Smart meter diatribe

Hello Legh.


I think the smart meter roll-out basically makes sense but is over shadowed by a comedy show from our pathetic politicians, none of whom know the difference between a Watt and a reel of cable.  I believe the UK smart meters use mains-borne communications and we don't have a microwave radiation issue.  A meter is just a meter and not a magical energy reduction unit which our nitwit politicians have failed to understand.


My own experience of this goes back about 7 years when our existing analogue meter came to the end of its service life.  At that time I was routinely emailed quarterly by our electricity supplier for a check meter reading, which I sent back accordingly and paid for our electricity on a budget scheme with no bothers. We were offered a SMETS 1 as a replacement option, which I agreed to and this was duly correctly installed.  The readings were then automated and I no longer had to read the meter.  About two years later I switched electricity supplier and the SMETS 1 went "dumb".  The emailed meter readings started again, this time monthly instead of quarterly, but not a problem for me.  About two years later I switched supplier again and curiously enough the new supplier was the same one that was supplying us when the SMETS 1 was installed.  Surprise, surprise, they either can't read it remotely or are unaware that its a smart meter as they regularly encourage me at meter-reading time to fit a smart meter!


I haven't any hang ups about these - it's just a meter and I have no plans to mess about with putting a SMETS 2 in just to placate our dim-witted politicians.


Regards,


                    Colin Jenkins.

Hello Legh.


I think the smart meter roll-out basically makes sense but is over shadowed by a comedy show from our pathetic politicians, none of whom know the difference between a Watt and a reel of cable.  I believe the UK smart meters use mains-borne communications and we don't have a microwave radiation issue.  A meter is just a meter and not a magical energy reduction unit which our nitwit politicians have failed to understand.


My own experience of this goes back about 7 years when our existing analogue meter came to the end of its service life.  At that time I was routinely emailed quarterly by our electricity supplier for a check meter reading, which I sent back accordingly and paid for our electricity on a budget scheme with no bothers. We were offered a SMETS 1 as a replacement option, which I agreed to and this was duly correctly installed.  The readings were then automated and I no longer had to read the meter.  About two years later I switched electricity supplier and the SMETS 1 went "dumb".  The emailed meter readings started again, this time monthly instead of quarterly, but not a problem for me.  About two years later I switched supplier again and curiously enough the new supplier was the same one that was supplying us when the SMETS 1 was installed.  Surprise, surprise, they either can't read it remotely or are unaware that its a smart meter as they regularly encourage me at meter-reading time to fit a smart meter!


I haven't any hang ups about these - it's just a meter and I have no plans to mess about with putting a SMETS 2 in just to placate our dim-witted politicians.


Regards,


                    Colin Jenkins.