Smart meters

heero_yuy · 13-01-2019, 19:55

I don't know how many of our members have smart meters fitted, gas and electric, We have one for the lecky and I thought I'd share:

It's electric and I've checked it's values against my own NAMAS traceable monitor and the readings seen to be Kosher, what really pisses me off is the consumer display unit: It constantly resets and displays just about everything except what I want it to ( Current watts). I just got fed up with it and dumped it uncharged and dead in the lecky cupboard.

I know what things take round me, if it makes heat it costs money.

What are members experiences?

nomadking · 13-01-2019, 20:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by heero_yuy

I don't know how many of our members have smart meters fitted, gas and electric, We have one for the lecky and I thought I'd share:

It's electric and I've checked it's values against my own NAMAS traceable monitor and the readings seen to be Kosher, what really pisses me off is the consumer display unit: It constantly resets and displays just about everything except what I want it to ( Current watts). I just got fed up with it and dumped it uncharged and dead in the lecky cupboard.

I know what things take round me, if it makes heat it costs money.

What are members experiences?

I had electric and gas ones installed just a few months ago. If it keeps losing the connection, place it nearer the meters. The current usage in watts is likely to be there on the optional displays. It was there for me.

The thing to watch out for in assessing current usage is that items such as fridges, freezers, immersion heaters can suddenly start up. That would give a false current usage in watts.

papa smurf · 13-01-2019, 20:23

i keep turning down the offers to fit them.

denphone · 13-01-2019, 20:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by papa smurf

i keep turning down the offers to fit them.

You won't have that choice in time.

Angua · 13-01-2019, 20:50

Until there is no charge for having one and they are all guaranteed to work as a smart meter with any supplier you may switch to, I will not be getting either.

Taf · 13-01-2019, 21:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by papa smurf

i keep turning down the offers to fit them.

Our neighbours had the leccy one fitted (no gas supply) after being told they were free now, but eventually would be fitted for a fee. And if they didn't have one, they would be charged an annual meter-reading fee. All rubbish of course. At the moment.

Those in the know understand a hidden reason the companies want them fitted for leccy... a thing called Power Factor. In the simplest of terms. electricity companies have to send more power down the wires to compensate for waveform changes caused by non-resistive loads in the users' home or place of work. In the future, smart meters will allow them to charge for that "lost power".

nomadking · 13-01-2019, 21:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by Angua

Until there is no charge for having one and they are all guaranteed to work as a smart meter with any supplier you may switch to, I will not be getting either.

The newer versions are meant to be more compatible.

Quote:

The new second-generation meters will allow uninterrupted switching between suppliers. The first generation meters can temporarily lose some of their functionality following a switch, but this just means you may have to read the meters yourself for a little while. It is not a barrier to switching. But soon all smart meters will be on a single, national communication network that will cover 99% of Britain. So then when you switch, you won't need to have a meter exchange and you won't lose your smart features.

richard s · 13-01-2019, 21:17

Do the smart ass meters need electricity to take the readings and send the signal to the supplier or are they using my lecy to run their meters and my wifi.

SnoopZ · 13-01-2019, 21:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by papa smurf

i keep turning down the offers to fit them.

Me too.

idi banashapan · 13-01-2019, 21:29

We have one. We never look at it. If we need to use an electrical item or turn on the gas, then we have to use it. Makes no odds having a smart meter there.

I think they were brought in in the hope that it would make people more conscious about how much they use, energy-wise. As though people would play a game against themselves to see how little they could use in a day. But I think it hasn't turned out they way the energy firms / government had hoped. I think the number of people who actually try to play that game are so few that the cost of each house running a smart meter probably more than cancels it out!

joglynne · 13-01-2019, 21:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by papa smurf

i keep turning down the offers to fit them.

Same here.

Taf · 13-01-2019, 21:38

We had a scheduled power outage of an hour or so. Next door were away on holiday. When they came home, their fridge and freezer were minging as the smart meter did not turn the power back on after the outage.

I'm not sure if this was a fault, or how these meters work.

nomadking · 13-01-2019, 22:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by richard s

Do the smart ass meters need electricity to take the readings and send the signal to the supplier or are they using my lecy to run their meters and my wifi.

Battery operated. I asked at the time because the guy was measuring up lengths of cable. That was to upgrade the existing meter cabling. Water meters also function via a battery and they don't have an electric supply to feed off.

idi banashapan · 13-01-2019, 22:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by richard s

Do the smart ass meters need electricity to take the readings and send the signal to the supplier or are they using my lecy to run their meters and my wifi.

mine is mains run.

**Chris** · 13-01-2019, 23:03

We were loaned an energy use monitor by a local energy efficiency charity some years ago (which they never asked to get back). For a little while it was interesting seeing which appliances used what, but after a while it was boring... we only turn things on when we need them anyway, so it made no difference to us. From that perspective I’m in no hurry to get my hands on the remote screen that’s meant to sit in the house. It’s a waste of space, a waste of a socket and a waste of electricity. As for the actual meter itself, well we’ll get one when we have to, but I won’t be surprised if we turn out to be in a signal dead spot, and so still have to submit readings ourselves...