Stop and rethink the smart meter roll-out
Last year your comments about the government’s plans to roll out smart meters leapt to our attention. Some of you clearly weren’t happy. Today we’re calling for the government to stop and review the roll-out.
Some of you were also upset with Which? – you wanted us to do more to challenge the government on its roll-out plans. Well we have.
We’re urging the government to rethink its smart meter roll-out until it has conducted an urgent review.
There were over 500 comments on last year’s smart meter Convos. Some of you stood up for the new technology and its roll-out into all our homes by 2019. But some vented your fury over the UK’s smart plan, with a key concern being the cost – projected to be at least £11 billion.
What a ‘smart’ community
As your comments poured in we decided to commission a thorough review. And while this research (carried out by the Centre for Sustainable Energy) was being put together we also made sure that other important bodies knew about your comments.
In one Conversation, someone said they didn’t think I existed! Well, I can assure you I do. Over the past few months I have attended meetings and industry events where I have stood up – not always to welcome attention – to say how many of you have told us on Which? Conversation that you’re concerned.
We also sent some of your comments to the Public Accounts Committee – probably Parliament’s most powerful committee of MPs – which has been investigating the roll-out. Industry and government reps have previously told me that it’s too early to discuss smart meters with the public, but I said that our Which? Conversation ‘smart’ community was well and truly up and running.
Energy suppliers read your concerns
One of the best moments for me was when I sat next to one of the top directors of a big energy supplier and saw him studying Which? Conversation on his laptop, rather than listening to the conference speaker.
He scrolled through cat avatars and the string of comments you had made. He would have read about your concerns that energy suppliers would benefit from the roll-out, but would consumers? He probably saw that some of you wanted more reassurance about health concerns and data privacy. And I really hope he read Chris’ comment:
‘I see no real harm in the concept of a smart meter, it’s this use for that £11 billion I’m not keen on, especially as times are currently tough. It would buy an awful lot of insulation.’
It’s time to press pause on the roll-out
Now Which? has said to the government that we think it’s time to stop the roll-out. The government’s current strategy is flawed and it must review its approach. We want the government to convince us that it will have full control over the roll-out’s costs, as we all have to pay for it.
And, as it stands, the roll-out is far too industry led, with the government seemingly crossing its fingers in hope that suppliers will install 50 million smart meters into all of our homes in the most cost-effective and responsible way. The energy companies need to be reigned in.
So, what’s the smart way forward? Stop the smart meter roll-out, government, rethink and demonstrate that you are leading this, not big businesses. As always, let us know what you think. We are listening.
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David
Siemens presumably at the behest of my power company Scottish Power are insisting I have my
meter changed. I have said – No !,
I am not convinced on safety.of smart meters.
I don’t like Siemens tone , ie in giving me an order to have a smart meter.
I feel the policy of changing to smart meters is an invasion of privacy
I cant see any way that a smart meter will benefit me or reduce my consumption.
David Ramsay
Well daone David.
I am sure the rest of the conversation would like to hear the ‘no’ pans out.
The government have clearly stated that you can refuse so if they arm twist you with payment penalties etc then you should have a cause for complaint.
lobro
I am still sitting on the fence as far as the current smart meter proposals are concerned. I am quite happy with my supplier, First Utility, because they fitted the meter without charge and I pay with monthly direct debit. In other words, I pay in arrears and there is no estimating. My only worry is what happens to that meter if I want to do a ‘Switch with Which’?
I note that Simon and Terry are worried by the thought of 2-way control of their meters. A 1-way meter system could be quite useful in some enegy-saving scenarios. If electric cars are to be a significant part of our future then over-night charging could be arranged without adding a white meter, just remote reading of your smart meter when local cheap tarifs become available. An enterprising energy supplier such as the Co-Op could devise a multi tarif and multi time and region zone system that could reduce customers electricity costs significantly. But this would be of no use to the unpredictable renewables industry.
As for gas central heating, that is another story! Maybe overnight heat storage in latent heat of crystallation chemicals like inverse freezer bags could be the answer. I know that Calor were looking at this about 20 years ago! I wonder if I should buy shares in a sodium sulfate decahydrate mine!
Elecinfo
The majority of Smart Meters being installed now, are proprietary, rushed in before the Standard has been agreed.
This will mean that it will very difficult and expensive to change supplier if the Consumer decides to change, also any interaction with the final standard will not exist, making them just scrap.
The cost to the Consumer is going to be in excess of £12Bn, the savings will be to the energy companies, No meter readers, No inspections for safety of Their Equipment, the Fire brigade are already seeing an increase in fires due to 3rd party meter readers not checking, just reading meters.
Just as the Big Six Energy companies, agree to simplify tariffs, after pressure from the DECC Select Committee, because they know that with smart meters, they can change tariffs every hour the Consumer will not stand a chance in comparing prices.
Just what the Energy companies want.
Liz
If everyone stood together and refused smart meter installation a rethink of policy would be forced on the powers that be. The energy companies need more control and regulation, they are just getting away with bad management, price hikes which never come down even when raw material prices reduce. The so call benefit from completion doesn’t exist and never did. Non of the energy companies are trust worth . Meanwhile, the government and mps are just taking their pay but stick their heads in the sand. Not one party of any colour really have any idea how to properly manage this or the country..
Totally pathetic
elecinfo
Correct Liz,
The Energy providors are also going to be allowed to sell on the Knocker for Green Deal, which led to so much abuse of consumer rights, in buying energy
If it was wrong for energy contracts and stopped, it is wrong for Green products.
Hugh Thomas
I understand that it is proposed that ones electricity supplier is to provide and install a smart meter built to an industry approved specification with the costs paid ultimately by the consumer body.
When are consumers going to be consulted about their views on the specification and capabilities of the smart meters that they will pay for?
In my view a smartmeter should have the following capabilities:-
The consumer should pay a service standing charge to be connected to the grid (and thereby pay for the smartmeter ) but should be able to have accounts with as many suppliers as the consumer chooses. The consumer’s energy management software on a personal computer interfacing with the smart meter by Wi-Fi, should then be able to switch to the most competitive tariff of their choice introducing real choice and competition into the market for the first time.
The consumer’s energy management software on a personal computer could also be configured to provide remote monitoring, for example of power utilisation by elderly consumers which could alert wardens or carers of risks to health and safety or sub optimum energy usage.
The smartmeter therefore needs to measure the amount of power delivered from the grid to the consumer and from the consumer to the grid together with the time, date, supplier and tariff to the regulators approved accuracy.
To provide secure by-directional data and control signals between the suppliers and the consumers energy management systems to enable:-
Remote meter reading by the supplier for billing and energy saving advice.
Fault diagnosis – missing phases – voltage spikes
Data indicating availability of discounted power tariff and supplier to utilise off peak surplus for (and interface with control for) water heating, night storage heaters, washing appliances, battery charging and industrial processes etc.
Data indicating period of high demand surcharged power tariff and supplier to reduce load (and interface with control for) temporarily disable washing appliances, fridge and freezer compressors, temporarily electric cars on charge use inverters to supplement power to the grid from their batteries earing bonus credit.
Standardisation of data communication and control techniques and protocols with domestic appliances and other load and energy sources needs to be established as a high priority. If control of appliances utilised a modulated control carrier signal over existing ring mains within the property the smartmeter could provide the isolation to ensure that the signals did not reach adjacent properties.
Some of the above features of a smartmeter may not be needed or be affordable by all customers but choices should not be denied to customers.
I hope that the electricity suppliers and installers have the imagination to take advantage of this infrastructure investment so that it brings real and valued benefits to consumers.
Liz
The current smart meters are property of the supplier thus if you change the unit price shown on the meter remains that of the original supplier that installed it.
I still believe the consumer should have the choice of saying no. There has been no consultation on safety, identity thief ( ie wifi security) and I personally don’t want to wake up to find they turned off my freezer and everything is melted over the floor..
They are currently wasting money,rather than talk to consumers and find out what is acceptable to them.
David
I have had THREE letters from Siemens “Ordering” me to have a S.Meter !!!
Can see NO advantage to me – I consider a spy in my meter an invasion of privacy.
strangly have had no requests from my supplier Scot Elec.
I sent the last Siemens letter back with a note ” You can put your new meter where sun doesnt shine”
mercifly they seem to have taken my advice !
Understand the whole Smartmeter bizz is to comply with Brussels ?? Another GOOE REASON
to say good=bye tothose meddlesome ( & expensive ) autocrats of the EEC. Switzerland makes
a good job of governing its self and SO SHOULD WE,
David Ramsay
Agree wholeheartedly, anyone installing such a meter needs their head looking at!
Lobro
What no one seems to realise is that the Smart Meters that are talked about in this conversation are simply the tip of the ice-berg. They are items that are an essential step towards the great new Smart Grid. Because of our illogical acceptance of intermittent renewables, the National Grid has to be capable of switching supplies around the country to where the sun is or isn’t shining or the wind is or isn’t blowing. Westminster and the TSB is handing out research money to groups who can come up with viable designs of systems that can automatically control the nations electricity supply system in-spite of drought or storms. All because we don’t have a secure base-load supply – because politicians of yester-year couldn’t keep their jobs if they ignored the pressures from the anti-nuclear and the idealistic green lobbies. Now we are stuck with a chaotic energy policy – and we are running out of gas! All we can do is pay up or emigrate – and now I’ve got tooth-ache!
David Ramsay
….and because of their shortsightedness we will be using Russian gas until we are in the same position as Cyprus, going cap in hand to …
Clare Morris
I had a smart meter fitted on the 9th July 2010 at my business premises and my bills went from £200 per quarter to £2000 per quarter I argued with my supplier for 2 years there was a problem somewhere with the meter and they told me my old meter was faulty that’s why the sudden jump in consumption to my benefit.
After long and lengthy conversations with my supplier and requesting they send an engineer to the premises to check the meter on numerous occasions they told me that I could get an independent electrician to check it but they would not send there own – so I called an independent electrician who came and checked the meter and told me it was running too fast.
On phoning my supplier again and asking them to send an engineer they sent one out on the 21st February 2012 (20 months after it had been fitted) He entered my business premises and found the fault straight away the off peak contactor had been wired up to run 24 hours a day instead of the 7 hours it was supposed to.
Since the 21st Feb 2012 – I have argued with my supplier about the overcharging on the account and request that they credit my account – my supplier has since told me an engineer called to the premises but no fault was found. On being told this I contacted G4S utilities who are the sub-contractors asking them if I could have a copy of the report from the engineer which I received within 1 week. The reports clearly states that the meter had been wired incorrectly and the off peak contactor was wired to run permanently and the engineer was sent for retraining and a technical bulletin was put out to all meter engineers so it wouldn’t happen again.
On having this and my consumption going back to normal after the correction of the wiring my supplier refuse to credit my account have sent 2 bailiffs to my premises and 3 disconnection notices and on the 18th March 2013 pursued my through the Magistrates court to get a warrant to disconnect me, but failed. So in the last three years it has only been running correctly for the last 1 year.
So these so called smart meters are not as “smart” as everyone makes out and if your are going to have a smart meter fitted make sure it is wired correctly and that everything is running as normal because they have done everything to cover up this mistake and I hate to think how many other people are going through the same thing but don’t realise what it is and by wiring them incorrectly they can cause fires and obviously loss of business, home or worse still loss of life.
David Ramsay
Thought you might like a link to a site which contains guidelines for accessible information, including smart (dumb) meters.
http://www.johngilltech.com/guidelines/guidelines_list.htm
R Habron
I simply do not need a Smart Meter. We do not need a monitor to manage our consumption. I want to have the choice to refuse something I do not want or need and which will cost me money.
Simon Evans
The smart meter is not for your benefit but for that of your electricity utility. It will enable it to watch (spy on) your power consumption, and reduce it if it wants. It can also disconnect you altogether through the smart meter, which is in fact a remotely controlled power switch. The consumer will pay £11bn upwards for these meters. Those £11bn will not be available to them for other, more useful, purposes.
Studies have shown that, regardless of what they say beforehand, when households have energy monitors they tend to reduce their power consumption. You do not need a smart meter and all its complexity for monitoring. Nor do you need to be connected to a vast purpose built communications network.