Dumb meter, dumb company

[Murox]

Resisted it for years but now we have a plug in hybrid car its worth having just to get the reduced rate electric.

Something to check out - I spoke with the engineer who fitted mine about EV charging....he cautioned that many home charging setups and smart meters prioritise the charger unit when it's operational... meaning if you are not 3phase and most folks are not, there a strong probability in the average busy family home that various appliances will simply not work at the same time when using the EV charger as it can cause overload on standard circuitry.

 

[The Poot]

I received an email from Octopus.
Firstly, I absolutely hate the term “thank you for reaching out”
The first paragraph assured me I can continue with my existing meter.
The next seven try to sell me a smart meter.
After that there’s an explanation how I might well be forced into having one - should my existing meter become faulty….
I don’t feel assured that GCHQ keeps them safe from hacking, as hacking is what they do!
It’s quite clear that soon we will all be smarty pants and the current benefits of being so will be withdrawn, as the green energy supply can’t cope with demand.
Our last coal fired power station has been shut down this week, but Ed reckons all will be well. He’s such an astute intellectual that I will worry no more.
Here’s the email….

 

[Murox]

I received an email from Octopus.
Firstly, I absolutely hate the term “thank you for reaching out”
The first paragraph assured me I can continue with my existing meter.
The next seven try to sell me a smart meter.
After that there’s an explanation how I might well be forced into having one - should my existing meter become faulty….
I don’t feel assured that GCHQ keeps them safe from hacking, as hacking is what they do!
It’s quite clear that soon we will all be smarty pants and the current benefits of being so will be withdrawn, as the green energy supply can’t cope with demand.
Our last coal fired power station has been shut down this week, but Ed reckons all will be well. He’s such an astute intellectual that I will worry no more.
Here’s the email….
View attachment 41365

Some cold comfort for you...Scotland can produce and does produce huge quantities of wind powered electric, the main issue in getting to you guys down south via the grid is the lack of simple infrastructure and the lack of will to put it in place.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

We have a mark 1 Smart Meter - electricity only. When we changed suppliers two years after installation,it stopped working.

Despite suppliers repeatedly denying it neither would or could be used to control your own electricity usage by switching you off, this is downright wrong and clear lies.
It is part of the move to upgrade the National Grid - for the 35% growth in energy demand with EVs and heat pumps### - it will be essential to regulate demand and one official document states they will use Smart Meters to do so.

And EDF switched my brother off for weeks - whilst he was away - due to their own billing incompetence They switch you to a Pay as You Go payment system, you then have no credit because you don't know anything abut it, so they switch off your power. All legitimate under the rules.

## To meet that demand with renewable energy many more windfarms are needed.To connect to the Grid, the most economic method is pylons. Now pylons are controversial and planning is often delayed due to objections. The Government is basically going to limit planning objections to speed up the system - which will be hugely unpopular.

As for the back up mini nucs due to be start being installed by 2030, NO orders have been placed, NO UK Approved prototype is running and the chances of 2035 startup - let alone 2030 - look remote. Nuc lead times without hugely truncated planning timescales are 10 years plus from order.

It's a shambles. And we ARE being lied to,

Smart meters CAN be used to switch off your supply. They contain a relay/contactor which enabled that function. Big Clive has a video of the innards of one.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Something to check out - I spoke with the engineer who fitted mine about EV charging....he cautioned that many home charging setups and smart meters prioritise the charger unit when it's operational... meaning if you are not 3phase and most folks are not, there a strong probability in the average busy family home that various appliances will simply not work at the same time when using the EV charger as it can cause overload on standard circuitry.

If a solar inverter is present in a single phase home AND an EV charger it's usually necessary to split the tails coming out of the meter with a "Henley Block" followed by separate CTs (current transformers) so the EV charger current and the Solar currents don't interfere with the function of each other. Your meter fitter isn't up to speed with developments.

 

[JamezF]

Smart meters CAN be used to switch off your supply. They contain a relay/contactor which enabled that function. Big Clive has a video of the innards of one.

That just means they don't need to get someone to turn up and disconnect the supply though. There's still a whole rigmarole they're supposed to go through before they actually do so, either remotely or in person. Of course that doesn't stop them being able to short cut the process in the future or just ignoring the procedure they're supposed to follow "because they can" (and if I'm honest I'd probably not trust most electricity suppliers any further than I could comfortably spit a dead rat).

Does make me wonder whether fitting a Faraday cage over the meter would actually work...

James

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I'd prefer it if Moribund was being boiled

I'd rather it grilled

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

After that there’s an explanation how I might well be forced into having one - should my existing meter become faulty

easy solution to that - top tip I was given a few years ago - bypass your energy supplier and contact the network supplier (British gas or SW electricity or whatever, tell them there is a 'problem' with the meter, one of their engineers will come out, check it and even if no fault is found they will 'just in case' replace it with a conventional meter which they always carry in the van, this means you will have a brand new meter and they will inform your energy supplier there is a new meter - so they can't play the 'your meter has reached the end of its life' excuse.

 

[The Poot]

easy solution to that - top tip I was given a few years ago - bypass your energy supplier and contact the network supplier (British gas or SW electricity or whatever, tell them there is a 'problem' with the meter, one of their engineers will come out, check it and even if no fault is found they will 'just in case' replace it with a conventional meter which they always carry in the van, this means you will have a brand new meter and they will inform your energy supplier there is a new meter - so they can't play the 'your meter has reached the end of its life' excuse.

Nice one

 

[Sutty]

easy solution to that - top tip I was given a few years ago - bypass your energy supplier and contact the network supplier (British gas or SW electricity or whatever, tell them there is a 'problem' with the meter, one of their engineers will come out, check it and even if no fault is found they will 'just in case' replace it with a conventional meter which they always carry in the van, this means you will have a brand new meter and they will inform your energy supplier there is a new meter - so they can't play the 'your meter has reached the end of its life' excuse.

I bet they replace with a meter that has been removed to fit a smart meter rather than a new one, so the "end of life" thing could still happen.
That said most of the more extreme end of this thread is dealt with by my approach of "Don't attribute to malevolence that which can be easily explained by incompetence"!

 

[Sutty]

easy solution to that - top tip I was given a few years ago - bypass your energy supplier and contact the network supplier (British gas or SW electricity or whatever, tell them there is a 'problem' with the meter, one of their engineers will come out, check it and even if no fault is found they will 'just in case' replace it with a conventional meter which they always carry in the van, this means you will have a brand new meter and they will inform your energy supplier there is a new meter - so they can't play the 'your meter has reached the end of its life' excuse.

I bet they replace with a meter that has been removed to fit a smart meter rather than a new one, so the "end of life" thing could still happen.
That said most of the more extreme end of this thread is dealt with by my approach of "Don't attribute to malevolence that which can be easily explained by incompetence"!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I bet they replace with a meter that has been removed to fit a smart meter

no matter, they probably go by the installation date