Half a smart meter

[JP_]

I finally caved and allowed Octopus to install smart meters. The chance of a saving was enough.
So I now have a smart gas meter. There was not enough space for the electric one, and I will need to get an electrician to move my consumer unit 2cm to the right.

So, it would seem, that unless I can find a very charitable electrician, I will only ever have half a smart meter. Well, in fact, until the electric is installed, no actual smart meter.

And they didn't replace the gas box like I asked, even though it is falling off the wall.

 

[ericmark]

I also asked for just a gas smart meter, with my late mothers house, and was told can't have one without also doing electric meter.

As to why we would want an electric smart meter not sure, without a smart meter I get this can't see a smart meter telling me any thing I don't already know!

It seems one does not need to export to same company as one imports from, so may be better with two independent meters? I have been trying to read the meter, this is not helpful, and that is with just two displays, my phone takes a few seconds before it takes photo after pressing button, so have to judge when to press it.

I look at my power usage and must admit I wonder how I can save more money, likely a second battery, but how does one know until one can see the graph for ones own house? I am now exporting around a kW which would be better used, we are near the equinox so reasonable average for year, but what can one really do with the information, I was told it would take 6 years to break even, I calculate more like 12 years at today's prices.

OK on oil now so does not matter so much, but when I gas I wanted to know how much gas was being used in the same way as my ammeter shows electric being used. I can easy read my meter OK here measuring half the solar panels DC output, but with gas I had no idea if the boiler was just about to turn off as near minimum output, or if on maximum output. If the house is cold and on max, nothing I can really do, but if cold and on min, then I can look for poor setting, easy with oil, output always the same when running, so it is the mark/space ratio and one can hear what that is.

However I was told the gas meter only refreshes around every 20 minutes, so a bit useless anyway.

So to get an electrician to move consumer unit 20 mm to get meter in, sorry, I would simply not have a smart meter, why do I want to give some one the ability to turn off my power remotely? I want some one to knock on my door first, so I can say sorry that's not me, or if it was pay the bill.

If some one says if you let us install a smart meter we will sell you electric at a reduced rate at night for example, then yes OK, but other wise what is the point?

 

[JP_]

Exactly. Octopus do these electric discounts if you use at specific times, and don't use at others, so I was hoping to make us of that.
I won't be changing my heating or hot water to save money, as that would mean getting cold in the winter!

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Exactly. Octopus do these electric discounts if you use at specific times, and don't use at others, so I was hoping to make us of that.

I'm on Octopus and I've looked at it, but I don't think it would be viable for us. The only thing we could really do, is delay the washer, until it was cheap to run - the saving would be minimal.

 

[ericmark]

My smart meter has now been fitted for 6 days, still need to sort out the tariff, supplier is British Gas, which seems odd as we have no gas, they want info off the meter, but they fitted it, sent us by email a form, which it seems is for everything, so even has a section for a death certificate, and nothing to say what they really want.

But now I see what we are using each day, I do wonder why our bills were so high. Something seems wrong. It seems our bills are averaged out so we pay the same each month, with good months paying for bad months, so what was the point of a smart meter? Anyway beyond my ken, so left wife to sort it.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

But now I see what we are using each day, I do wonder why our bills were so high. Something seems wrong. It seems our bills are averaged out so we pay the same each month, with good months paying for bad months, so what was the point of a smart meter? Anyway beyond my ken, so left wife to sort it.

It works well for me/us. Long ago, on a fix, I began paying a DD, based on average annual consumption, so we pay the same each month, but the amount can go up or down - if the consumption increases/decreases, or cost per Kwh should change.

I'm currently on the Octopus Tracker tariff, which is costing close to half of what I was paying, which if it continues, will see us into massive credit. Aside from the massive saving to be had from Tracker, if I can be bothered to adjust my consumption at set times, I can benefit from Octopus's 'Saving Sessions' - where I simply agree to opt into them, and get even lower rates, for reducing my consumption at times they set, times of everyone's peak consumption.

 

[JohnW2]

.... So I now have a smart gas meter. There was not enough space for the electric one, and I will need to get an electrician to move my consumer unit 2cm to the right.

I'm nor sure that I get that. My understanding was that gas 'smart' meters could only be 'smart' (i.e. communicatee their readings) by 'relaying through an electricity 'smart meter' (since the communication ability of the gas meter is of very limited range.

... or are you perhaps saying that you now have a gas meter that would be ;smart' if it had a 'smart' electricity meter to talk to?

Kind Regards, John

 

[blup]

I finally caved and allowed Octopus to install smart meters. The chance of a saving was enough.
So I now have a smart gas meter. There was not enough space for the electric one, and I will need to get an electrician to move my consumer unit 2cm to the right.

So, it would seem, that unless I can find a very charitable electrician, I will only ever have half a smart meter. Well, in fact, until the electric is installed, no actual smart meter.

And they didn't replace the gas box like I asked, even though it is falling off the wall.

Did they not do a survey first, or just turn up? I think I would want all or nothing.

 

[JP_]

Just turned up.

They did then offer to send another person round to fit something, but I had to cancel.

CBA really now.

 

[JP_]

I'm nor sure that I get that. My understanding was that gas 'smart' meters could only be 'smart' (i.e. communicatee their readings) by 'relaying through an electricity 'smart meter' (since the communication ability of the gas meter is of very limited range.

... or are you perhaps saying that you now have a gas meter that would be ;smart' if it had a 'smart' electricity meter to talk to?

Kind Regards, John

Yes, nothing smart installed yet

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Just turned up.

They did then offer to send another person round to fit something, but I had to cancel.

CBA really now.

Give or take a bit, because it varies daily - I am paying Octopus half of what I would normally pay on their Variable tariff (which I assume is what you are on?), for both gas and electric, simply for being on their Tracker tariff. It was so cheap, I was wary of it at first, because no other company offers anything remotely like it. The beauty of it, is that although the tariff can vary from day to day, the tariff is set for the entire 24 hours, and set by the wholesale cost, rather than a pre-fixed price - hence, some of the risk of w/sale price rise risk, is passed directly to the customer, instead of the supplier having to insure against a sudden rise - the customer's dividend, is a much cheaper Kwh. In the month since I joined it, I've consistently paid around 50%.

A requirement for the Tracker, is having the smart meters, fine if don't mind paying around double what I am paying, for the same thing..