Energy bill increases

[Alex321]

Was it not a target to have everybody already changed over by now?

The original target was to have all homes & businesses offered smart meters by December 2020. That of course wasn't met, and a new target of 2024 was set.

But being offered them doesn't mean forcing everybody onto them.

The current target is to have a smart meter in every home by the end of 2025. And utility companies have binding targets for the number of smart meters they must install. But even so, customers have the right to refuse to have their meter replaced. If it has to be replaced for any other reason, or is a new install, then you no longer have a choice. Any new/replacement installations will be smart meters.

 

[cougie uk]

And once you realize there's a battery in there it makes it even easier to work out what's using the power.
No need to remember the figure and then run upstairs and back to see what the bathroom light is costing you!

Concur , long time hater of smart meters but it’s good now as I can see what I’m spending daily .

 

[chris-suffolk]

They're really handy for seeing what items are using the power. Track down any old bulbs and things.

My solar feed to the hot water tank tells me exactly what the house is using, and then only diverts 'spare' electricity to the immersion heater. Does the job of a smart meter, without the hassle of actually getting one.

 

[mjr]

My solar feed to the hot water tank tells me exactly what the house is using, and then only diverts 'spare' electricity to the immersion heater. Does the job of a smart meter, without the hassle of actually getting one.

Does one of the jobs of a smart meter. It doesn't send meter readings to your energy company so the bills aren't estimated, does it?

 

[cougie uk]

My solar feed to the hot water tank tells me exactly what the house is using, and then only diverts 'spare' electricity to the immersion heater. Does the job of a smart meter, without the hassle of actually getting one.

I've not got my solar yet but I'm pretty sure the installation is a bit more hassle than getting a smart meter.

 

[chris-suffolk]

I've not got my solar yet but I'm pretty sure the installation is a bit more hassle than getting a smart meter.

Yes, but since I have got panels, getting a smart meter would be now be more hassle

Does one of the jobs of a smart meter. It doesn't send meter readings to your energy company so the bills aren't estimated, does it?

I send a reading every month, not had an estimated reading in a few years now.

 

[mjr]

Yes, but since I have got panels, getting a smart meter would be now be more hassle



I send a reading every month, not had an estimated reading in a few years now.

And how do you get that reading? Is it automated?

 

[jowwy]

Yes, but since I have got panels, getting a smart meter would be now be more hassle



I send a reading every month, not had an estimated reading in a few years now.

2 brand new smart meters fitted in around an hour last week, hell of a lot less hassle than the solar panel fitting 2 weeks before…….and i no longer have to manually read my meters and put them readings in online, it does it for me.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

Yes, but since I have got panels, getting a smart meter would be now be more hassle

I send a reading every month, not had an estimated reading in a few years now.

I have to say I was strongly opposed to smart meters for a long time & TBH I still think they 'could' used for the power companies benefit in preference to the customers benefit. However I would like to think that things are going to change, the current crisis with pricing is drawing attention to our lack of self sufficiency & the lower prices will be offered at off peak times rather than increased prices at peak times.

As to changing them, my panels were fitted first & as I moved to Octopus they arranged to change them both out inside 2 weeks where BG had been going to do it for 2 years. It was a totally painless & clean process, both were done in a morning, probably less than 2 hours & definitely less than 3.

 

[mjr]

As to changing them, my panels were fitted first & as I moved to Octopus they arranged to change them both out inside 2 weeks where BG had been going to do it for 2 years.

I was reading some forums yesterday (possibly OVO Energy's) where people wrote that BG ran their own smart meter network for SMETS1, getting off of it was a nuisance and BG have installed some SMETS2/SMETS1 "Frankenmeter" bodges which cause trouble for other companies to switch over or even to remove. I can't find it now, but https://inews.co.uk/inews-lifestyle...data-for-months-as-energy-prices-soar-1589424 mentions "many suppliers are still not installing these and continue to install the SMETS1 models, causing further issues" as of April 2022.

So I could understand any BG customer not wanting a smart meter from them!

 

[kipster]

I have an original BG smets1, fortunately Octopus managed to connect and upgrade it and it works perfectly for send readings to them and also for my solar exports

 

[Deleted member 26715]

Does anyone know how the smart meters work & pass the data back to the servers? Do you each have a sim card or how do they communicate? I did wonder if the electric meters had their own multiplex network, very much how Broadband is delivered to the house over the copper cables, but obviously gas can't do that. Interested as both of my meters went offline on the 7th, they are investigating.

Do the meters hold the daily data? So that when/if they come back online the daily stats will be uploaded back to the server?

 

[Ming the Merciless]

My solar feed to the hot water tank tells me exactly what the house is using, and then only diverts 'spare' electricity to the immersion heater. Does the job of a smart meter, without the hassle of actually getting one.

It does the gas readings as well, brilliant!

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Does anyone know how the smart meters work & pass the data back to the servers? Do you each have a sim card or how do they communicate? I did wonder if the electric meters had their own multiplex network, very much how Broadband is delivered to the house over the copper cables, but obviously gas can't do that. Interested as both of my meters went offline on the 7th, they are investigating.

Do the meters hold the daily data? So that when/if they come back online the daily stats will be uploaded back to the server?

Electric one talks over a mobile network to supplier, the gas one talks to bigger electric one.

 

[Alex321]

Does anyone know how the smart meters work & pass the data back to the servers? Do you each have a sim card or how do they communicate? I did wonder if the electric meters had their own multiplex network, very much how Broadband is delivered to the house over the copper cables, but obviously gas can't do that. Interested as both of my meters went offline on the 7th, they are investigating.

https://www.smartenergygb.org/faqs/... smart meter and in,or TVs, using radio waves.

Do the meters hold the daily data? So that when/if they come back online the daily stats will be uploaded back to the server?

I think so.