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[tickmike]

You Can Refuse To Have A Smart Meter. 
I Did 

My water meter battery failed only after 7 years (according to the meter date it was 10 years old before it was fitted  ) and the meter reader could not get a reading from the outside touch pad .
I had a letter saying they need to replace the meter and they would fit a 'Smart Meter with Radio sender' so they could just read it from outside in the lane.
I sent them an email saying.
I Will Not Have A Smart Meter and they could change it like for like.
I was surprised when they said ok you do not have to have a smart meter but they had none of the old ones left so I would have to read it or let there meter reader in twice a year .

Under the governments code of practice it says they can NOT force anyone to have a smart meter,
My main reason  to refuse it is because the radio frequency is close to WiFi frequency.  so it would be more 'mush' near to my WiFi signal.


You Can Also Refuse To Have Other Smart Meters. 

[burakkucat]

An excellent result Michael. Thank you for sharing. 

[roseway]

That's very interesting, thank you.

[JGO]

Tickmike,   Please can you quote chapter and verse.

I've just been told I can have one on the electricity, and the government web site say you don't have to
see https://www.gov.uk/smart-meters-how-they-work

BUT you could read it that the basic isn't optional, only the readout ?

I don't know if it is a transmitter or a data over powerline device - I don't like the idea of either !
 

[Dray]

Check out SSE's email address for the new meters

Email: smart@sse.com

 

[Ronski]

We're having smart gas and electric meters fitted mid November, they use the mobile network to report back.

Doesn't bother me in the slightest, will save me from reading the meters and we even get  a new gadget to monitor usage.

They also open up the possibility to have cheaper electricity overnight,  like economy 7 but far more flexible, as the supplier will know exactly what you are using and when. I think they phone back every half hour. I'll be sure to monitor things like broadband and Wi-Fi,  but considering we have five mobiles in the house can't see it making any difference.

[sevenlayermuddle]

Unless anything has changed in the past few years, check out the reverse side of the letter for some nearly invisible grey on white print, that reads something like...

"By accepting a smart meter, you are deemed to be agreeing to a change in the T&C of supply such that we may disconnect your supply remotely without your consent." 

Not an exact quote as I no longer have the letter to hand.   But you must ask yourself why they should want to be granted that additional empowerment.

Still, as long as it is one of our big energy companies in control, one of those pillars of society, we can have absolute confidence in their competence.  And that they would never dream of doing anything detrimental to their customers.   

[c6em]

That in my opinion the real long terms aim of smart meters - real time tariffs and real time monitoring.
So the tariff will change during the day and if you want to use a lot of whatever at a peak time - then you will have to pay a lot for it.
At the moment everything about energy is size for meeting the peak - if we as a country could even out usage over the day it would help hugely.

[Chrysalis]

yeah as far as I am aware it is not law (yet) to have a smart meter.

c6em it also ends estimated bills, I guess is a fair amount of estimated bills below usage and people conveniently arent in when the meter guy knocks

[kitz]

Im bad..  I ignore things like that..  just as I ignore the automated phone calls for me to go read my meter... I put the phone down and wait until they send the little man round.
My meters are all external.. and it keeps someone in a job

[Ronski]

Unless anything has changed in the past few years, check out the reverse side of the letter for some nearly invisible grey on white print, that reads something like...

"By accepting a smart meter, you are deemed to be agreeing to a change in the T&C of supply such that we may disconnect your supply remotely without your consent." 

Not an exact quote as I no longer have the letter to hand.   But you must ask yourself why they should want to be granted that additional empowerment.

Still, as long as it is one of our big energy companies in control, one of those pillars of society, we can have absolute confidence in their competence.  And that they would never dream of doing anything detrimental to their customers.   

Yes I do recollect reading something like that, and I presume it's for where people don't pay their bill, after all they wouldn't want to cut off the supply to someone who pays their bill, as they wouldn't make any money would they.

[Dray]

It gives the energy companies the ability to manage usage, say there's 10% bad boys using much more energy than everyone else then cutting them off will ease the load for the remaining 90%.

[sevenlayermuddle]

Yes I do recollect reading something like that, and I presume it's for where people don't pay their bill, after all they wouldn't want to cut off the supply to someone who pays their bill, as they wouldn't make any money would they.

They have always had right to remove supply for non payment.   With Smart Meters, it seems they want to be able to disconnect at their discretion, even for paid up customers, whenever they like.  Why?

My own best guess is that they want to be able to cope with critical shortages of supply - not by eliminating the shortages - but by providing incentives for 'essential' services such as hospitals, whatever, to pay more to the energy companies in return for continuity of supply.   That is a lot more profitable than simply increasing  capacity, even if a few dozen people die in hospitals that can't afford the extra,  or a few hundred freeze in their homes.

But surely nobody would get away with that in this day and age?  Well maybe, but remember, we are dealing with the big energy companies here.  All bets are off, then.

[kitz]

Did anyone see that BBC documentary a few months ago about United Utilities?   I didnt catch all of the series, but it was quite eye opening to see some of the things they had to cope with..  including playing cat and mouse game trying to cut off a business that owed them many thousands of pounds.

[sevenlayermuddle]

Did anyone see that BBC documentary a few months ago about United Utilities?   I didnt catch all of the series, but it was quite eye opening to see some of the things they had to cope with..  including playing cat and mouse game trying to cut off a business that owed them many thousands of pounds.

No sorry.

But I shall keep an eye out for it, might  would do me good to soften my bias against the big energy suppliers.