- Joined
- 17 May 2012
- Messages
- 10,819
- Reaction score
- 859
- Country
Maybe this is the real reason for the price increases - to reduce demand, to try to manage usage.
People don't like doing as they're told.
Smart Meters 'forced' on people?
- Thread starter JohnW2
- Start date
People don't like doing as they're told.
Sponsored Links
I suspect there were lots of reasons, but the main one being that of persuading people to economise and help reduce emissions, as well as helping to improve bill accuracy. Sadly, they failed to think it through properly, and completely failed to take into account that people would be able to change suppliers, so a common system was an essential part of the spec., to avoid the complete mess we have at present..
I've had SM's for around five years now, they were installed just weeks before I intended to change suppliers. they worked fine for just those few weeks, before becoming dumb again. They have though begun to limp along over recent weeks.
Working properly, suppliers would have daily consumption data and their customers would have access to near instant data, there would be no need for anyone to physically read the meters, they would be secure and tamper proof.
Despite the SM's not working, finding ways to economise was at the forefront of my mind, without impacting my lifestyle and comfort. I think I have made a reasonable job of achieving that.
I may be wrong, but I strongly suspect that the government haven't thought as deeply/laterally you have. In other words, I think they really believe that the mere existence of smart meters will, by allowing people to see hoe much energy they are using (if the bother to even 'look', beyond the first few days) result in considerable reductions in demand (hence carbon emissions etc.) - without any further 'methods' being used to further discourage usage.
Kind Regards, John
Sponsored Links
Indeed. I think most of us think that that is the main, maybe only, perceived benefit that politicians (internationally, not just UK) see of 'smart' meters - but I think that most of us seriously doubt that it will have much such impact at all.
The recent happenings to fuel prices, for which one can primarily blame (some might say 'thank'?!) the Russians, has probably had far more effect on making people reduce their energy usage than would any number smart meters ever would/could?
Kind Regards, John
We know that, but many of us think that all the politicians, in whatever countries, believe that 'smart' meters will achieve something which it very probably won't achieve to any marked extent.
As I've just written, I would imagine that the actions of Russia have had far more effect on reducing fuel usage/demand than smart meters ever could.
Kind Regards, John
Yep, you cannot beat the ability of a sharp rise in the cost of something, to focus peoples minds on economising on their use of it.
What a fortuitous coincidence.
Maybe - but 'fortuitous'for whom, I wonder?
The unfortunate thing is that 'smart' meters may well be given the credit (by governments etc.) for what I imagine will have been (and continue to be) a substantial reduction in usage which has actually happened "because of Russia"
Kind Regards, John
I strongly suspect that the "helping people to reduce consumption" is just an excuse, I see a few benefits (for the government/industry) to a well executed smart meter programme.
1. Avoiding the need to pay meter readers.
2. Enabling the time profile of customer's usage to be measured. This is a pre-requisite to introducing schemes that encourage customers to shift their demand to better match up with supply.
3. Giving more flexibility in rationing electricity in case demand exceeds supply. Right now the only real option is indiscriminate rolling blackouts. Smart meters with disconnect capability give more options.
1. Avoiding the need to pay meter readers.
2. Enabling the time profile of customer's usage to be measured. This is a pre-requisite to introducing schemes that encourage customers to shift their demand to better match up with supply.
3. Giving more flexibility in rationing electricity in case demand exceeds supply. Right now the only real option is indiscriminate rolling blackouts. Smart meters with disconnect capability give more options.
It was sarcasm.
Which has massive benefits for some people, when such a situation becomes necessary. It would allow those people with essential medical equipment requiring power, to not be cut off, plus companies which rely on having power for processes which cannot be stopped, to keep going.
Indeed, though a problem I see is that afaik larger supplies typically don't have disconnect relays/contactors, so if smart meters are used as the sole means of rationing electricity then it could end up prioritising larger buisiness/industrial customers over domestic/small buisiness ones.
- Joined
- 13 Mar 2019
- Messages
- 928
- Reaction score
- 238
- Country
I've never had a smart meter and I haven't seen a meter reader in at least 5 years.
Another way they could use SM's is to bribe customers to restrict their consumption during those peak times, rather than penalising them for higher consumption. The suppliers have access to the 30 minute consumption data, they could make customers a refund of £x for every peak where they limited their consumption below a set level.
DIYnot Local
Staff member
If you need to find a tradesperson to get your job done, please try our local search below, or if you are doing it yourself you can find suppliers local to you.
Select the supplier or trade you require, enter your location to begin your search.
Are you a trade or supplier? You can create your listing free at DIYnot Local
Sponsored Links
