should i have a smart meter fitted?

You were put off having something at zero cost to you because it might not work? :confused:
No. I didn’t want something installed that doesn’t work and I am stuck with it. It also causes problems switching supplier still. It’s nothing to do with cost.

People are having to still give readings manually etc.
 
One problem I have with 'smart' meters is that they will likely be built to a price instead of reliability.
 
I mean that they may not support smets2 and your meter will be dumb. I’m more concerned in the readings issues with bulb meters though.

Why does that cause a problem though?
 
One problem I have with 'smart' meters is that they will likely be built to a price instead of reliability.

Everything is built to a price
 
Except some cut corners that means the MTTF isn't right.
 
Some spend less than they should.
 
I’ve not read this thread from the beginning, so excuse me if I put my foot in it.

Waiting for new smart meters to be installed in my new build; I hadn’t been informed when I moved in i had them and since found out the gas meter was no so smart, so both are being upgraded to the latest spec, whatever that might be.

ive decided to continue with smart meters, primarily to monitor my electrical usage.

However, it’s not without the negatives I’ve read elsewhere. Problems with poorly or even dangerous installs. 5g disruption of CU RCD’s, causing nuisance tripping. Suggestion that Smart meters might be used to charge different rates for fuels for different times it’s used, primarily allegedly for these fuel suppliers to make money, and prevent premature failure of our ageing electrical supply network. The later being a cheaper way to fix the problem.

As time moves on, with electric vehicle charging, feed back into the system from them and the use of power walls and pv, we do need to move forward though.
 
5g disruption of CU RCD’s
I'm not sure what you mean by this but if it is about 5G mobile then to put it mildly, this is unlikely.
3G, 4G and 5G are part of what is called LTE ( Long Term Evolution) which has rigorous compatibility testing with previous versions.
 
I'm not sure what you mean by this but if it is about 5G mobile then to put it mildly, this is unlikely.
3G, 4G and 5G are part of what is called LTE ( Long Term Evolution) which has rigorous compatibility testing with previous versions.
Only quoting what I’ve read of other peoples experiences, might be an urban myth, but have a google of it yourself.

Hope it doesn't happen to me :)
 
The same people who say 5G makes you ill - the transmit/receive is the same as for 3G/4G so it can't.
It is called psychosomatic illness where people stress themselves so much they become ill because of the stress hormones released.
Of course some say 4G, 3G or 2G makes them ill and when blind tested can't tell when there is mobile activity.
 
The same people who say 5G makes you ill - the transmit/receive is the same as for 3G/4G so it can't.
It is called psychosomatic illness where people stress themselves so much they become ill because of the stress hormones released.
Of course some say 4G, 3G or 2G makes them ill and when blind tested can't tell when there is mobile activity.

RCD's can be sensitive to Electromagnetic interference (EMI), also called radio-frequency interference (RFI). You tell me if EMI or RFI has anything to do with 3.4.5G?
 
RFI is at radio frequencies, EMI can be at low frequencies even mains (50Hz).
Also - partly to get a good battery life - RF transmissions from phones are at the lowest power to reach the base station. This is done by monitoring the RF power from the base station and adjusting the RF power in the phone.
Oddly enough at one company I developed a power consumption for the 'mobile section' of a phone that wouldn't exist for four years, very interesting work. Part of this is so the phone maker might be able to use a smaller battery, making the phone smaller.
RCDs would be equally affected by 3G and 4G but even worse with 2G because that has a much higher maximum transmit power, eight times higher in fact.
 
Suggestion that Smart meters might be used to charge different rates for fuels for different times it’s used,
I have dumb digital meter here in Australia that is programmed for time of use and net solar exports. I can’t have TOU plans if I wanted to since it isn’t smart. All that means now is it is internet connected and can send data and receive programming.

My meter is read every quarter and my bill has three consumption readings which they add together and one export number. I asked why they couldn’t apply the TOU rates to the readings and they said it’sbecause I don’t have a smart or digital meter:facepalm:

smart meters are supposed to save costs for reading and allow you to see consumption more quickly. Our smart meters here once fitted cost more per day in daily charges so that bit hasn’t come to fruition. Can’t say I’m surprised.....
 
The thing is to improve power grid efficiency how frequent would readings have to be?
 
The thing is to improve power grid efficiency how frequent would readings have to be?
They are 30 minute blocks here but not to the homeowner. It is usually sent as a day of data tk teh retailer. Some the. Make it a availab the owner almost immediately and some not so much. It takes 24 to 48 hours for the data to make its way onto the respective retailer’s site/app.

The distributors here don’t own the meters anymore. Each retailer organises the meter service including installing it, reading it and servicing it. The distributor may still do the work but will do it for the retailer who then charges the customer as they see fit.

For dumb meters, reading meters is outsourced to one company in an area that provides every retailer (totally deregulated here so bar is very low to sell electricity) the readings.

With the monitoring including consumption that came with my solar system, I can see live import and export powers at home on the black box’s page on the LAN. Online it in an app I can additionally see power graphs in 15 minute blocks complied from data sent every 3 minutes.

smart meters were never intended to do the useful stuff like “live” monitoring - or at least standards don’t include it. If you want that you need third party monitoring and add some current transformers. As do I if I wanted to monitor consumption per circuit. I don’t but quite a few over here will spend a few hundred on a monitor and CTS to do that and work out a kettle draws 2kW for a few minutes and their ducted A/C is their biggest draw on power in summer. Personally I know these things anyway but each to their own :)
 
It would be boring if we were all the same.
I couldn't put up with a world of me
 
Right might switch to a tariff that requires that i have smart meters installed so got a couple of questions. Im with Scottish power

  1. I should get a new one that works if i in the future switch suppliers right?
  2. I have to unplug all electrical equipment before they install it right ? does that include washing machine freezer and cooker? dont fancy rewiring the 10mm cable of the cooker
  3. Is it wifi or mobile network the meters use?
  4. can you also read the meter or does it just come output all the info to the smart display?
  5. paranoid could i experience any tripping problems due to the fact my electric and gas meters are right next to my consumer unit?

many thanks
 
its what Scottish power say to do before installation

Its sensible to unplug ALL appliances, when any major electrical work is carried out on a property. Sometimes the supply might be turned on and off. You could just use your main switch on your CU. I suspect they are just covering themselves, for litigation on damaged appliances.
 
My mate was just telling me he was on scottish power they come round and fitted the smart meters and the installer inspected his old boiler and deemed it dangerous and cut off his gas supply. My mate then worried called a gas engineer round who thoroughly tested and inspected it and siad there was nothing wrong and reconnected it. problem is the gas fitter cost £120 to test and reconnect.

After all that the smart meters never worked and he had to supply readings anyway
 

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