Smart Meters

[wheypat]

My students let is now empty, they have flown away for the summer. I went round yesterday to read the meters, only to discover that a smart meter has been fitted. In order to read the ******** thing I had to phone up customer support as I couldn't find the readings anywhere. Nor could the letting agent who was with me. NPower's website didn't help, the house has a different model than the one described on the website.

Customer support couldn't help, they stopped just short of calling me a liar when I described the model ("That's not one of our's sir" - well it's got you companies name printed on it).

Anyway, the let is empty so I decided to save some energy and I've unplugged it.

[scotia]

A few years ago, I responded to promptings from our electricity supplier and agreed to have a smart meter fitted. The fitter arrived, told us to switch off every electrical apparatus in the house, then disappeared into the cupboard where the meter is installed, and quickly re-appeared, pronouncing that there was no Vodafone Signal. This I already knew, and could have saved the fitter a visit if only our supplier had told us that they would need a Vodafone signal. I believe Vodafone have now improved their coverage, but I haven't bothered to try again.

[bungeejumper]

then disappeared into the cupboard where the meter is installed, and quickly re-appeared, pronouncing that there was no Vodafone Signal. This I already knew, and could have saved the fitter a visit if only our supplier had told us that they would need a Vodafone signal.

Same experience here, a couple of years ago. The supplier phoned up out of the blue to tell us that they were arriving next Wednesday to fit smart meters to the whole street, so could we please arrange for somebody to be at home?

Good luck with that one, I said, there's no mobile signal in this street. (It needs to be 3G at least, and we haven't even got a reliable 2G.) Oh dear, they said, we hadn't thought of that. And that was the end of that.

Fellow Fools have since advised me that the need for a mobile signal will soon be a thing of the past. And that you will no longer need to get a new smart meter installed every time you change your electricity supplier. (We are on our fourth supplier in five years.) And that pigs will be seen flying in formation across the moon, very very soon. You heard it here first.

BJ

[AleisterCrowley]

A few years ago, I responded to promptings from our electricity supplier and agreed to have a smart meter fitted. The fitter arrived, told us to switch off every electrical apparatus in the house, then disappeared into the cupboard where the meter is installed, and quickly re-appeared, pronouncing that there was no Vodafone Signal. This I already knew, and could have saved the fitter a visit if only our supplier had told us that they would need a Vodafone signal. I believe Vodafone have now improved their coverage, but I haven't bothered to try again.

Very odd, as the Smart Meter infrastructure is Arqiva in the North (and O2 in the south)
[edit] The mobile signal is backed up with a mesh radio system in certain areas so data can hop between hubs until it gets to a unit with mobile coverage

[JMN2]

Eon is trying to flog off smart meters again, I wonder if they are now 2nd generation ones...

[Slarti]

Eon is trying to flog off smart meters again, I wonder if they are now 2nd generation ones...

Not due on the market until October at the earliest, I read somewhere.


So they are probably trying to shot of their old stock

Slarti

[JMN2]

Eon is trying to flog off smart meters again, I wonder if they are now 2nd generation ones...

Not due on the market until October at the earliest, I read somewhere.


So they are probably trying to shot of their old stock

Slarti

Thanks, good to know. They went very quiet last year when I said I was only interested in a 2nd gen one.

[wheypat]

And, and, yesterday I got a letter from nPower. Asking for a fecking meter reading on the day they moved out. I've written on the letter "You fitted a smart meter, you know when they moved out. Have you considered looking at the smart meter reading?"

I probably won't post that back, but I strongly feel like I should.

[bungeejumper]

And, and, yesterday I got a letter from nPower. Asking for a fecking meter reading on the day they moved out. I've written on the letter "You fitted a smart meter, you know when they moved out. Have you considered looking at the smart meter reading?"

In a similar vein, the wife/girlfriend once got a £12,000 bill (or some such ludicrous number) from British Gas at her former house, and when we checked it BG were adamant that there had been no error and that she owed the money.

It didn't take us too long to figure out the reason. BG had changed her gas meter, which was close to going round the clock, and they had subtracted the last-recorded reading on the old meter from the reading on the new meter and come up with a fantastically huge figure, and then demanded the money. We pointed this out to them and suggested that they checked the closing reading on the old meter so that they could figure out how much gas had been used on the old meter and then how much on the new.

There was just one problem. "We don't have the old meter any more," BG told us. "The fitters threw it in the skip on their way home, and they forgot to record the closing reading." "Oh, and by the way, you might still get a few more threats from our computer demanding the £12,000. Just ignore them, will you? We'll sort it out with the bailiffs."

We cut a compromise based on our (highly conservative ) estimate of actual consumption, and then BG awarded us some compensation which sweetened the deal even further. It's an ill wind.

BJ

[scotia]

Vodafone having substantially improved their network coverage in our area, I tried again for an Electricity Smart Meter from Scottish Power, and bingo - this time it worked.
But today (one month after installation), my monthly Direct Debit payment was £1646, instead of the regular £67. So my thoughts were that Scottish Power had not used the final (mechanical) meter reading, and had just assumed that the 5 digit number had overflowed to all zeros - then their "clever" software had recalculated what my monthly bill should be, and had concluded that it was £1646 rather than £67. However it was not clever enough to realise that there was clearly a problem. So I telephoned - and put on a long queue, then finally gave up and requested a call back. On the call back, the customer service was very polite, and instantly agreed that there was a problem. They checked - the final reading was in-place, and a further check showed that I was currently in-credit, so there was no apparent reason for the bill. They reset the Direct Debit amount to £67, and I was advised to contact the bank, which I did, and cancel today's Direct Debit payment, but also request that the Direct Debit should continue.
I'll keep a close look at all ramifications.
It looks like one part of their software is not updating correctly from another part of their software.
(I have edited my poor grammar)

[Slarti]

Vodafone having substantially improved their network coverage in our area, I tried again for an Electricity Smart Meter from Scottish Power, and bingo - this time it worked.
But today (one month after installation), my monthly Direct Debit payment was £1646, instead of the regular £67. So my thoughts were that Scottish Power had not used the final (mechanical) meter reading, and had just assumed that the 5 digit number had overflowed to all zeros - then their "clever" software had recalculated what my monthly bill should be, and had concluded that it was £1646 rather than £67. However it was not clever enough to realise that there was clearly a problem. So I telephoned - and put on a long queue, then finally gave up and requested a call back. On the call back, the customer service was very polite, and instantly agreed that there was a problem. They checked - the final reading was in-place, and a further check showed that I was currently in-credit, so there was no apparent reason for the bill. They reset the Direct Debit amount to £67, and I was advised to contact the bank, which I did, and cancel today's Direct Debit payment, but also request that the Direct Debit should continue.
I'll keep a close look at all ramifications.
It looks like one part of their software is not updating correctly from another part of their software.
(I have edited my poor grammar)

You do realise that if you change supplier from Scottish Power you will almost certainly no longer have a smart meter?

Should have waited for the 2nd generation ones to come out in October that are supposed to work with all suppliers.

Slarti

[scotia]

Should have waited for the 2nd generation ones to come out in October that are supposed to work with all suppliers.

I didn't know that - but since I am highly unlikely to change my supplier, it doesn't matter.
I'm one of the older generation who have enough sense to realise that chopping and changing suppliers cannot possibly reduce the overall cost of supplying fuel - indeed it is bound to increase the cost with all the extra manpower required to make billing changes. And I become an increasingly grumpy Old Lemon when I see those adverts on TV telling me how easy it is to switch - when I realise that the costs of those adverts are a further overhead on the actual fuel cost.
And since I'm in a grumpy mood - I'll also complain about the incompetent software designers who did not have a simple trap in place to catch a bill which increased in one month from £67 to £1646.

[taken2often]

Although the scheme is promoted as a benefit to the customer. I understand the true purpose to be charging according to time of day and load.
So the meter should tell you when to switch everything off. Just when you need it. This will help the erratic wind farm and solar suppliers who will not be able to keep up with the demand.So long term we may have to buy our own fuel cell or storage units to cover the peaks.

[UncleEbenezer]

And since I'm in a grumpy mood - I'll also complain about the incompetent software designers who did not have a simple trap in place to catch a bill which increased in one month from £67 to £1646.

You might want to check on the folks renting your loft

[gryffron]

Although the scheme is promoted as a benefit to the customer. I understand the true purpose to be charging according to time of day and load.

Suppliers have long been charged according to demand at the time of day/year. I think it is inevitable that sooner or later they are going to charge domestic customers accordingly. As you say, the only way the whole renewables thing can be made to work is if they can encourage us to charge our electric cars off peak at 3am rather than 6pm when it is most convenient.

Gryff

[scotia]

You might want to check on the folks renting your loft

Unlikely to be much of a market up here for the weed which you appear to be implying may be growing above me. Our yobs go for the brew as recommended by the monks of Buckfast Abbey - somewhere down your way.

[UncleEbenezer]

You might want to check on the folks renting your loft

Unlikely to be much of a market up here for the weed which you appear to be implying may be growing above me. Our yobs go for the brew as recommended by the monks of Buckfast Abbey - somewhere down your way.

Touché! Well played Jock.

That abbey is a strange place, where strange things happen. Some years back a choir I was in had a paid event there, where we provided accompaniment to some faux-mediæval chivalric ceremony with real swords - though disappointingly all in English (except of course the music). Recently it's been refurbished and become a lovely venue for a regular (smaller) concert, with an acoustic to die for and an organ that's pure pleasure either to sing with or just listen to.

[chas49]

faux-mediæval

First time I've noticed someone posting a word with a diphthong like that. Thumbs up for the dedication/pedantry

[MrCPFG]

I've been getting bi-weekly texts and emails from my energy supplier telling me to get in touch to arrange for my smart meter to be fitted.

I even had two texts three hours apart. I've yet to respond.

How will they save me money?

[PinkDalek]

How will they save me money?

Here's an answer that was prepared earlier:

viewtopic.php?f=9&t=12958

Do keep up.