Hello, I know there have been various comments/discussions about smart meters (gas and electricity) over time, but I would really like your advice!
When our energy company went bust, we were moved to Octopus, and they have emailed offering a smart meter.
Having just had my usual beached whale experience to read our meters, after moving everything out of the understairs cupboard first, it really gets harder and harder to get up again I am seriously wondering if smart meters would be a good idea!
What experience have you all had with them? Would you recommend? Or avoid at all costs!
We got ours from Octopus last year and had no issues. Installation was really quick, although the internal display makes for depressing reading at the moment with energy prices being so high.
When I moved to the village every company I looked at insisted on having a smart meter installed so I had to go with the flow so to speak. It doesn’t save money but it makes one look at how much they’re actually spending and it saves the hassle of someone coming round to physically read it especially if it’s inside.
If you get fed up with the reader you can always disconnect it, which friends have done, and they just check occasionally on the company’s app.
No, I don't have the display on all the time, it is just a little thing you plug in to a socket to power the display and it picks up the info from the meters
I have smart meters - I think things were getting to the stage of customers being charged at a higher tariff if they didn't have one fitted.
No regrets about the meters, but the indoor monitor didn't last very long. I can see how much gas I'm using, but the display for the electricity packed up a while ago.
I'm not too concerned about this, because there's nothing about my usage that I can alter - I make sure I do a full load of washing, don't use the dishwasher every day, and don't want to alter my cooking habits.
We had ours installed by British Gas, but when we moved to Utility Warehouse, they said they'd have to replace them, which seemed rather a waste. However, because they were of a recent design, they were found to be compatible, so the changeover was very smooth.
Go for them, would be my advice.
I think I’ve got mine set up to send daily readings but there were other options such as hourly and it didn’t bother me that they wanted that information. In this day and age technology is advanced enough to do that and every so often I check on my supplier’s app and it gives me an accurate reading of what I’ve used although I don’t think it includes the daily charge.
Downside of the first generation smart meters is that not all are compatible with other suppliers and I had to get mine changed when I moved in.
It wouldn’t surprise me if, in the not too distant future, smart houses will be built so there would be no option to not have them.
Not sure how water meters work but certainly since I had one installed in Leeds and the one that was already in this flat they know exactly how much I use and my DD is adjusted automatically.
I agree NLB - they are getting a lot of data, but it’s not anything that makes me worry about privacy, if anything it seems to be to my advantage that they can manage my bills and consumer demand
We are in the odd position of being denied smart meters.
Evidently we live too close to a MOD establishment, which I could sort of believe when the RAF station was in service but it’s been unoccupied for over two years now (earmarked for a controversial refugee reception centre) and no flights for about three years. As the crow flies we are under two miles from the end of the runway.
I’m with octopus and they send a monthly reminder to send a meter reading which I do, and then I get an instant bill.
Busybee wrote: ↑Sat Jul 16, 2022 9:14 am
I’m with octopus and they send a monthly reminder to send a meter reading which I do, and then I get an instant bill.
I'm with Shell but was with someone else when I applied to have a meter fitted. It would be very convenient for me as I have to empty out my corner larder unit and virtually turn myself inside out to take a photo on my phone that I can read ! ... the gas one is under the stairs and easy peasy.
So, I applied for a meter, eventually settled on a date, a fitter came, took one look and said he couldn't fit the smart meter where it needed to go. Apparently I need to get a builder in to do something to the cupboard
Currently, like BB, I supply (with some effort) a reading each month once I get the reminder ..
We moved into this house 4 years ago, brand new, and for the first year had to send readings for the gas as something wasn't compatible with something else (I didn't take a great deal of interest!) The meters are at the front of the house facing a fairly busy road and even though I'm only 5ft i still needed to be almost laid down to see the numbers they are so low down.
Goodness, WW, absolutely, unless your machine is rather sophisticated and has several settings.
I think that the uber-expensive machines that have a hand wash/ silk programme, like Miele, are also able to assess the load and use the right amount of water etc. for very small amounts of laundry.
But even so, one item ....
I am seriously wondering if smart meters would be a good idea!
... the gas one is under the stairs and easy peasy. 
