Smart meters yes or no?

[Tweety1]

I want to get one so I can see how much I’m using but will this mean I can’t switch provider or is this a myth?
What are the con’s to having one?
TIA

[Gelatoni]

Originally Posted by Tweety1

I want to get one so I can see how much I’m using but will this mean I can’t switch provider or is this a myth?
What are the con’s to having one?
TIA

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We've got a smart meter, and in conjunction with Octopus it's a real eye opener.

You can view your usage extremely accurately over a chosen time period. We hosted Christmas dinner (xmas just gone), and the electric usage that day was through the roof!

I've never heard of not being able to switch though? Who are you with at the moment?

Another huge benefit is bang up to date energy bills, so no nasty shocks.

[68nic]

We had one fitted the other year and prob used it for about 2 months . DH got fed up with checking how much things were using it got on his nerves . It never made us think twice should we or should we not use certain items . So he unplugged it. We always turn lights off when leaving the room so we didn't do anything different . We changed our supplier and they never mentioned anything about it . If you are on a tight budget then maybe it may help .

[Perthite]

You can still easily switch. For me the benefit of a smart meter is that it saves you from having to ever submit meter reads. Being able to monitor real time usage is not really of interest to me but might appeal to some people.

[Gelatoni]

Just thought, were you thinking of the smart meter itself (left in the image) or the plug in energy monitor devices (right)?

Never bothered with the live monitor - it just did my head in after a while! You can see all the info by logging in to your Octopus account (or other company) if you have the smart meter installed.

[Stitch & Smudge]

I have to question how much money you save by using an extra electrical item that you didn’t have before.

[Wee_Red]

Originally Posted by Stitch & Smudge

I have to question how much money you save by using an extra electrical item that you didn’t have before.

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I'm the same. No matter what a metre says, I am not going to stop how often I have a cup of tea/wash my clothes or put the heating off.

I don't indulge in much but I shan't go without a warm home.

(Though with the price hike soon, that may be a thing of the past).

[KarenG]

Originally Posted by Stitch & Smudge

I have to question how much money you save by using an extra electrical item that you didn’t have before.

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At energy costs at the time (2019) it was between 70p and £1 per year. (It will be more now due to rising costs).

The savings most people make from being more aware of their consumption are many magnitudes higher than that.

OP I think what you’re referring to is some old style smart meters which couldn’t remain smart when you changed supplier. You were never prevented from changing supplier but it was annoying to potentially have to have your meter changed again once you’d switched.

[youre-nicked]

They are good as you don't have to mess around doing the meter readings, I also had the Unit that was sat next to my PC, it only lasted a few days as every time the readings went high I got stressed about how much it was costing me

[Bondy007]

Smart meter - yes.
Additional digital display to stress you out everytime you turn a light on... - no.

There are no cons to a smart meter. One big fat positive - no estimated bill.

Nobody needs a digital display to figure out how to save money on gas/electricity.