Energy: SMART Meters

[ruthio]

@Silver Tabby

What happened on the 9th of November Galty?

9/11 is the American way of writing 11/09 which is September 11th

[SilverTabby]

@galty

Very true but it depends If you know what you are going to pay or the SHOCK of the bill when it arrives:lol:

Some of us are actually ‘smart’ enough to read our own meters, Galty, so no shocks.

[d00d]

@Realist

Smart Meters DO NOT and CAN NOT save you money.

They will do the exact opposite. They will double or treble your bills ONCE they begin Variable Rate Billing.

Until that happens your Smart Meter will seem little different to your old one, though unbeknownst to you it is likely your body is being irradiated with strong mobile communications signals pretty much all teh time you are in the house. It’s like having a mobile phone mast bolted to the side of your house. Really not something I want.

You’re going a bit OTT again Realist

"They will double or treble your bills…. "

“like having a mobile phone mast bolted to the side of your house”

You come up with good information at times, but this is schoolboy internet conspiracy theory.

[Rehab44]

@Realist

Forgive me but I think you are very badly misinformed to the point of delusion.

A Smart Meter exists for one reason and one reason only, to generate BILLIONS more dollars for energy companies and YOU will be the person providing those profits.

Whatever benefits they try to trick you with, the neat gadget they give you for inside the house, the so-called energy “savings”, money saved etc etc IT IS ALL A TOTAL LIE.

Smart Meters exist to herald in a MASSIVE change to energy billing which is VARIABLE RATE BILLING.

So be very clear.

Currently your gas and electric meters just display a number which you report to the company who then bill you a SET RATE per UNIT of energy used.

It’s simple, it’s easy and it’s been fine for us all for years.

This WILL change to Variable Rate Billing.

That means your energy company will start charging you different rates for energy used at different times of the day.

Can you guess which parts of the day will be the cheapest rate?

Yep, it will be overnight when you’re asleep doing nothing, not using energy.

Can you guess which parts of the day will be the most expensive rate?

Yep, late afternoon/evening when everyone comes in from work, switches on the lights, TV, hot water for a bath. When you cook you evening meal, boil the kettle lots of times to make tea/coffee and so on.

Understand that your current so-called “old” meter has no clue whatsoever how and when you are using your energy. It just logs the number of units used, not when you used them. That’s why the energy companies are hell bent on swapping them out for SMART METERS.

The new meters WILL record every piece of energy you use and will know exactly what time of the day you are using it.
The Smart Meter ENABLES them to move to VARIABLE RATE BILLING.

Note however that they are NOT telling anyone this yet. They are keeping very schtum about it. Tey first want to get millions of Smart Meters installed on the back of their outright lies and sexy adverts, and THEN they will drop the bombshell that variable rate billing is coming.

When that happens, let me tell you, if you foolishly accepted a Smart Meter, your energy bills will DOUBLE or even TRIPLE.

The Smart Meter will save you nothing whatsoever, it will vastly increase your bills. Even if you make no changes whatsoever to your living style, the mere fact that they start charging a huge premium for energy used in the evening, will result in your bills skyrocketing.

This has all been done in the USA and people have seen the results. Millions of people are furious with the energy companies and the government for allowing it to happen. There is a huge anti-Smart Meter movement.

Don’t become a victim.

No-one has to have a Smart Meter.

No company can force anyone to have a Smart Meter bolted onto their property.

If your energy company mandates that you must have one, then walk away, close your account with them and go with another provider. They will soon get the message when millions of others do likewise.

Also, print out an A4 sheet of paper with a clear message on it that says:

[B]ATTENTION

DO NOT INSTALL SMART METER HERE

Under no circumstances must a Smart Meter be installed at this property without the express persmission of Mr/Mrs [insert your name]

Any attempt to do so will result in legal action being taken[/B]

Laminate the A4 sheet and make a copy for each of your meter boxes and tie them to the meters inside the boxes.

Smart Meters are terrible things that are designed purely to make YOU pay tons more for the same energy you use today. Do not accept one.

Based on the above , assuming you wanted to change supplier, could the new supplier insist that you can only sign up to them
if you have their smart meter fitted?

And

Assuming you stick with your current supplier will they not increase your current tariff to such a high price forcing you to
move to a smart meter?
I have economy seven, my current energy supplier has informed that I ‘at this moment’ cannot have a smart meter. That was last year, I understand that they have now solved that problem. Nevertheless they won’t be darkening my doorstep

[JBR]

@ruthio

9/11 is the American way of writing 11/09 which is September 11th

The Americans always get things back to front!

[JBR]

@Rehab44

Based on the above , assuming you wanted to change supplier, could the new supplier insist that you can only sign up to them
if you have their smart meter fitted?

And

Assuming you stick with your current supplier will they not increase your current tariff to such a high price forcing you to
move to a smart meter?
I have economy seven, my current energy supplier has informed that I ‘at this moment’ cannot have a smart meter. That was last year, I understand that they have now solved that problem. Nevertheless they won’t be darkening my doorstep

At the moment, no power company can insist on you having a smart meter whether whilst you are a customer or thinking of transferring to them.

However, once our lovely government decides to change the rules, either could happen. Then, our only option would be to transfer to any company that is still willing not to insist on us having a smart meter.

My suspicion is that as long as there is still competition, there will remain some companies who may use the option of not having a smart meter to attract custom.

[galty]

@Silver Tabby

Some of us are actually ‘smart’ enough to read our own meters, Galty, so no shocks.

But with a smart meter reader it tells you ever hour have much you have being charged.

[OldGreyFox]

@ruthio

9/11 is the American way of writing 11/09 which is September 11th

Ah hmmmmm…I think Silver Tabby already knew that Ruthio…

[Pesta]

I was thinking about these damn meters today and people who are having them installed, thinking they have to have them, but not really knowing what they are for.

They’ll be sitting watching how much money cooking, heating and having a brew costs. I’m imagining if they were already down hearted struggling to buy essentials, watching this meter could send them over the edge.

[Longdogs]

Everyone will have one in the end.

[Pesta]

@Longdogs

Everyone will have one in the end.

In the end? Ouch :shock:

[Longdogs]

@Pesta

In the end? Ouch :shock:

Not so smart.

[spitfire]

Big Bucks, for chargin yer Car, possibly.

[Pesta]

:

@longdogs

not so smart.

:-p

[Pesta]

@spitfire

Big Bucks, for chargin yer Car, possibly.

Oh yea… poor folk with electric cars :surprised:

[Longdogs]

@spitfire

Big Bucks, for chargin yer Car, possibly.

That will be the next major con. No doubt the completion of lekky cars and smart meters will coincide nicely. Then there will be the choice of crap electric and super electric. All I know is, I am going to need a very long extension lead.

[Judd]

@Longdogs

It saves you having to answer the door in your pyjamas when the meter reader calls.

Not really, they’re both outside. No point in us both getting wet.

[Longdogs]

@Judd

Not really, they’re both outside. No point in us both getting wet.

Oh see, another one in a posh house.

[Judd]

@galty

But with a smart meter reader it tells you ever hour have much you have being charged.

Not really, the supplied gadget only tells what you are using, not what you are being charged. You have to work that out yourself based on your weekly consumption.

[Judd]

@Longdogs

Oh see, another one in a posh house.

Posh? I wish.

The gas-board mucked up when they came to replace my meter which was under the sink. They couldn’t find the incoming gas-main so they ended up digging up a good part of my garden and a path to lay a complete new gas-main and they put the meter and a box outside at the same time.

I moved the electricity meter outside into a cabinet myself (mum’s the word) when I worked for the local electricity board many years ago. https://www.picgifs.com/emoticons/smileys-and-emoticons/whistling/smileys-whistling-825578.gif