Yep Annie you do. In fact the government had to legislate to force the companies to provide a smart meter within a short time of installing solar panels because the companies were going slow and using the free power they were getting by stalling on installing a smart meter.
The old meters can’t tell the difference between power going in and power going out so households were being charged for supplying their power to the grid.
That’s what I thought too Bruce, apparently they are not cutting them off but switching them onto a sort of prepayment meter where you have to pay for your power upfront.
That’s fine Spitty, I dare say that when my old meters come to the end of their life I also won’t have a choice either.
But we all have to pay for our energy whether we have a smart
meter or not. How does having one make any difference to the cost
of living?
Can only speak for myself GhF, the lounge is toasty warm, the gas fire has been on for four hours and the gas usage today (so far) is £4.00, when it gets to £5.00 I will switch it off, get the idea.
You could do exactly the same with a smart meter.
You’ve not been keeping up GhF…Spitty has got a smart meter… 
Aww, Sorry folks, got mixed up - ha, what’s new!
I hope the bill matches your expectations. As I understand it there have been “issues” when charges come in.
Don’t get a bill AnnieS, every month we get an Email with the statement of account, I just reconcile to my spreadsheet, so far, the companies records are very accurate.
We are in credit by a substantial amount thus the direct debit has been reduced on the last two months running.
No worries GhF, you are in good company…
No smart meter here , I am still able to read my own meter and submit the reading each month. I also have 2 meters one is economy 7 so not sure how that works.
I understand a good mobile phone signal is required to read the meter, there is next to none here unless you climb on the roof.
My mobile phone has Wifi Calling enabled as does my provider (Smarty) so I am able to use a mobile phone now.
Most of the people who I know with a smartmeter Meg have long since got bored with being able to read the rate at which money is being despatched from their accounts, and now the gizmo lies idle at the back of some cupboard. I’ll continue to read my own meters once a quarter and send them what I owe…I don’t trust them with direct debit, there’s only room for one of us working my account, some things remain personal.
You know I am a convertee Foxy, with the price hikes it is more essential than ever to keep control of your spend, each morning at 6am, I check yesterdays usage and enter it into the spreadsheet, it is invaluable to see pounds shillings and pence, not units.
Went to bed early and left my heating on.
Got up at 7am and the cost from 12am 7 hours was £5.26.
That’s not bad galty, the gas fire and the central heating yesterday evening was £6.11.
Afternoon all,
This week I believe having a smart meter would have come in handy. We had the heating on during the day, twice this week. Once as we were in a rush and as it wasn’t on a timer (my fault). It was on all day from around just gone 7 am to when we returned just before 5pm. Then my daughter was unwell and stayed home all day with the heating on - not her fault, it is what it is. With all things financial taking priority, I am wondering how much it has cost me so far this week, something I would welcome.
They’re not always accurate. Google is your friend!
At least with some actual figures I can understand the problem with energy in the UK. I don’t have to heat my house other than occasionally run a fan heater for a few hours in the winter but I did a very rough calculation.
6 pound x 90 (three months) = 540 pounds = $1080 per quarter that is equal to or slightly less than my annual electricity bill. I really don’t know how you afford it (unless, like me, you get a pensioner discount that you didn’t include).
