Email saying that I've chosen a smart meter!

[Omega1]

Originally Posted by sunseeker100

They are safe and have the highest security protocol in the UK, designed by the bods at GCHQ and the same as what is used at airports so hackers would have quite a job to switch off Mr Bloggs.

... but in this case I’d say don’t refuse a smart meter cos you don’t trust the energy companies, they really will be good for you and I can’t wait to get mine

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Thanks for your well informed response. I have refused a smart meter because I shop around, and usually change supplier, on an annual basis. The smart functionality of the meter would be lost in less than 12 months which really is a waste of time and money regardless of govt targets.
I still remain suspicious of the government’s, or any organisation’s ability to operate a totally secure system. Having my computer, bank account or whatever hacked is an annoying inconvenience but hacking the central smart meter hub (or individual supplier systems) could be life threatening.
I’m very wary of claims that systems are totally safe or events can’t possibly happen - I imagine state sponsored cyber terrorists already have a project like this in their sights.
I don’t have any issues with the concept of smart functionality however, remote disconnection is a concern. I know that a customer’s rights are the same be it smart or analogue meters but I think it will lead to more erroneous disconnections. JMO

[sunseeker100]

Originally Posted by Omega1

Thanks for your well informed response. I have refused a smart meter because I shop around, and usually change supplier, on an annual basis. The smart functionality of the meter would be lost in less than 12 months which really is a waste of time and money regardless of govt targets.
I still remain suspicious of the government’s, or any organisation’s ability to operate a totally secure system. Having my computer, bank account or whatever hacked is an annoying inconvenience but hacking the central smart meter hub (or individual supplier systems) could be life threatening.
I’m very wary of claims that systems are totally safe or events can’t possibly happen - I imagine state sponsored cyber terrorists already have a project like this in their sights.
I don’t have any issues with the concept of smart functionality however, remote disconnection is a concern. I know that a customer’s rights are the same be it smart or analogue meters but I think it will lead to more erroneous disconnections. JMO

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You’re right, nothing is unhackable, but the meters are on individual links, not joined or daisy chained so it would be quite an effort to go to for one persons meter. There were reports in the US of meters being hacked but afaik theirs work on radio waves so aren’t the same technology as ours. Large organisations inc airports, ATC etc aren’t included in this project and run off isolated systems with multiple back ups, like airplanes.

One of the best benefits of the new generation ones is that they will come into their own when changing suppliers, sending reads straight to the suppliers on changeover day reducing the chance of errors or delays like you could get now. So you can change as many times as you want but with a slicker process and you can see on the little device when your date is and the read so you can make sure your bill is right when it comes.

For those of you that like reading such things, there is more info on the government energy dept website, BEIS. For a less technical read the smart meter website is quite interesting ‘smart energy gb’.

One last point on disconnecting, the process would be so complicated to ensure a high degree of safety as well as the legal process, that it’s not been built yet and imo, is years away.

Hope that helps someone

[Dinglebert]

We too got the misleading email. I refuse to take the current generation of smart meters. I am a frequent changer of supplier depending of course on their best deals. The current generation of smart meters are not compatible with all suppliers. The next generation will be. When they are I will take one until then they can go away.

[Mazbar]

I don’t want a smart meter for one reason. I like to pay a set amount every month, in the summer I am massively over paying so in the winter I’m not bothered if we have a cold snap. We don’t have gas where we are we are only on economy 7 and this can cost more than normal. I want to have a reserve of about £500 going into the winter. The good thing is we are with ovo and they offer 3% interest in credit on your balance.

[Mr Tom Morrow]

Originally Posted by Mazbar

I don’t want a smart meter for one reason. I like to pay a set amount every month, in the summer I am massively over paying so in the winter I’m not bothered if we have a cold snap. We don’t have gas where we are we are only on economy 7 and this can cost more than normal. I want to have a reserve of about £500 going into the winter. The good thing is we are with ovo and they offer 3% interest in credit on your balance.

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This is a very valid point and I also like to be showing a Summer credit amount.

I assume with a smart meter you also can't submit a grossly over inflated reading and hugely overpay just before a price hike comes into effect thereby getting your energy at the lower price.
Not that I would do that.

[CarolynU]

Originally Posted by sunseeker100

Just want to add the other side of the story but please don’t lynch me

I work for one of the main suppliers, actually on the smart meter project. None of the suppliers instigated smart meters and they are all forced by the government to roll them out. It started years ago when the government agreed to an EU directive on reducing energy usage by 2020, all connected to climate change agreements and our government decided smart meters would help them hit the target. Now they probably will, they have been installed in most other European countries as well as Australia, USA to name a few. But and it’s a big but, this program is driven by the government not the suppliers.

We all have strict targets to meet each year starting at least 2yrs ago which Ofgem and the government energy dept measure us on and have the power to issue fines if we don’t hit a target. We have to prove that we’ve done everything possible to contact a customer, arrange the appointment and they even tell us what to put in the letters. The plan is that they will be rolled out by suppliers to all domestic and small business customers, you don’t have to ask for one... you can opt out though if you wish.

I would personally have a smart meter as soon as the next generation is out..the only reason it’s been delayed is due to the main data centre, appointed by the government, not being ready on time...suppliers are all ready. They are safe and have the highest security protocol in the UK, designed by the bods at GCHQ and the same as what is used at airports so hackers would have quite a job to switch off Mr Bloggs. The reason I’d wait btw is only because I like the newest things, there’s nothing wrong with what’s out there now but it’s like having an iPhone 4 or X.

One last point, this is costing suppliers millions, literally it’s eye watering what we’re spending on doing this and all the hoops to jump through and reporting to the government every week etc. We will benefit in that we’ll be able to bill customers more accurately and they will hopefully pay, but the customer will see the most benefits. So the fact that we’re having to spend millions on something that we didn’t want to do in first place and customers hate us even more for it, is not great. We probably won’t see any return for at least 10-15 yrs from this project and any of you who run a business will know that’s not ideal. We’d have much rather invested this money in a new system or something..

Don’t get me wrong, energy suppliers aren’t perfect and I’ve been on the receiving end of bad treatment, but in this case I’d say don’t refuse a smart meter cos you don’t trust the energy companies, they really will be good for you and I can’t wait to get mine

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That's very informative and interesting. The silly thing is that had I been sent an email asking me to think about all the benefits I might have considered one. I would have researched and formed my own opinion, but the tactic of making me appear as if I'd already done it has backfired, because I immediately came on here, posted and found out that I'd been deceived. At that point I was done.
I received a response today from NPower acknowledging my refusal, and now at my leisure I can decide for myself and opt back in again if I want to, but the important thing is the choice is mine. I'm not sure that deceit is the best tactic to convert people, although I understand how desperate they must be after your reply above.

[sunseeker100]

Originally Posted by Mr Tom Morrow

This is a very valid point and I also like to be showing a Summer credit amount.

I assume with a smart meter you also can't submit a grossly over inflated reading and hugely overpay just before a price hike comes into effect thereby getting your energy at the lower price.
Not that I would do that.

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haha no they won't let you do that unfortunately not that you would of course

[sunseeker100]

Originally Posted by CarolynU

That's very informative and interesting. The silly thing is that had I been sent an email asking me to think about all the benefits I might have considered one. I would have researched and formed my own opinion, but the tactic of making me appear as if I'd already done it has backfired, because I immediately came on here, posted and found out that I'd been deceived. At that point I was done.
I received a response today from NPower acknowledging my refusal, and now at my leisure I can decide for myself and opt back in again if I want to, but the important thing is the choice is mine. I'm not sure that deceit is the best tactic to convert people, although I understand how desperate they must be after your reply above.

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you're right, the ball is now in your court so you can opt back in if you wish to I agree that that tactic doesn't work, what a strange way to go about things although I think the government are getting quite tetchy *desperate, as their target is around 58 million meters fitted by the end of 2020... I don't think the maths quite work unless we end up with 24 hours of daylight in which to work although it was all supposed to be ready to go in 2014.

It's like road building etc they set a target for a new road to be ready in 2yrs, then suddenly it doesn't get started for another 5

[sunseeker100]

Originally Posted by Mazbar

I don’t want a smart meter for one reason. I like to pay a set amount every month, in the summer I am massively over paying so in the winter I’m not bothered if we have a cold snap. We don’t have gas where we are we are only on economy 7 and this can cost more than normal. I want to have a reserve of about £500 going into the winter. The good thing is we are with ovo and they offer 3% interest in credit on your balance.

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I can't comment on Ovo's processes but there is no reason why you can't pay what you like each month with a smart meter. you will still use less in the summer and your direct debit will be the same amount each month, so spreading the cost. the meter is doing the same job as yours does now...measuring what energy is running through it. the difference is that smart meters send the reads to the supplier and it takes seconds, rather than a man reading it and it taking up to 2 weeks to arrive with the supplier. so yes your bills will be accurate (not estimated) but it doesn't mean you have pay each bill outright.

interest on credit sounds interesting, I might look into that myself

[Dougie]

They are no see different to the texts/phonecalls/emails (Some real, some not, some scams). Just ignore/delete/not answer them. In this modern age with so many ways of communication and companies selling on details for pennies this will become a regular thing unfortunately. Just ignore .