Smart Meters - Pros and Cons

[thisal]

2 minutes ago, Shadow Play said:

I couldn’t work out why they would spend huge sums of (our) money installing them when effectively all they tell you is how much electricity you are using, inducing power the smart meter of course.

Now that they are talking about power cuts and therefore incentivising people to use less electricity at peak times I can see why they would wish them installed.

Smart meters have been getting fitted for a number of years.  There was an article on Newsnight over a decade ago about how the UK would struggle to provide enough every come the mid 21st century.  I wonder…..

 

The biggest saving for them I would imagine is doing away with someone going round reading meters.

[Soapy FFC]

Our electricity meter is smart. The big pro for us is that we get 4 hours of cheap electricity ( 7.5p per kWh) during the night, which is when we charge the electric car. 

[Shadow Play]

47 minutes ago, thisal said:

The biggest saving for them I would imagine is doing away with someone going round reading meters.

True enough.  Another load of jobs gone to technology.  Should help the share price of the companies involved. 

[itzdrk]

The only reason they exist is so that energy companies can switch you to pay as you go without needing a warrant to enter your home and the costs involved in that. 

[UsedToGoToCentralPark]

You know how to live!

Sure do, worth it though.

[Todd_is_God]

4 hours ago, oaksoft said:

I do think... everyone is going to be forced one way or another to cut consumption whether they like it or not.

[Gnash]

4 hours ago, Smurph said:

That’s what ours is like just now. It’s an economy ten meter or some shit. The cheap times are slightly inconvenient (and doesn’t take into account daylight savings - not that fucking smart) but we make it work.

I like the idea of a smart meter and it’s a good tool. I don’t think we really need it though, and looking at how much a shower has cost or a blast of the heating can be quite depressing.

Does it actually tell you that though?  If so, that's great, but how does it disentangle your usage for a shower from everything else that is using electricity at the same time?

[Boo Khaki]

Monitors it at the consumer unit, presumably.

[Smurph]

49 minutes ago, Gnash said:

Does it actually tell you that though?  If so, that's great, but how does it disentangle your usage for a shower from everything else that is using electricity at the same time?

Not really, no, but you can work it out. If I showered at 2pm it would show a spike there, or I would leave the room at £1.50 and on return it would be £2.50. It has different screens for different functions. There’s not usually anything else using a whole lot of electricity at the one time.

[philpy]

Smert meters.

[Gnash]

4 hours ago, Smurph said:

Not really, no, but you can work it out. If I showered at 2pm it would show a spike there, or I would leave the room at £1.50 and on return it would be £2.50. It has different screens for different functions. There’s not usually anything else using a whole lot of electricity at the one time.

Thanks.  I suspect that an electric shower is the most power hungry device in an ordinary household, so usage shows up more clearly.  

[scottsdad]

I object to the term "smart meter". 

My parents have one and I asked it if guns kill people, or if people killed people. It was silent as the grave. 

[Sergeant Wilson]

14 hours ago, scottsdad said:

I object to the term "smart meter". 

My parents have one and I asked it if guns kill people, or if people killed people. It was silent as the grave. 

Have you turned it up?

[BFTD]

15 hours ago, scottsdad said:

I object to the term "smart meter". 

My parents have one and I asked it if guns kill people, or if people killed people. It was silent as the grave. 

There are parts of the world where keeping schtum to that question is a sign of intelligence.

[Bert Raccoon]

18 hours ago, scottsdad said:

I object to the term "smart meter". 

My parents have one and I asked it if guns kill people, or if people killed people. It was silent as the grave. 

The correct answer is "Rappers Do"

[UsedToGoToCentralPark]

The correct answer is "Rappers Do"

I seen it in a documentary on BBC2.

[Tony Ferrino]

Had one for about a week before Mrs F unplugged it and tidied it away somewhere she can't remember.

[hk blues]

15 hours ago, UsedToGoToCentralPark said:

15 hours ago, Bert Raccoon said:

The correct answer is "Rappers Do"

I seen it in a documentary on BBC2.

Nobody who watches BBC2 would make such a basic grammar error so I'm calling BS! 

[UsedToGoToCentralPark]

Nobody who watches BBC2 would make such a basic grammar error so I'm calling BS! 

Ask any politician and they'll tell you it's true.

[HEY_SIDNEY]

Pros: 

• Allow for meter readings to be updated to your provider without the need for you to add these yourself via telephone, whats app, app or email. 
• In turn more accurate billing on a monthly/quarterly basis. (This used to be a big gripe of customers)
• The In Home Display (not to be confused with the actual smart meter itself) allows you to view your usage on a half hourly/hourly/daily/weekly basis - dependant on what you have set your time frame at - your supplier auto sets this to monthly. I highly recommend you set it to half hourly.
• Allows your suppliers commercial department to understand your usage and in future, create a tariff that's beneficial to you
• Can reduce your usage and cost of your bill if used correctly

Cons:

• They dont always commission properly so it can feel like they dont work for you
• Inadequate explanation of how to use them from the installer
• The IHD uses electricity when plugged in (its actually 2p a day but people still moan)
• Potential for creating this peak off peak argument.

Cons if you wear a tinfoil hat:

• Government can listen to your conversations
• 5g microwaves cause brain cancer.