Smart meters - who knew?

[JP_]

Smart meters are being fitted under orders from the government

That may be the case, but smart meters are not mandatory and you have the right to refuse one if you wish.

 

[EFLImpudence]

That may be the case, but smart meters are not mandatory and you have the right to refuse one if you wish.

That is true - at the moment.

Nevertheless...

 

[JP_]

According to MoneySupermarket ...

Why do energy companies want smart meters?
The aim with smart meters and the associated display monitor is to make bills accurate and to provide households and businesses with information on how much energy they are using, and how much it is costing.

What a load of BS.
First, it is not hard to take a meter reading and have an accurate bill.
Second, you know how much it is costing each month when you get your bill.

I had a smart meter in my previous house. All it did was glow red when we were cooking or making a cup of tea. WARNING, YOU ARE USING ELECTRICITY!!! Yes, so what?
The only way to keep it in green, and supposedly reduce carbon footprint and be greener, was to turn everything off. In the end, I decided the smart meter was just using more electricity for no reason whatsoever, so I turned it off.

 

[JohnD]

I use an energy monitor (not a smart meter) because I have solar panels, and I can time my use of electrical appliances to minimise costs.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Are you sure? Plenty of news reports talking about how much money they make from domestic usage.

And yes, most people take their own readings, but some do not. And sometimes they come and check. If the purpose of smart meters is so they don't need to send meter readers out, what is it?

Even with working Smart Meters I have had meter readers drop round.

 

[JP_]

Yes, they have to do something I guess.

Still, what is the point of a smart meter?

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

What a load of BS.
First, it is not hard to take a meter reading and have an accurate bill.
Second, you know how much it is costing each month when you get your bill.

I had a smart meter in my previous house. All it did was glow red when we were cooking or making a cup of tea. WARNING, YOU ARE USING ELECTRICITY!!! Yes, so what?
The only way to keep it in green, and supposedly reduce carbon footprint and be greener, was to turn everything off. In the end, I decided the smart meter was just using more electricity for no reason whatsoever, so I turned it off.

You mean you turned off the In Home Display!

Some people like to keep themselves better informed, than just 'when they get a bill'. A Smart Meter does allow you to be better and more easily informed about your consumption, particularly your on all the time base load.

 

[JP_]

I guess some people enjoy watching their bill in real time. Still, seems pointless, other than to replace people with machines to make more money.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

I guess some people enjoy watching their bill in real time.

Not real time - I log my readings once per week and feed the data into a spreadsheet, as I have done for the past eight years. A time when I have invested a bit, to reduce my electric consumption, so the consumption figures have been worth the effort - just to see what has worked and what not.

 

[gas112]

I have already discovered a poorly educated plumber that can't spell and insists on stating the obvious.
Do I qualify?

its you that is showing your lack of intelligence cant see any plumbers in this exchange

 

[gas112]

Not real time - I log my readings once per week and feed the data into a spreadsheet, as I have done for the past eight years. A time when I have invested a bit, to reduce my electric consumption, so the consumption figures have been worth the effort - just to see what has worked and what not.

do you also put in daily weather daily usage of each appliance etc etc

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

do you also put in daily weather daily usage of each appliance etc etc

No, but I do have a system constantly logging weather - rainfall, temperature, wind speeds, humidity and temperature, humidity indoors.

 

[noseall]

what is the point of a smart meter?

It meters the supply. Didn't you know?

 

[noseall]

Are you sure?

Yes.

purpose of smart meters is so they don't need to send meter readers out, what is it?

The main purpose is to meter your supply. The secondary purpose is to send that reading to the company. A gimmicky off-shoot is the home device that tells the customer their consumption etc.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

A gimmicky off-shoot is the home device that tells the customer their consumption etc.

Mostly gimmicky, but not entirely useless - it enable you to check the consumption of individual appliances and get a good idea of your base load - those loads which are always on 24/7.