General Chat

Does anyone else think its dangerous to have everything linked into the internet? A Hackers dream!

Rollo - you know what to do about the overpayment. Phone up and demand a refund and adjusted monthly payments.

Well that was interesting.

We have two smart meters in a drawer niether of which work - the mobile signal is rubbish. Our mobile signal depends on a little box which plugs into the router so all the mobile stuff actually uses the wifi/broadband rather than the 3G signal. Works a treat but now I see why the smart meters don't work. I can't be bothered to do contortions and read the meters which might be why we are hundreds of pounds in credit. I guess I really should do something about it, but what?

The long term plan is to hook up all you eletrical kit to the smart meters (internet of things) so the power company gets to choose when and how much power you use. They will of course deny power to the freezer just after you park 10l of ice cream in it. Then of course they plan to link heating to the meteo forecast ... too bad if there is an unexpected freezing day.

These meters are already being hacked in the USA.

When he starts just take your batteries out ;-) <3

Lol! Every so often OH gets a bee in his bonnet and goes around turning off lights and muttering about computers being left on, I just keep quiet and then he forgets all about it. I admit I do leave lights on, I like lights on!

:-) @ Ann

I think I should plug everything into our neighbour's supply ;-)

We don't have a smart meter as yet but we do have one of the gadgets that measures how much electricity appliances use. I think OH bought it off the internet a few years back. (or maybe it was sent to us free, can't remember). Anyway it is great and certainly concentrates your mind about the use of electricity. And actually we had a new tumble drier the beginning of the year, it had a good report on low electricity use and it doesn't use very much at all.. I only use it a couple of times a week.

lololol

Because of my disabilities I do rely on a lot of equipment and I will not compromise on heating.

Everything goes in the tumble drier and is hung up as soon as it beeps. (I haven't ironed for decades).

I bought an air fryer in order not to heat up either the small or large oven for 20 minutes (therefore wasting power). It has made a difference to the bill :-)

Just shows how sad I can be lolol

Many people simply don't understand how much energy appliances use. We are constantly being told by those who think they know it all to plug out our phone chargers and tv sets and we will save the planet, whilst omitting to mention they use only small amounts of energy.

No mention of tumble driers, kettles, toasters, washing machines, and all the other items with heaters in them that gobble up the juice....!

That was my interest IGP. To tinker with usage times on various bits of electrical kit.

Hey ho :-(

There will come a point when you have to have one whether you like it or not.

Few things I found out when we had our electric one installed.

1. The meter uses mobile phone technology to communicate with the supply companies computer via a network provided by an organisation called The Data Communications Company.

2. It can take while for the technician to establish first contact even assuming there is a good mobile signal. I was told this is because each domestic meter only gets a short slot in which to communicate because ultimately there will be over 50 million smart meters connected across the country and it would not be cost effective to have every one in permanent communication.

3. Your meter reading is automatically transmitted at least once per month

4. You can only have a smart gas meter if you are on dual fuel, at least as far as British Gas is concerned. Presumably this is because the gas meter piggy backs on the electric one for its comms.

5. The link to the monitor in your house is via a bluetooth type of wireless connection. Whether or not you use your monitor is up to you. However it has been shown that those consumers who understand how much energy they are using and what is using the most have already made changes which have noticeably reduced consumption.

Oh dear, sounds like I may be wasting my time in applying.

Thanks for all the replies.

Sue

They came to change our old one & offered the new smart ones -

She fitted the new one & tried for over 4 hours to set it up & it refused to log on - even asked if she could use our phone as hers ran out of power (OH said only if she paid full price for it) so she had to go to the van & call on her radio - they told her to put a new old meter back instead & make a new appointment in 4 months time.

OH told her if it was this much trouble not to bother to book a new one.

6 months later they called to try again & OH told them to go away - they promised it would only take 2 hours as they knew it would work this time - he told them to come back when it only took 10 mins. Filled in 3 surveys as well telling it exactly as it was.

Not heard from them again

My OH, who is incredibly fit, has to climb up to read the electricity meters and lay on the floor to read the gas meter.

I fought for more than 3 years to get superfast BB connected as the cabling had been laid for that long and Openreach couldn't be bothered to connect our half of the road.

There is no chance that my reading could be transmitted electronically (don't forget I live in Wales) lolol

but you have internet? access....

many communication devices use the actual power cables to transmit messages......

Bob

I didnt see why I should be the one to read it. It means removing the cover from the box and standing on tiptoes and trying to write the figures down as I read them. At 80 yrs of age I have no intention of standing on tiptoes.

Apparently it is because I am not in range with cell phone coverage.

I send in my own readings for G & E each month (same supplier).

They just seem incapable of organising anything other than charging me!

I had a 'smart meter' installed last year. It kept sending error messages to the power company, so they kept estimating my bill, much too high, so I had to insist they send somebody to read the meter each month as used to happen.

We were given a leaflet saying that everyone is going
to be fitted with them in time.
OH and myself knew nothing about them and asked son
about them he said to get it.

Phoned the number and fitted within several days.
I suppose they are now in demand more now.

As you say Sue maybe down south is busier than us up here. :-)

Absolutely hopeless here. The website search for a date just kept scrolling to the left with NO free dates at all.

:-(

Got ours months ago Sue asking if we wanted
one for gas and electric.