Smart Meters

[Gemini]

Do you have one? What are your thoughts?
We are having one fitted next week.

[Qwerty]

We have had one a few years I'll be honest I never look at it, when we first got it it was on view in the kitchen and as soon as you went to amber and it might only be the kettle on and the washer, immediately I got this panic of using too much energy but the washer had to be on as well as the kettle at that time, and If washer and dryer were on at the same time it glowed red. Drove me mad I know the idea is it to cut back on energy and maybe change the way we use our appliances but it doesn't work for me my life can't run round an energy meter. It's the same with gas when it's very cold the heating goes up as does the smart meter but if its cold it's cold drove me mad it's in the pantry now out of sight!!!!!! Good luck Gem, you may be able to work with it, we try In our own way to cut back turn the thermostat down save water etc bills seem ok

[Oma]

My DD was the same Qwerty her's is in a cupboard , she said she couldn't look at it anymore

[Gemini]

We will probably do the same!
We didn't ask to have it, it was the energy suppliers recommendation. I think every home will have one eventually.

[Mimi]

Not getting one until I am blackmailed into it
. Rumours are that in the near future lower tariffs will only be offered to customers who agree to have a smart meter !

[Shemadee]

We nearly had one but the fitter didn't show up. Frustrating as we waited in for the whole day. We've now decided not to bother as OH checked and it is not a legal requirement though the company had given the impression it was.. We are fairly careful with our usage but, as Qwerty says, if it is cold then it has to go on and if we want to eat then the cooker goes on etc.

[Plantaholic]

No I don't have one, will if SIL recommends It.

[ZIZI]

We will probably do the same!
We didn't ask to have it, it was the energy suppliers recommendation. I think every home will have one eventually.

There have been articles in the papers recently about these. You are not obliged to Have a smart meter whatever your supplier says. The papers I have read and on line reports say that most utility companies do not work together so if you switch you are unlikely to get an accurate reading, there were also fears that your supplier can monitor your usage and put prices up at the time you are using most energy. Not sure that that isn’t being a bit paranoid but just reporting what I have read.

For us I have said we will not have one, our bills are very low anyway as we have very good roof insulation, triple glazed windows and neighbour downstairs has her heating on full blast as soon as it turns the slightest bit cold so we benefit from that. Plus we have a new central heating/water boiler which is as energy efficient as you can get. Both our gas and electric companies questioned our home readings saying they were not what they expected (too low) but they were accurate. Didn’t stop the electric company trying to put the DD up by £20 a month which I refused to allow which I was right about As we have just had a bill and we are still £169 in credit.

Having said all that that we asked for a water meter some years ago because our bills were quite high and I felt a bit aggrieved that the tenants in one of the flats had three young children, constantly watered their garden and cleaned their two cars and had one of those framed swimming pool in their garden. I felt it wrong I should be paying the same price as them. Our water bill went down from £21 a month to £9 per month (recently increased to £10.30).

[Nanto2girls]

We haven't got a smart meter,and i don't think we will bother with one, unless we are forced to.

Speaking of water meters as ZIZI was. We had one put in a few years ago,
and our bills went down by half. I still use the water as i did before the meter was fitted.

[Enfys]

We were going to have a smart meter but changed our mind after we discovered that if you changed suppliers it probably wouldn't work. I don't really see the point of them. We did however have a water meter put in earlier in the year and I can't believe the savings we have made.

[Nana]

My OH said he'd arranged for one to be fitted end of November. So unlike him as we normally discuss things & decide together. He also said he thinks everyone wiil have one eventually. I don't even know what one is😲

[Oma]

Nana they say by 2020 everyone will have one I'm not sure I want one

[Daisy]

We're definitely not going to have one. I don't want to give OH any ammunition to turn the heating down when it's arctic outside but the meter is reproaching us with a red light - or whatever it does. That's slightly tongue in cheek, but the fact that there's no guarantee a smart meter from one supplier will work with a different supplier puts me right off. We want to be able to change suppliers as often as needed to get a decent price.

I hesitated about getting a water meter, because I thought the water company would increase the price of metered water as soon as they'd got enough people on meters to make it worth the customers' anger. But eventually I gave in, and like others have said, our water bills have more than halved. I thought I might get paranoid about every drop of water we use, but I haven't, thank goodness. I still use the hosepipe and fill the watering cans from the tap if it's more convenient than the water butt, etc.

[Plantaholic]

I had a message left on my phone today asking if they could inform me of the benefits of a smart meter. My meter is on a wall outside, I certainly can't keep an eye on my usage.

[Glammanana]

We don't have one and do not see us asking for one in the near future as we have very low bills and watch our consumption,now we have really downsized we only have to use the washing machine maximum 3 times a week and we no longer have a dishwasher (hubby been promoted).We are the same as everyone else with regard to our water bills they are really good compared to when we had the big house our monthly bill for water is £10.50,do you remember years ago when your water rates used to be worked out on the rateable value of your house you would have a small 2 bed and a large 6 bed house in the same area both paying the same amount similar to what Zizi was saying re her neighbours.