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Thread: Energy Smart Meters

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    Energy Smart Meters

    Hi, British Gas offering free upgrade to smart meters. I have heard of these smart meters with lot of different opinions. Some says it reduces your bills and others say it doesn't. Is it for the benefit of consumers or for the Companies? How would this digital device help us with lower energy bills? Your opinion much appreciated please. Regards

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    I had one from e-on, they just show you what appliances use up most power, like an electric shower or 3Kw Kettle.

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    Can't see how it lower bills, but it does lower costs for energy companies (meter reading etc). The claim appears to be that since you can see the £ effect of, for example, switching on a light then you may be more careful on your use of energy. However, as I understand it there is no standardization on meters yet, so if you let BGas install smart meters then you switch to another supplier, then that supplier has to come and change meters to theirs. Seems bonkers to me, or at least a huge switching cost for energy companies.

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    Quote Originally Posted by paulus View Post
    Can't see how it lower bills, but it does lower costs for energy companies (meter reading etc) However, as I understand it there is no standardization on meters yet, so if you let BGas install smart meters then you switch to another supplier, then that supplier has to come and change meters to theirs. Seems bonkers to me, or at least a huge switching cost for energy companies.
    Even though the meter still belongs to the company who supply it and will only work with their system, it is the consumer who pays for them in the end whether you opt for a smart meter or not as the government, through our taxes, are subsidising the energy companies to continue to rip us off by giving them grants to pay for supplying and fitting the meters.

    There was a TV do***entary about the rip off a few months back and a warning that they can be switched off and more dangerously, switched back on remotely.
    I forget how much it said that each household was paying in extra tax and energy costs for them but it was in the hundreds of pounds spread over a couple of years and as we know once they put the price per unit up it rarely drops back so we will be paying the extra costs to pay for these metes for decades to come, so it costs the energy companies nothing at all and then saves them having to employ meter readers which increase their profits even more.

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    Hi jeetley2,

    If it's how much energy you would
    like to know you are using, just ask British Gas
    for a free smart monitor.

    All you do is load the sender with batteries,
    strap in around the meter cable, and
    plug in the receiver (three pin plug) to
    suit yourself.

    BF.

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    they don't magically save you money but when you notice your consuming x amount of £ per hour when certain appliances are left on, example kids leaving everything turned on in there room even when they are out you soon get in the habit of making sure they switch off there tv/console etc.

    what I cant get my head around is how can my smart meter monitor the gas supply to see how much gas is being used? Or is it using a gas powered wifi connection

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    Smart meters can also be used to lower everyone's power supply. By doing that a 100 watt bulb would have the effect of running at 40 watts for example.

    The only thing that saves electricity and lowers your bill is - the OFF switch. )

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    Quote Originally Posted by Mumbles View Post
    Smart meters can also be used to lower everyone's power supply. By doing that a 100 watt bulb would have the effect of running at 40 watts for example.
    Old wives' tale I'm afraid, they can't do that. They can, however, cut and reconnect your supply remotely, which is a bit scary. They seem to have stopped fitting them around here, I don't think they can get a signal.

    The cost of these meters is being added to all our bills in the form of an industry levy, and the cost is not inconsiderable - a few hundred quid per installation. The fact that there is no standards for these meters is utterly ludicrous, the cost of having to change them when you change supplier is simply being lumped onto all energy consumers.
    Last edited by sparky_dog; 10-10-2017 at 10:11 AM.

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    The newer version meters are compatible with other suppliers, however as far as I am aware they are not being rolled out yet. No surprises there then.

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    Without being political, energy companies foreign owned, smart meters made in China the ability to switch off power or limit usage. I will leave the not so smart meters to others.

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    hi Guys,
    My energy company offered me one but when I phoned them - yes you can and you get a good english voice! LOL - they said they are still first range. New ones are on the way - second range and will be better and more flexible, but yes - they really only save the companies loads particularly when they can build what they like into your bills - even the corrupt government doesnt seem so keen now - but then that's probably because they cant syphon off money from them yet!! Rip-off Britain!! ROFL - cheers - brain

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    If they insist on fitting one here it will be wrapped in lead by me before the day is out!

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    Quote Originally Posted by captainglassback View Post
    If they insist on fitting one here it will be wrapped in lead by me before the day is out!
    That's terrible. Aluminium foil is so much cheaper - unless you want it to survive a nuclear attack .

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    good idea, i like your article,
    thanks

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    Wouldn’t trust them. I read reports of faulty ones sending inflated bills and what’s to stop them increasing tariffs by half a pence? It wouldn’t show on your bill.
    Crafty or what!

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    A mate of mine had to go into battle over an inflated bill...turned out to be his electric garage door effecting the newly installed meter.

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    I agree with lots of the above comments. To save energy you need to turn things off , the appliances that use the greatest amount of energy are appliances that make lots of heat and are on for a long time, like water heaters electric central heating etc. So why do you have to have a new meter installed to explain the above. They could just put what I have said on their website! There must be another reason

  20. #18
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    of course they are a good thing, in particular for the old and poor, instead of dreading your next energy bill you will be able to see at a glance that you cannot afford to boil a kettle of water, cook a hot meal or god forbid put the heating on, they are giving you the choice to choose what you have to give up,
    karma

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    Why get one ? you are doing a man out of a job, no benefits to you, ok first month you will turn somethings off, they say they are free, they are not, someone is making lots of money out of this con, ( who owns the meter company )

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