FabSwingers.com forum: Smart meters

By *lacksausage OP Man
over a year ago

Birmingham Airport

When an energy company fits a smart meter in your home, who really benefits?

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

As far as I'm aware .....

So long as there is no penalty charge if at any time you decided to switch energy providers for a better deal...

I think they are a good thing ....

I'm not sure if they result in higher bills lower quarterly bills which depend on usage which don't suit some people ...... I know some people prefer paying a quarterly average usage charge...

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By *ophieslutTV/TS
over a year ago

Central

I think the energy companies have benefited most from them. I'm not rushing to get one. As many were fitted but weren't compatible with a different provider, they seemed like the wrong solution to our competitive market and probably rushed in too soon.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"I think the energy companies have benefited most from them. I'm not rushing to get one. As many were fitted but weren't compatible with a different provider, they seemed like the wrong solution to our competitive market and probably rushed in too soon."

That seems the issue to me. It seems like an company driven solutions to stop those who frequently change providers to keep costs low.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

[Removed by poster at 01/10/17 08:20:03]

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"For some reason I can't put my finger on I don't want one of these, my provider keeps trying to get me to have one but so far managed to refuse. I have my meter and I have an app I can enter readings as often as I like and I'm happy with that. "

Autocarrot fixed

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By *lacksausage OP Man
over a year ago

Birmingham Airport

I recently agreed to have one fixed but I am regretting it already!

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

We’re constantly getting calls from our provider to get one installed but telling them no thanks, happy with the current arrangement

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

We had one fitted a few months ago and have saved money since. Was good for us!

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"When an energy company fits a smart meter in your home, who really benefits?"

Its a moronic decision by a half brained government body. At the end of the day changing all these meters will cost umpteen millions/billions, and every household will foot the bill.

You only save money if you reduce your consumption and/or get on a competitive tariff.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Saved a lot of money having one fitted but I'm not tied down on a fixed contract

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

If they were a cheaper tariff, and always cheaper they would work. Their selling point, I believe, is you keep an eye on what you're using and change your lifestyle to fit to the cheaper times of day. Or, turn your heating down when you see the charges clocking up.

Our gas bill last year was £943, we could benefit from someone coming in and turning our heating off at night, when my son turns it up and falls asleep.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"When an energy company fits a smart meter in your home, who really benefits?

Its a moronic decision by a half brained government body. At the end of the day changing all these meters will cost umpteen millions/billions, and every household will foot the bill.

You only save money if you reduce your consumption and/or get on a competitive tariff."

I feel it's to make people use less energy, but the companies won't want falling profits. I'm concerned that bills will go down but we will be paying more per unit of energy. It's like Mars bar prices staying the same, but getting smaller.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"We had one fitted a few months ago and have saved money since. Was good for us! "

Can you come back this time and let us know how much you saved please?

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By *lacksausage OP Man
over a year ago

Birmingham Airport

"I recently agreed to have one fixed but I am regretting it already!"

Initially, I thought they were going to remove the old meter and replace it with a new one. Instead they placed a tiny gadget roughly the size of a sat nav next to the existing meter.

And the damn thing needs electricity to work! So by my reckoning, I pay extra to keep the smart meter running.

There are about 20 points of use in the whole household and it costs about 40 quid. So the smart meter which runs non stop on electric, surely would be costing around 2 pounds a month. Totalling 24 pounds a year! So in short, we pay 24 pounds a year to make life easier for the energy company.

The bloke who comes round to check the old meter is out of a job. The energy company will save that money.

The carbon footprint of an extra gadget is another dimension if you think green.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

I too kept being pushed by my provider and phoned the company fitting them.

I asked if they were compatible with other companies should I change provider and if not what happens to them? The answer I got was that the current generation of meters are only compatible with your current provider. If you change they just go back to being a meter rather than a smart meter.

So I declined, telling them I would wait for the new generation when they become available. They replied they would take me off their list and not heard anything since.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"Saved a lot of money having one fitted but I'm not tied down on a fixed contract"

How have you saved money having one fitted ?

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Have a look on the Web at BBC Moneybox " How smart are smart meters ".

A few shockers on there and certainly made us decide not to have one.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

The selling point for the customer is you can monitor your electricity usage easier which will help you save money.

The big idea behind them is that the electricity network providers are moving towards smart networks. Years ago it was easy electricity was generated at power stations and sent out to houses, now people have solar panels, wind turbines etc etc and it's not as simple.

The smart meters help network providers monitor usage, load and stress on the network, it also allows them to track faults before they may occur and pinpoint them easier when do happen.

They don't cost the customer any more, they are either a whole new meter fitted or an additional unit that is fitted and tailed out before your meter so running on free electricity in effect.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"We had one fitted a few months ago and have saved money since. Was good for us!

Can you come back this time and let us know how much you saved please? "

We've saved £30 a month since having one fitted.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

I had one fitted 4 weeks ago. I've had nothing but trouble with it. It so far has turned it's self off three time leaving me in the dark. I've been on the phone to them countless times and each time I call they tell me that they don't know what's wrong with it. They said they can swap it for another one but not till November as they are to busy. Nightmare..

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

I'd still use my tumble drier wether there's a red light flashing at me or not!

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By *eavenNhellCouple
over a year ago

carrbrook stalybridge

thing is with smart meters is just like your iphone etc they can be re programmed with " updates " at any time and who do you think those updates are ging to benefit in the future especialy with the problems and costs of generating electricity that re not being dealt with . increasing demand with decreasing generating ability will only go one way with us the consumer being on the end of things . first thing that will come in is differential pricing at peak times if they can moniter it they can charge for it and just wait till everybody has there shiney new electric car on charge overnight for the rates to rise there cynical me .........?

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By *lacksausage OP Man
over a year ago

Birmingham Airport

"We had one fitted a few months ago and have saved money since. Was good for us!

Can you come back this time and let us know how much you saved please?

We've saved £30 a month since having one fitted. "

Brilliant! Can you tell me how though. I suspect if you saved money, it must have been via will power and not the gadget per se. Well, unless it flags up whatever is on standby or indicates an empty room with lights on etc.

I am struggling here; please enlighten me.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"Saved a lot of money having one fitted but I'm not tied down on a fixed contract

How have you saved money having one fitted ?"

More conscious of what's being used as you get a screen showing how much power you are using and what's it's costing you

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"We had one fitted a few months ago and have saved money since. Was good for us!

Can you come back this time and let us know how much you saved please? "

And how you saved it by just having a smart meter.

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By *lacksausage OP Man
over a year ago

Birmingham Airport

"We had one fitted a few months ago and have saved money since. Was good for us!

Can you come back this time and let us know how much you saved please?

And how you saved it by just having a smart meter."

Here here. I am dying to know.

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By *amissCouple
over a year ago

chelmsford

We were going to have one and they didn't turn up to install it, so I cancelled it. One thing that did bother me , was that they could see what you were using and so would know when you were away on holiday and the house empty. Having been burgled before, it did worry me!

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By *rbean69Man
over a year ago

Stroud

I kept getting texts about having a smart meter, then a 'phone call. When I gave the caller a polite bollocking, the pestering stopped.

I cannot see how it will save money. Perhaps someone can enlighten me. The utility company certainly couldn't. Their letter listed supposed advantages, I couldn;t see how I would benefit.

"I am freezing cold, I will put the heating on. Oh no, it will cost me £XYZ. I will sit in the cold instead".

"Running a washing cycle will cost £ABC. Oh, I had better wear my clothes for longer. Why is everyone holding their nose when I am around?"

Incidentally, I am with First Utility who are usually the cheapest supplier. They have just reduced my monthly payment to £35 and refunded me £350. Admittedly my house is very energy efficient (rated 82). It is well worth shopping around energy suppliers.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

There's a huge giant hole in fraud costs.

Smart metering is a better way of watching for it!.... That's it in a nutshell

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By *lacksausage OP Man
over a year ago

Birmingham Airport

So, in short, who is going to really benefit from it?

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"So, in short, who is going to really benefit from it?"
.

Everybody

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Currently everybody pays for the billions stolen

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By *htcMan
over a year ago

don't really need one, unless you want to try to save, by cutting usage. it will only tell you what you using, might make some cut back but wont save anything unless you cut your usage. only a way to making them know what your using.

i get emails regularly asking to install one, dont want one, as no need, can still save by not having one, i had a £1300 refund over 2 1/2 years with out, we are just sensible with usage

if you with a provider which offer interest on your balance it does add up. now i moved house and this house is more efficient i am interested how much i can save since the bills for this house is way more, better to stay without and have a big refund than pay the exact each month.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

It will be law soon,

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"Saved a lot of money having one fitted but I'm not tied down on a fixed contract

How have you saved money having one fitted ?

More conscious of what's being used as you get a screen showing how much power you are using and what's it's costing you "

Oh is that all ! Im conscious of what im using anyway so a smart meter wont help me

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

We fit them in new build houses as standard, if you watched it every time you turned the kettle, toaster tumble dryer on. You would end up having a break down

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By *octor DeleriumMan
over a year ago

Wellingborough

Just a few points:

Fitting a smart meter may still require a manual reading as the fabric of the house may prevent the smart meter from being read.

Smart meters do not reduce your gas and electricity consumption; you have to do that and it's pretty simple in most cases, just turn things off/down when not in use.

Smart meters are generally incompatible between suppliers; i.e. not so smart.

The security protocols are invariably poor; look forward to having your supply hacked or disconnected.

Smart meters allow a supply to be killed remotely (assuming that the smart meter can be reached by the network).

If you want to monitor you power use, you can read your own meter or fit an off the shelf device that does not connect to the supplier.

In summary; ill-thought out by government, a huge waste of money that will be passed on to the consumer, has no benefit other than to reduce the costs for meter reading, poor security protocols and an ability to turn off your supply remotely.

Do I want one; absolutely not.

Dr Nasty

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By *ranny-CrumpetWoman
over a year ago

The Town by The Cross

I like mine.

If you don't want to pay the leccy to keep it running unplug it.

You don't stop getting gas or leccy because it's unplugged.

I pay NO more for gas or leccy than those without a meter and I get free power every saturday

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By *lowercandyWoman
over a year ago

Lancashire

"When an energy company fits a smart meter in your home, who really benefits?

Its a moronic decision by a half brained government body. At the end of the day changing all these meters will cost umpteen millions/billions, and every household will foot the bill.

You only save money if you reduce your consumption and/or get on a competitive tariff."

However when you cant really see your consumption how do you look to try to improve it?

The meters do allow you to really see what you spend and how items send it higher when you use them.

Isn't it good to have that information in a simple way?

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Someone came out to fit one on mine, thought it great as i wouldn't have to send meter readings in but they told me as i have solar panels they couldn't fit them

If its the same thing lol

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By *hianaWoman
over a year ago

Hereford

Iv e got a smart meter. It's great for me. My gas meter was under a cupboard , in a corner, very low to the floor. And because of mobility issues with my back it was painful to get to. I'm happy that I don't have to struggle to get to my meters to top up the pay as you go.

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By *est Wales WifeCouple
over a year ago

Near Carmarthen

"So, in short, who is going to really benefit from it?"

Now why would a government spend a fortune on a technology that has very little real benefit? We are already the most watched nation on earth? You got it.

The European Data Protection Supervisor back in 2012, warned that smart meters are a significant privacy threat.

The utility companies openly admit that they will share the information collected with third parties including the government. This means that information about when you are at home or away, what appliances you use, when and for how long can all be made available. This means that there are personal security issues. Even if you trusted the utility companies and the government with this information there have been repeated and highly publicised breaches of security by various parties and the system can be easily hacked for nefarious purposes by those with criminal intent.

In countries where ‘Smart’ Meters have already been introduced, the data gathered has been sold to third parties including the police, corporate marketing departments and insurance companies. This data will be used to better target advertising.

People in the UK may or may not already be aware that we are the most watched nation on earth, with more CCTV cameras than any other country in the world. We already know that all electronic communications are being monitored (emails, web traffic, telephone calls, etc) – and your ‘Smart’ Meter data (which reflects much more detail about your daily comings and goings as well as your energy usage profile) will significantly add to the amount of personal information being harvested about you.

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By *eavenNhellCouple
over a year ago

carrbrook stalybridge

"Someone came out to fit one on mine, thought it great as i wouldn't have to send meter readings in but they told me as i have solar panels they couldn't fit them

If its the same thing lol

"
we have solar panels and a smart meter so dont know where that comes from ?

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By *alandNitaCouple
over a year ago

Scunthorpe

"When an energy company fits a smart meter in your home, who really benefits?"

Surely the whole point of a Smart Meter is that YOU can see what energy you are using in real time. It is part of the initiative to reduce energy usage and therefore harmful emissions.

Where the Energy companies will benefit, is by not having to send someone to read your meter.

Cal

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By *ynecplCouple
over a year ago

Newcastle upon Tyne

We had smart meters fitted a few years ago and have no problems with them. They were fitted for free and my main reason for getting them was I was fed up of having to get everything out of the cupboard and crawling up on my hands and knees to read the meters every month.

I am sure the energy company benefit somewhere in the process but not sure where. They do provide us with plenty of information on our energy consumption which I am sure would help us use less if we could be bothered to look at it.

Apathy at its best

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By *lacksausage OP Man
over a year ago

Birmingham Airport

"We had smart meters fitted a few years ago and have no problems with them. They were fitted for free and my main reason for getting them was I was fed up of having to get everything out of the cupboard and crawling up on my hands and knees to read the meters every month.

Apathy at its best

Nothing wrong with going on your hands and feet if I'm behind you; depending on which of you wrote this

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

The company benefits as it's using your electric .

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By *alandNitaCouple
over a year ago

Scunthorpe

"The company benefits as it's using your electric .

I suspect that the new digital smart meters are much more efficient than the analogue motor driven ones that we're used too.

Cal

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

When I first got mine I was permanently watching it .....but I don't bother anymore

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"When I first got mine I was permanently watching it .....but I don't bother anymore "

I did then I unplugged it and it's in kitchen draw it's very effective .

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By *estless nativeMan
over a year ago

near Glasgow

"When an energy company fits a smart meter in your home, who really benefits?"

Smart meters are a tool, they can help you to reduce your consumption but only if you make changes to energy use habits.

The biggest energy reductions are likely to come from more accure data allowing better demand planning, whether savings from this are passed on to consumers will depend on ofgem having the cohones to enforce it on energy companys.

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By *estless nativeMan
over a year ago

near Glasgow

"Someone came out to fit one on mine, thought it great as i wouldn't have to send meter readings in but they told me as i have solar panels they couldn't fit them

If its the same thing lol

This was an issue previously, but a solution was implemented earlier this year.

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By *sGivesWoodWoman
over a year ago

ST. AUSTELL, CORNWALL

I'm on a prepaid meter so can't see the point of having one

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By *estless nativeMan
over a year ago

near Glasgow

Next generation of smart meters which will be compatable across supliers should come onto service early next year, government deadline for these is July 2018.

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By *sGivesWoodWoman
over a year ago

ST. AUSTELL, CORNWALL

Do we have to have one?

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By *estless nativeMan
over a year ago

near Glasgow

"Do we have to have one?"

No, and if anyone tells you otherwise they are either mistaken or telling fibs.

Most common mistake is that many people think the 2020 deadline for energy companys to offer smart meters to customers is a deadline for having them installed.

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By *oachman 9CoolMan
over a year ago

derby

"When an energy company fits a smart meter in your home, who really benefits?

Its a moronic decision by a half brained government body. At the end of the day changing all these meters will cost umpteen millions/billions, and every household will foot the bill.

You only save money if you reduce your consumption and/or get on a competitive tariff."
Agree the only difference with a smart meter is is that your energy company can take your Energy readings, for your convenience.

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By *oachman 9CoolMan
over a year ago

derby

"Do we have to have one?

No, and if anyone tells you otherwise they are either mistaken or telling fibs.

Most common mistake is that many people think the 2020 deadline for energy companys to offer smart meters to customers is a deadline for having them installed."
Yes I phoned mine and asked them this, but when your other meter "Analogue" needs changeing what happens then do you still have the options to have another "Analogue meter? and so on into the future..

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By *sGivesWoodWoman
over a year ago

ST. AUSTELL, CORNWALL

"Do we have to have one?

No, and if anyone tells you otherwise they are either mistaken or telling fibs.

Most common mistake is that many people think the 2020 deadline for energy companys to offer smart meters to customers is a deadline for having them installed.Yes I phoned mine and asked them this, but when your other meter "Analogue" needs changeing what happens then do you still have the options to have another "Analogue meter? and so on into the future.. "
thanks I may contact them to clarify x

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By *ustagentMan
over a year ago

wa14

there have been many problems with these meters ,not as smart as they think they are. build quality not great. as elec engineer i wont have one. you still use same elecy as you did before if you need washer on it still uses the same you just know how much! humbug

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By *ongtalljonMan
over a year ago

North Wales

I can work out if something uses a lot of energy by watching how fast the needles or digits spin on my standard meter.

I can save money by turning things off.

Simple

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By *sGivesWoodWoman
over a year ago

ST. AUSTELL, CORNWALL

"I can work out if something uses a lot of energy by watching how fast the needles or digits spin on my standard meter.

I can save money by turning things off.

Simple"

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"When an energy company fits a smart meter in your home, who really benefits?"
all I can say is if a company offers you something it usually benefits them you might save a little but I bet they make or save more,

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

As soon as you switch to a company that doesn't use them (that's most of them) they're a pain in the fucking arse.

My advice is not to bother. Until all companies adopt them they're not worth it.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

im not bothered about getting one - im not a large power user - just had summer quarter gas and leccy bill and its £94 - so less than a tenner a month for both

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By *erry bull1Man
over a year ago

doncaster

I recently had solar panels fitted and was advised by the fitting not to have a smart meter even though my power provider insisted I should have one ,

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By *oachman 9CoolMan
over a year ago

derby

"im not bothered about getting one - im not a large power user - just had summer quarter gas and leccy bill and its £94 - so less than a tenner a month for both "
Well If you can manage on that it is has good as it will ever be now, more like 1970,s prices.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

I think the idea is that if you can see what you are using, you can identify areas that you can save on.

Theoretically if meters don't need reading energy be suppliers don't need to employ meter readers, and the savings are passed on to consumers, in reality they're not though.

The big win for the energy suppliers is that you can't change suppliers without changing the meter.

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