angry of - - - - - - -"

Luke Piewalker · July 21, 2016, 01:16:31 PM

I believe the ones we are getting in the UK use gsm/gprs for communication. So the 'old' mobile phone network.
Which is fine, as long as said network is still there.
And you have reception.
I don't have an issue with smart meters themselves, as long as they work 'as advertised'

Newportnobby · July 21, 2016, 01:56:19 PM

Had mine fitted about a month ago which surprised me as the mobile phone signal where I live is shocking for all providers.
I can check what 'juice' I use by the hour, day, week etc but as it's so warm at present it doesn't really tell me anything

Byegad · July 21, 2016, 02:05:43 PM

Speaking to a friend he told me that the idea is that once we all have these smart jobbies the companies will be able to up the price at times of peak demand.

So gas and electrickery will be cheap when it's warm, both expensive when its freezing cold and also at the peak teatime use period and so on.

Given the way they rapidly jack up the price at the first sign of a supplier price rise and let it down slowly when costs go back down for them it doesn't sound like I'll save money in the long run then!

Or am I an old cynic?

austinbob · July 21, 2016, 02:07:10 PM

Quote from: newportnobby on July 21, 2016, 01:56:19 PM
Had mine fitted about a month ago which surprised me as the mobile phone signal where I live is shocking for all providers.
I can check what 'juice' I use by the hour, day, week etc but as it's so warm at present it doesn't really tell me anything

Its telling you you're saving loads of loot to put towards your next loco.

EtchedPixels · July 21, 2016, 02:12:44 PM

I'm ignoring any requests to move to a smart meter at this point. I'll let other people get the early buggy and insecure ones

https://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~rja14/Papers/JSAC-draft.pdf

is a fairly detailed analysis of the current systems.

Ditape · July 21, 2016, 02:45:53 PM

i have had British Gas one for about 2 years now and the system seems to work I get regular updates on my useage and accurate bills no more highly inaccurate estimated ones, no more delving into the meter cupboard to send readings in, I am in favour of them so I would say go for it.

Dorsetmike · July 21, 2016, 03:25:40 PM

Could be interesting implementing smart meters here, 67 flats in the building and all the meters are in a locked room for which the house manager has the key. Plus I just can't see some of the older residents coping, not exactly technology literate.

jonclox · July 21, 2016, 03:50:05 PM

Thanks for all the comments so far.
It looks like Ive no urgent needs to make my mind up so I will put the big decision on back burner , keep reading comments from you all and expect things to happen some when in the future

Yet_Another · July 21, 2016, 04:13:18 PM

Quote from: EtchedPixels on July 21, 2016, 02:12:44 PM
I'm ignoring any requests to move to a smart meter at this point. I'll let other people get the early buggy and insecure ones

https://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~rja14/Papers/JSAC-draft.pdf

is a fairly detailed analysis of the current systems.

I got to the words 'the presence of a remote off switch' on the first page, and needed to read no further. They have got to be joking.