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Sirius B
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Message 108639 - Posted: 22 Jun 2022, 15:14:27 UTC - in response to Message 108638.  



Called both numbers to discuss the matter - forget it. Still waiting so hung up.
Apparently Offgem informed supplier in Nov 2020 thhat they may be banned from taking on new customers.
Supplier was not meeting the smart meter regulations & they had been set a target to get so many installed.
On the switch to supplier last July, was supposed to have them installed within 3 months of switching.
What I can't understand is the fact that 3.4 million smart meters are "dumb" as the suppliers concerned do not cater for smart meters.
So where are these "so called" regulations?
What I've been trying to find out: Are smart meters required by law to be fitted?
No joy on that question yet. :-(
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Sirius B
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Message 108642 - Posted: 22 Jun 2022, 15:20:17 UTC - in response to Message 108639.  

Well, found one "possible" way to "force" them on people.
Before the end of the rollout, energy suppliers should meet targets set by the government to install smart meters in their customers’ homes. And different energy suppliers may find various ways to encourage their customers to accept a smart meter. But it is up to you whether you accept one or not.


Apologies for 3 in a row, but didn't want a very long post.
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Sirius B
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Message 108643 - Posted: 22 Jun 2022, 15:23:33 UTC - in response to Message 108641.  
Last modified: 22 Jun 2022, 15:44:14 UTC

I'm aware of that Peter, but thanks for pointing out another elephant in the room. There are now 2.
I'm not an electrician so will have difficulty in proving that the meter "may not" have a fault.
Therefore, legally as it stands, they have me by the goolies. :-(
Edited for spelling error.
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ProfileDave
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Message 108645 - Posted: 22 Jun 2022, 15:26:46 UTC
Last modified: 22 Jun 2022, 15:33:17 UTC

Smart meters are not a legal requirement, despite the nonsense sent to people by suppliers. Ignore everything. Keep your meter which can read electricity properly. Smart meters over-read by up to a factor of FIVE, especially on modern stuff like LED lighting and probably computers.
I know someone who had an old fashioned meter that was greatly overstating what she was using. Since the smart meter she requested was fitted she is like me using hardly any electricity at this time of year due to her having 4.5 KW of Solar. (Between east and west facing roofs, we are currently generating over 25KWH of electricity a day at the moment.

Edit: Do you have evidence of smart meters over reading by a factor of up to five? (Government website says they have strict accuracy requirements but doesn't state what these are.)
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Sirius B
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Message 108647 - Posted: 22 Jun 2022, 15:36:34 UTC - in response to Message 108645.  

True they can be a boon for people.
The problem lies with:
1: How they operate.
2: How they are regulated.
3:How difficult to get errors corrected.
4: The problems already in the wild with pre-payment smart meters & there are many.

On the discussion last July with supplier, all that bozo was interested in was to get me to switch to smart meters & top up online.
I prefer doing so via card/key at local shop/post office. Instant printed receipts.
There are too many horror stories already out there.
Also, smart meters won't allow one to store energy like I have.. With smart meters, new rates apply instantly regardless of much much on key/card.
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robsmith
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Message 108648 - Posted: 22 Jun 2022, 15:41:18 UTC - in response to Message 108640.  

You obviously didn't read the second link otherwise you would know where bans started, and the secondary effects like increased insurance (or if the insurance company really doesn't want your business a refusal to insure - which may be shared with other companies).
Also points are not wiped by a ban, they stay there for a prescribed period (at least four years), so get a second 6 pointer within that period and say goodbye to driving for an extended period with the possibility of having to take and pass an "extended" test. And then watch insurance premiums go up when you try an insure a car again.
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Sirius B
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Message 108649 - Posted: 22 Jun 2022, 15:43:00 UTC - in response to Message 108645.  

Edit: Do you have evidence of smart meters over reading by a factor of up to five? (Government website says they have strict accuracy requirements but doesn't state what these are.)
You rely on the government? As for evidence, how about this one & the reply received.
Smart meters "are never wrong"
Superbly highlighting my No 3.
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robsmith
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Message 108652 - Posted: 22 Jun 2022, 15:57:33 UTC

I shall adjust what I said, all meters can overread, probably deliberately. Perhaps we should all fit those home energy meters and compare. Could the solar have been confusing her old meter? Do those old ones even support backwards running (solar into grid)? It was probably measuring the current in both directions!


Several interesting comments there, a few are true, but many miss the point.
A faulty meter can over under-read, as can one that has been tampered with.
It is highly improbable that the energy suppliers would try to rig meters to overcharge. They would be very rapidly blown both by their customers and OFGEM.
Having a second meter is a good idea, but it must be located in a location (in the circuit) where it can monitor all the energy consumption which can be problematic in many buildings.
Run backwards?? Well that's an interesting case. Some old meters will run backwards if they are wrongly connected or see power going from the consumer to the grid, some will just stop, while others will only run "forwards" even when the consumer is pushing power back into the grid. A few years ago there was a "campaign" to replace old meters with one which able to with back feeds from domestic generation (most assume this is only solar, but it can be wind, hydro or "some other form of generation"). I know some people decided not to have a new meter installed as they liked their old one. From what I can glean during this campaign a fair proportion of the meters removed were well out of calibration due to old age and decrepitness , and a number were found to have been tampered with (pus a few illegal re-wiring jobs by-passing the meter).
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robsmith
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Message 108655 - Posted: 22 Jun 2022, 16:05:07 UTC - in response to Message 108650.  

Don't speed in some parts of Wales, the Police and courts start taking action just above the speed limit, and they go for the maximum penalty possible. And have had to do quite a few refunds due to inadequate signage, equipment being out of calibration, or in the wrong place.

I was caught doing 98mph and got 3 points

When? - the scale of penalties came in about 5 years ago, before that it was very much up to the magistrate. It still is to an extent, but the trend is to squeeze harder and near maximum penalties are becoming much more common.
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Sirius B
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Message 108657 - Posted: 22 Jun 2022, 16:24:46 UTC - in response to Message 108652.  
Last modified: 22 Jun 2022, 16:35:35 UTC

Understand what you're saying. However, my meter is not an old analogue one but an up to date digital one (pre smart meter days).It has been accurate since I 1st started logging usage as previously discussed on this very board.
In fact last reading was yesterday.
Date Time Credit Balance Usage
31/05/22 15:15 £0.00 £30.59 £0.00
03/06/22 10:12 £0.00 £24.00 £6.59
06/06/22 15:00 £0.00 £17.20 £6.80
09/06/22 16:29 £0.00 £10.40 £6.80
13/06/22 11:11 £98.00 £99.27 £9.13
15/06/22 16:35 £0.00 £93.99 £5.28
18/06/22 15:17 £0.00 £87.19 £6.80
21/06/22 15:00 £0.00 £79.78 £7.41
24/06/22
27/06/22
30/06/22

Total £98.00 £48.81
Since that 1st logging approx. 4 years ago, it's been pretty accurate & stable.
Seen usage as normal but cost increase from approx. £1.21 to currently £2.32 per day.
Would love to see what the "fault" is.
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