[Closed] Smart meters - any reason why not?

Scottish Power ones are SIMs as well. Tbh I wouldn't want my meter on my network anyway, just seems like a lot of risk given how quickly exploits are found for these things.

I find it amusing that people need a guage to save power.

Not using a light, switch it off, don't leave stuff on standby /sleep mode, turn it off properly.

Aside from more efficient lighting, your fridge freezer is on 24/7 so adjust its thermostat to run a bit warmer, keep it full to maintain temperature, don't leave the door of the fridge open for longer than nessesary as it takes hours to cool back down again.

Not rocket science.

Not rocket science.

Of course not, but measuring is the easiest way to know if you are making a difference. And make informed decisions.

You may discover that those nice energy-saving bulbs you put in aren't actually as efficient as advertised. Or that your fridge is faulty and is drawing way too much.

Conversely you may discover that the standby draw is so low that it's worth 20p a year to avoid fishing around down the back of the telly multiple times a day.

That's a fair point for a one off audit I suppose, especially with standby modes, as you say some equipment is very efficient in standby, where as some equipment are so bad in standby you may as well leave it fully on, or turn it off properly. Hifi amplifiers are a good example of when standby modes are essentially pointless, but a typical broadband router uses so little power when idle it's not worth turning it off.

PC's can be a mixed bag depending on how modern the components are.

Standby <1W for any appliance since 2010

Doesn't it use wifi?
Yes.

I doubt it would generate any noticeable traffic. I'd be surprised if it is much more than the equivalent of looking at one photo on here per month.

[i]I'd love one, but we're on oil so it would only show non-heating usage. Oil use is a pain to measure, modern tanks aren't a nice shape so dip tubes and level tubes don't work easily. [/I]

We've just a Watchman which counts down F(ull) to 0 that's plugged in (the kitchen).

I just note when it changes (approximately 120 litres per number) and work out our usage from that. Reasonable accurate over a period.

I had one fitted a few months back (I didn't ask for it, they just fitted it). Its been quite interesting watching the display.
I'm trying to sell my house so I replaced the three candle type LED bulbs in my dining room with the original filament ones. I can turn on every LED light in the downstairs of my house and it doesn't show on the meter. If i just turn on the light with the three filament bulbs then it goes up by one bar.

I dare say I'll get bored with it soon!

I doubt it would generate any noticeable traffic. I'd be surprised if it is much more than the equivalent of looking at one photo on here per month.

If that was my point I'd have made it. It's not. It's a security issue.

I doubt it would generate any noticeable traffic. I'd be surprised if it is much more than the equivalent of looking at one photo on here per month.

It's more the fact that it is dependant upon something for which they do not contribute to rather than the data it does/doesn't use.

It's more the fact that it is dependant upon something for which they do not contribute to rather than the data it does/doesn't use.

[Facetious]

Turn off your electricity, how long does the wi-fi stay on for?

I bought a frozen Pizza the other day, not only did it say it had to be kept in the freezer for which Tesco contributed nothing, it then had to be put in the oven at 220C for 8 minutes, wasting all that effort keeping it cold and costing more gas! The cheek of it!

[/Facetious]

I find it amusing that people need a guage to save power.

Despite 2 people saying the smart meter installed in their house has a 3G sim fitted to communicate, Wi-Fi hacking seems to be peoples biggest fear?
Ours are being fitted on the 15th of March and no question of do you have Wi-Fi was asked.
I doubt very much they would use your Wi-Fi as if you changed the router password it would stop working.

Ours doesn't connect to our wifi, and it only seems to communicate with Scottish Power periodically - ie fortnightly.

Despite 2 people saying the smart meter installed in their house has a 3G sim fitted to communicate, Wi-Fi hacking seems to be peoples biggest fear?

I'd be much more concerned about [anyone who's able] potentially being able to screw with your electricity supply from anywhere in the world.

True, but then they could just do that by hacking an actual power station.

[Trevor McDonald]

Al-Queda struck new fear into the West today by disrupting N-Power customers during the final minutes of Coronation Street. It it unknown exactly how many are affected but it is estimated that 15 million people may not know who Deirdre Barlow is having another affair with.

[/Trevor McDonald]

I have to say I am very suspicious and cynical about this. When did a company ever do something at its cost for consumer advantage.

I always pay my energy bills in arrears so I am not giving the energy companies a free loan

What I really object to is my energy bills increasing due to these smart meters being installed when I have no intention of having one as they most definitely are not compulsory. Why should I be subsidising others?

Why should I be subsidising others?

Flip that the other way around, if smart meters demonstrably reduce energy use, why should the rest of the country subsidise your environmental impact?

Or looking to the future, when this sort of thing is linked into a smarter grid, whether you are energy efficient as an individual or not the energy producers ability to modulate the demand side* rather than just the supply would reduce pollution too.

Or playing devils advocate; I think climate change is a myth, I should be able to pay 10p/kWh for Welsh coal power, why should I subsidise Scottish Hydro investment?

*simplistically, they could turn everyone's fridge off during coronation street add breaks to reduce spikes in demand.

Despite 2 people saying the smart meter installed in their house has a 3G sim fitted to communicate, Wi-Fi hacking seems to be peoples biggest fear?

I was one of those people. My point was WHY it would be a bad idea to have them connect via wifi as opposed to a sim.

Cinnamon - you could use that argument for anything, why should I subsidise rural broadband, gynacologists, motability, loss leaders in the supermarket etc.

Nope, not everyone is stupid and that is what it's pandering to. Am quite capable of being sensible with my energy usage and choose to be.

Nope, not everyone is stupid and that is what it's pandering to. Am quite capable of being sensible with my energy usage and choose to be.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illusory_superiority

No one seems to have done a study on energy efficiency, but ......

[I]I have to say I am very suspicious and cynical about this. When did a company ever do something at its cost for consumer advantage.[/I]

It's nothing to do with the companies and all to do with the Govt.

Also how can it be proved that these gizmos reduce energy use? I use LEDs, hell I even started a thread about them recently, lights are only switched on in the room I am using, audio visual equipment isn't left in standby mode, TRVs on each radiator, new CH programmer and thermostat, there's no walking around in a bikini in my house instead preferring to layer up.

Nothing to do with superiority you cheeky monkey!

I don't want one as the lack of standard between suppliers is ridiculous & none of the manufacturers have done much to prevent hacking, so in theory a terrorist group/rogue state could potentially take control of swathes of the countries supplies in an attack.

If you want to save money,
Fit LED lamps
Fit an A or A+ rated boiler & don't wander around your house in a tee shirt & shorts with the thermostat set at 22C+
Buy A or A+ rated fridge, freezer, washing machine, TV etc & turn off what you aren't using.

I don't need a meter to tell me this 🙄

snaps +1

The government are clearly colluding and some folk are receiving brown envelopes.

The government are clearly colluding

To reduce energy usage?

What's in it for the energy companies?

1) Most people seem to be in credit with their provider, so they're losing out there
2) It's going to cut most peoples consumption, so they sell less.
3) People will be able to switch quicker, so there'll be better competition.

What's in it for the energy companies?

£13 billion+ income from selling people something they don't need or want.

[url= http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/13a-plug-in-energy-saving-monitor-n67fu ]If you want to know the cost of running an appliance, it can be done for under a tenner[/url]

[url= http://www.robertdyas.co.uk/owl-micro-wless-enrgy-monitor?istCompanyId=bf3344d9-83f5-4abd-b69a-da131f7567d1&istItemId=wpaiqwiqp&istBid=tztx&gclid=CLWUjpvvptICFRIo0wod1YcEsA ]Or this if you want a wireless display[/url]

1) Most people seem to be in credit with their provider, so they're losing out there

[b]Not in credit in Winter.[/b]

2) It's going to cut most peoples consumption, so they sell less.

[b] It will drag folk away from their phones for, say, 5 minutes then the novelty will wear off. But I'd still like an explanation for 'cutting most people's consumption'. Do you believe that despite price increases in energy most people aren't trying to reduce their consumption? Also there will always be some who don't actually GAS cos they're rich/stupid/whatever so how will you convince them?[/b]

3) People will be able to switch quicker, so there'll be better competition.

[b]It's easy to switch, if I can hack it anyone can. Dream on for better competition though.[/b]

c_g
Miss Cynical
😉

Also how can it be proved that these gizmos reduce energy use?

Well they automatically send your meter reads instead of a bod in a van having to drive round individual houses to take a reading and post bits of paper through doors where no one is home.

I'd imagine that saves a reasonable bit of energy across the nation. 😉

OK so 7hrs later not one person has said they use your Wi-Fi so I guess we can put that one to bed then?

My issue with it is the idiots on the end of the phone trying to deal with organising to install them.

"We are going to install a smart meter"

"Excellent - when "

"In 6 months time '

"Ok phone back in 5 months and I'll tell you if I'll be in or not"

" Just take a holiday"

" Sorry what. I don't get holidays - I don't even work in the country"

"What about your partner "

" She doesn't get selectable holidays either. I know a month in advance where I'll be and that's the best I can do"

They have not phoned back.

Smart meters do not connect to your home wifi.
The following is from [url=www.smartenergygb.org]Smart Energy GB[/url]

[i]Inside your home, smart meters use their own secure, wireless network using radio waves, just like mobile phones or TVs do. ([b]It won’t use your wifi and you don’t need wifi in your home for it to work[/b]).

Your smart meters will link to a similar wireless network outside your home. This network is run by the new Data and Communications Company, which is overseen by the energy regulator Ofgem.

There are strict new regulations and codes of practice to keep smart meter data private and secure.[/i]

I really can't see the objection to knowing how and when you are using energy from either the consumer of providers point of view.

Well they automatically send your meter reads instead of a bod in a van having to drive round individual houses to take a reading and post bits of paper through doors where no one is home.

I'd imagine that saves a reasonable bit of energy across the nation.

If the government wanted to reduce power station energy consumption why are the government reducing FIT rates for PV?

1) Most people seem to be in credit with their provider, so they're losing out there
[b]It's nothing to do with this, it's to enable the power companies to introduce variable pricing depending upon the time of day = more profit[/b]
2) It's going to cut most peoples consumption, so they sell less.
[b]How does a meter stop your kids switching on the TV and then walking out of the room?[/b]
3) People will be able to switch quicker, so there'll be better competition.
[b]Rubbish, it may may it easier for the power companies by reducing behind the scenes processing, but this just = more profit for the power companies[/b]

Right, and this is better than manufacturing millions of new [i]widgits[/i] [that still do the same basic function of the existing dumb [i]widgits[/i]], shipping them around the world

Yes I can, and you're point is?

sharkbait: in theory it is a one off cost (environmental and financial) versus as ongoing monthly cost.
(Provided meter hardware is compatible across providers which it really [i]should[/i] be)

Matt24k - Member

Smart meters do not connect to your home wifi.
The following is from Smart Energy GB

Inside your home, smart meters use their own secure, wireless network using radio waves, just like mobile phones or TVs do. (It won’t use your wifi and you don’t need wifi in your home for it to work).

Your smart meters will link to a similar wireless network outside your home. This network is run by the new Data and Communications Company, which is overseen by the energy regulator Ofgem.

There are strict new regulations and codes of practice to keep smart meter data private and secure.

I really can't see the objection to knowing how and when you are using energy from either the consumer of providers point of view.

Thanks Matt, TBH I knew the answer but just wanted see if anyone claimed theirs did 😉

I'm well used to "Smart Metering" as I manage the electricity supply to our site where we have had smart metering for over 10 years and can see online our usage by the minute.
Very useful when you are in the Triad season (only 2 more days to go) as with an hourly consumption of 1300kw it gets expensive when the charge goes from 5p a unit to £35 a unit!!!

I can see the future of domestic supply going the same as industrial as there just isn't the overhead left in the grid to cope with peak demands so "load management" will come?

@sharkbait, you are looking at this from your perspective and I am looking at it from mine. You see only downsides, I see mainly upsides.
A massive upside for me is that my old gas meter made a really annoying pumping sound when the house was quiet and the smart meter is silent. I can also tell you from my personal experience that I am using less power since having the smart meter fitted. YMMV and all that.

Well they automatically send your meter reads instead of a bod [b]on a bike[/b] having to [b]cycle[/b] round individual houses to take a reading and post bits of paper through doors where no one is home.

I'd imagine that saves a reasonable bit of energy across the nation.

FTFY Graham. 😉

I can also tell you from my personal experience that I am using less power since having the smart meter fitted.

So you were being extravagant before it was fitted? As a matter of interest how often do you look at your smart meter, on average?

Jeez sharkbait, you're even more cynical than moi. 😀

I wouldn't say I was extravagant. Four bed terraced house and gas and electricity were just under £1200 in the last 12 months.
The smart meter gives me a valid reason to tell Mrs 24k to shut the doors and turn the lights off as she moves around the house 😉
The smart meter display is next to my computer so I glance at it on a regular basis. So far today we have spent £2.54.
Ironing and hoovering now gets done on a Sunday between 9 and 5 when we have free electricty.

My children (older teens) now routinely turn lights off without me having to sound like my grandad all the time.