[mumofstig]

are being installed here on Monday. Has anybody had them installed already, have they encouraged you adjust your usage at all?
Or are they simply an excuse to make all the meter readers redundant  Just a thought 

[azubah]

Sorry to have to tell you, but the meter readers will still want to read your meter every year or two.
Also, I understand that meters are specific to your provider so if you want to change provider your smart meter will not work any more. To make matters worse, your smart meter will have to be changed in a few years as it will be out of date. I got this info from a recent radio program.
I don't think it would change our behaviour as we will still need lights, washing machines, etc.

[mumofstig]

The gas meter has to be replaced as it is now just passed its 10th year, so they suggested doing both while they were at it. If they have to change it in a couple of years, it is their loss, not mine.

I wondered if people were more inclined to turn the thermostat down, for heating and washing, when they saw how much it cost?

[jaydig]

We've had our smart meters for a while now, and we really like them.
The energy monitor is particularly useful for checking on power usage, and it does make you think more about what is being spent.  We don't behave like misers, but it does make you aware of perhaps turning the thermostat down a degree or so, just to see if it is still comfortable. We get a daily reading of what has been spent each day, and so we know more or less what the bill will be.
We deal with the bills by direct debit, and control everything online. One of the advantages with a smart meter is that the monthly debit can be adjusted up or down if necessary in order to come into line with what is being spent. The energy company will suggest an increase/decrease if they can see it is needed.
At the end of each month you can check what your costs are for that month, and after the first year, they can be compared with previous years' usage.
We wouldn't be without ours, although we were very dubious to begin with.

[Mr Dog]

We've got a smart electric meter but not gas - apparently there's no record of who owns the gas meter so our current supplier couldn't change it! Electricity usage appears to have gone up since it was fitted but TBH we're pretty frugal anyway with gas, electric and water use. Actually we could teach those producers of the scrimping/saving programmes a thing or two 

[JayG]

Lots of evidence that smart meter technology is still far from perfect at the moment, plus a somewhat cynical feeling that if the government and your energy supplier are keen for you to have it it's probably not in your best interests to say yes!

[Yorkie]

My supplier wants to install a smart meter but I'm not doing it at the moment.  As others have said, unless you get the new ones (SMETS2), there is a very high risk that they go 'dumb' once you change supplier.  Although the suppliers are obliged to offer you them, at the moment there is no obligation to actually have one.

I'll probably have one when forced to, or guaranteed it'll be a version 2, but not till then.

I'm not convinced it will make much difference to how I consume fuel.  Apart from standby things - which will be interesting to see - I am not excessive in my fuel usage anyway.

[wighty]

We can't have them because there is no phone coverage in this part of the Island for them to work  I think it was Vodaphone British Gas were using.

[arh]

Actually, there isn't much "smart" about the meter, though it can talk to the supplier if you/they allow it, it's the monitor that's smart, but even then, all it does is teach it's grandmother to suck eggs. Watch a young person "fill" a kettle for 2 mugs,(cups if your're posh), then watch an "older" person do the same, the smart meter monitor just tries to teach the young person to think like an "older" person.

[azubah]

That's called experience.

[oldgrunge]

Based on my experience, I would avoid smart meters at all costs! Had them fitted 18 months ago, after numerous visits by engineers, it still doesn't work! They say they need to change the meter again, but they can't do it because they have to access the box where the power enters the house. Apparently, Scottish Power have to do that, not my provider. I've been waiting over 12 months for SP, no sign yet. But no one at my provider will explain to me, if they can't change the meter now, how did they do it the first time? Duuhhh!

[jezza]

hi its a pity the people offering the smart meters were not as smart as their meters I am sick of telling them that my village doesn't have gas   a new building site has put gas pipes into the houses on smart meter company advise they sent a representative  to look for the gas main they must know something the rest of us don't   jezza