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Thread: Got a smart meter and changing supplier.

  1. #21
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    Hi All,

    @crabber, Solar panels are, 2 Kw south, 2 Kw east, mid summer day production starts at 6.30am till 8.30pm.
    Best month was May 480 Kwh produced, last month November 102 Kwh.
    Plant commissioned 2012.
    In all 17 FIT Payments totalling £3210.00p
    Plus £1200.00p of free electricity.
    Plus have an all electric car, £20 per year for free charging with ( Charge Your Car in UK ) its a swipe card,
    just plug into public charge point for Free.
    Plus have saved £3500 by the fact no petrol costs.
    Plus have 6mm deep eco wall hung electric panels, 400w usage per panel.
    Most of the time like today running for Free, Sun's out.

    Have two Monitors, First one free from energy company (Smartpower) tells
    how much is used. and how much PVs are producing, highest level reached was
    3.6 Kwh at 1.30pm.
    Second monitor is a Software download from SMA, the makers of the Inverter.
    It's called ( Sunny Explorer ) tell the state of the PV plant, Day yield, condition,
    power produced, and Total yield.
    Availability nominal power of inverter.

    @ rednoddy, I thought about the Solar immersion heated, but stayed with Gas.
    At the time of installation Gas, as is now three times cheaper Pound for pound then Electricity.
    Good choice all the same solar immersion heater.

    BF.

  2. #22
    Cool Dude traveller's Avatar
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    Paul Lewis.
    Six million smart electricity and gas meters installed in homes since 2012 may have to be replaced to make them work with a new communications network which was switched on in November but is still not being used. Despite that energy companies are busy installing more of them to try to meet a government target to get one in every home by the end of 2020.

    All the meters installed so far are an early design called SMETS1. They use existing mobile phone networks and the communications system is specific to each supplier. That means if you switch your fuel provider to get a cheaper deal – it is Government policy that you should – then the smart meter will almost certainly go dumb. Then it has to be read manually either by the householder or a meter reader. Some people have complained that reading a dumbed down smart meter is much more difficult than reading a traditional meter designed to be read by a human. Instead of a visible dial with numbers turning round buttons have to be press in the right - and forgettable - order.

    The upgraded smart meters – called SMETS2 – have been delayed partly because a new £3 billion communications network was not ready for nearly a year after the planned date. It went live in November 2016. But five months on energy suppliers are still testing it with the new smart meters. They had to be extensively redesigned after security concerns and discussions with GCHQ. If all goes well fitting the new meters will start later in 2017. Those meters using that network should be able to work with all suppliers and allow switching supplier to be easier and quicker.

    But the Data Communications Company, part of Capita which is responsible for the new network, could not tell me when or indeed if the old SMETS1 meters would be connected to it. A spokesman told me that the consultation on how that might be done had not even begun. He said it would “go live in the next few weeks”. The consultation that is. He could not confirm a date for the start or the end of that consultation still less for when SMETS1 meters would be connectable or indeed if that would ever happen. He agreed it was possible that SMETS1 meters would have to be replaced with SMETS2 meters.

    He repeated that to a Money Box colleague the next day. But when asked if he would confirm it in writing all DCC would say was “DCC will be consulting with industry on plans outlining how SMETS1 meters will be enrolled into the network.” And he stressed the word 'how'. The Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) would not deny that there may be problems but told us "The project is on working out how they will be enrolled into the new network not whether they can be enrolled. Our expectation is that all SMETS1 meters will be enrolled into DCC."

    Others are not so convinced. Technology consultant Nick Hann, who was involved in early designs of smart meters, told me on Money Box on 29 April.

    "It is something that the industry has been very aware for three or four years. The new SMETS2 meters are far more complex and there's always been a question of whether it's possible to upgrade the existing ones. But is is one of those things that everyone has been desperately hoping we can magically way a wand and all the old ones will start working. It now looks as if reality's starting to bit and people are beginning to think that may not be possible."

    The ambitious programme to replace more than 50 million gas and electricity meters in every home is expected to cost at least £11 billion. By the end of 2016 around five million had been installed, nearly a million of those in the final quarter of 2016. Today the number is probably over six million. The remaining 44 million should be replaced by 2020 which will mean trebling the current rate of installation.

    If all the SMETS1 meters have to be replaced or modified that will add to the cost and increase the timescale. Nick Hann said it might add 50% to the costs and call the viability of the whole project into question.

    Meanwhile the energy companies are busy encouraging people to accept smart meters – all of the old type – without any clear idea when or if those meters will make use of the new DCC network. Energy companies are not informing customers of these potential problems. And nor is Smart Energy GB which will spend neaerly £50 in 2017 persuading us all that smart is the way to control dumb old 'gas and leccy'.

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    cosworth4x4 (30-04-2017)

  4. #23
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    I think quite recently it was leaked that these meters are not free, but will quietly be charged to the customer in their bills. Yes- they may be superceded BUT why oh why in this country is it ALWAYS the customer who pays for everything even when their manufacturer is crap and they are proved to be wrong - thinking about the Vauxhall scandal atm.'We are deeply committed to safety etc.etc. etc' BUT tough luck if you lose out, get hurt or are scared sh!tless - the customer pays - as we did with all those banks - and who gets the tax back - those scoundrel Politicians. As an Austrian professor said to me in the 80's - 'All countries in Europe have problems, but it is only England that has all of them'! End of Rant - Cheers - Brain

  5. #24
    Super Moderator cosworth4x4's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by brain View Post
    I think quite recently it was leaked that these meters are not free, but will quietly be charged to the customer in their bills.
    That was the point i was making in the first post they say they free , i guess government/ombudsman has given them targets to hit or they will get fined so they just put out best they can even though they are a complete waste of time (fitting them) money to you and me , as they only work with the supplier who fits them.

    someone needs a ass kicking ,

  6. #25
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    I have had a new single story extension built to the front of my house both the meters had to be moved / lifted and now they are so easy to read as there is no more bending down, so why would I want something to make the suppliers life easier, sod them.

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    andy gg (08-05-2017)

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