Are Smart meters compulsory?

[DrFfybes]

We have just switched to Eon.

A letter arrived last week which states..
"Your electricity and gas meters are old models that we need to replace with free self-reading smart meters".
followed further down by#"We have an obligation to install smart meters for our customers as part of a government led nationwide upgrade programme".

Both of these statements suggest this is now a compulsory requirement.

Has something changed and I missed it, or are Eon being somewhat disingenuous?

thanks

Paul

[Alaric]

Has something changed and I missed it, or are Eon being somewhat disingenuous?

As far as I am aware it is not a compulsory requirement. Indeed if you are considering switching suppliers, it adds to the complexity as the current meters are supplier specific.

[DrFfybes]

Has something changed and I missed it, or are Eon being somewhat disingenuous?

As far as I am aware it is not a compulsory requirement. Indeed if you are considering switching suppliers, it adds to the complexity as the current meters are supplier specific.

That was my understanding. I suspect Eon are being very misleading with their terminology.

Paul

[chas49]

Here's a link to a story from 2017 where EON were apparently telling people they had to have a smart meter:

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/bills-and-u ... ompulsory/

Energy companies appear to be telling their customers that installing a smart meter is compulsory, despite the Government abandoning its plan to have one in every home within three years.

While it had been official policy that every home in the country would have a smart meter by 2020, the Queen’s Speech subtly downgraded this requirement to every home being “offered” a smart meter – meaning that they are no longer compulsory.

[...]

E.On, the energy giant, has written to customers to tell them that old meters are being “phased out” and suggesting that they must have a smart meter installed. A call centre worker also told a customer that the Government would soon be making smart meters mandatory – an incorrect claim.

[...]
When Telegraph Money asked if the company was “phasing out” old meters, we were told: “As and when traditional meters come up for replacement, we seek to replace them with smart meters. But it is not compulsory for customers to have smart meters fitted.”

and a slightly later one from 2017 as well pointing out that it's not compulsory as such:

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/consu ... art-meter/

Extract:

The Government had originally said that every household would be set up with a smart meter by 2020 - and nearly seven million have been installed so far - but in June the Government subtly downgraded this requirement. Now every home will be "offered" a smart meter by 2020, with no obligation to take one.

[UncleEbenezer]

Has something changed and I missed it, or are Eon being somewhat disingenuous?

As far as I am aware it is not a compulsory requirement. Indeed if you are considering switching suppliers, it adds to the complexity as the current meters are supplier specific.

It might be part of Eon's conditions the OP signed up to when switching.
The quoted statements from Eon are true: they (the supplier) are under an obligation (from government) to hit some ambitious targets. That's a requirement on suppliers, not customers. And it's basically an impossible requirement, because too many customers are resisting.

Meters being supplier specific is misleading. It happened in the UK because (here alone) we have a market and regulatory framework that often stood in the way of interoperability. I believe those problems are indeed unique to Blighty. And I think (but couldn't say for certain) it's basically historic, and affects old rather than new smart meters.

Your decision of course. Informed choice is good, but not so useful if the information is outdated!

[Slarti]

"We have an obligation to install smart meters for our customers as part of a government led nationwide upgrade programme"l

They have an obligation to install them, where possible, but you are under no obligation to accept them, unless your meter is so old that it would need swapping out, even if smart meters had never been an idea.

Slarti

[dionaeamuscipula]

I recently (ie in the last month) had a call from my supplier asking to set an appointment for them to install a smart meter.

I told them I didn't want one and they were fine with that.

DM

[Maroochydore]

to replace with free self-reading smart meters

The ASA has now banned Smart Energy GB from claiming in advertising that the meters are free. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/1 ... g-devices/
This is because the cost of £200 per household is being recovered through higher prices (whether you want a smart meter or not).

[swill453]

The ASA has now banned Smart Energy GB from claiming in advertising that the meters are free.

Well the letter I just received from e.on says "Your electricity and gas meters are old models that we need to replace with free self-reading smart meters."

Scott.

[jackdaww]

The ASA has now banned Smart Energy GB from claiming in advertising that the meters are free.

Well the letter I just received from e.on says "Your electricity and gas meters are old models that we need to replace with free self-reading smart meters."

Scott.

====================

its not compulsory , thats the usual pack of lies.

if your existing meters, no matter how old , are working ok , and they will be, hold on to them .

dont let these people into your house.

when these people persist , it because its in their interest , not yours.

[Lootman]

The ASA has now banned Smart Energy GB from claiming in advertising that the meters are free.

Well the letter I just received from e.on says "Your electricity and gas meters are old models that we need to replace with free self-reading smart meters."

Rather snide wording there. Whilst I feel sure that the supplier feels some kind of "need" to replace old meters that have to be manually read with a smart meter that can be read remotely, that does not mean that you are under any "need", obligation or mandate to go along with them. Notice that they stopped short of stating that they are required by law to replace your meter because, of course, they are not. It's purely for their benefit.

As a practical matter they cannot enter your property unless you permit them. The doubly snide thing for them to do would be to try and charge you more for not taking a new meter. Instead they should offer a discount if you switch.

The old meters suit me because it means a lot of estimated bills that are invariably under-estimates.

[swill453]

if your existing meters, no matter how old , are working ok , and they will be, hold on to them .

dont let these people into your house.

I may want smart meters, you know...

Scott.

[jackdaww]

if your existing meters, no matter how old , are working ok , and they will be, hold on to them .

dont let these people into your house.

I may want smart meters, you know...

Scott.

yes, there may be advantages of course, i am habitually deeply suspicious.

as it stands i understand there are compatibility issues between suppliers.

so it may be better to wait a while until things stabilise.

[Watis]

if your existing meters, no matter how old , are working ok , and they will be, hold on to them .

dont let these people into your house.

I may want smart meters, you know...

Scott.

Maybe you do, Scott, but you may also want to wait until you can get a second generation SMETS2 meter.

Here's why: https://bulb.co.uk/blog/were-bringing-y ... -heres-why

And: https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/sh ... ?t=5779396

The Government and the energy companies, when touting the benefits of smart meters, forget to mention that they will enable the amount we're charged for each unit of energy we use to be increased at times of peak demand.

More info: http://paullewismoney.blogspot.com/2015 ... b.html?m=1

HTH,

Watis

[jfgw]

Big Clive pulled one apart:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G32NYQpvy8Q

If you are a shady customer, bear in mind the following:

If you remove any of the covers, it will 'phone home.
If you put a big magnet near it, it will 'phone home.
Your power can be cut off by someone sitting behind a computer screen at your supplier's head office.

Julian F. G. W.

[Lootman]

If you put a big magnet near it, it will 'phone home.

Ha, you reminded me of a student moment. One of the guys in our house was an electrical engineering student. He set up our meter so that it went forwards 2/3 of the time and backwards the other 1/3 of the time, using some kind of magnet.

No wonder the suppliers want smart meters. And the rest of us prefer dumb ones.

[pompeygazza]

personally, i refused one as the technology still doesn't work properly (mates an installer, lots of call backs as they can't be read remotely).

Also, i think its a bit cheeky that the elec companies are installing a device which will use more electricity.

[newlyretired]

Also, i think its a bit cheeky that the elec companies are installing a device which will use more electricity.

...well they could power them from the unmetered side of the meter

newlyretired

[paullidd]

I recently helped my mother in law switch energy suppliers - the smart meters she'd previously had fitted couldn't be read remotely for the final bill!
subsequently they became dumb meters for the new supplier. They give out a plethora of different information on tiny screen that changes after a few seconds - the only successful way to get the reading was to photograph the screens with my phone, not something I think she could have done easily.

By contast:-

Smart meter cost ~£200 life expectancy 10 years
Old dumb meter cost ~£50 life expectancy 50 years.

[chas49]

Also, i think its a bit cheeky that the elec companies are installing a device which will use more electricity.

...well they could power them from the unmetered side of the meter

newlyretired

According to this article ( https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/exp ... t-run.html ), the meter itself doesn't use your electricity. The in-home display uses about 1kWh in a year, so about £1 cost. It is a cots, but hardly noticeable I think.

And I don't think you actually need the in-home display to "benefit" from smart metering....