Energy Supplier

[SpuffMonkey]

Not sure why people are so keen on smart meters? Specially after reading that "surge pricing" is written into their software - I've no desire to be charged a premium rate when its cold in the winter

[MatthewL]

I like the idea of automated readings and been able to see what energy I am using when. To be honest I wasn't aware of any issues, and I suppose for what little I use I've never thought any more of it. Not the end of the world.

[mikeprice]

I've got a first gen meter - so it stopped communicating when I switched supplier

However it still works fine to display my current usage and I can get meter readings from it without going outside etc

 

I have been looking things up on the www and it seems that the plan is for them to be upgraded to be able to operate fully next year (2019)

mind you everything else is miles behind schedule I suspect that will be as well - but at least it seems there is a plan to get them working

[bald_pig]

I don't know why nobody saw these issues coming...

 

https://www.capita.com/news/news/2013/capita-preferred-applicant-for-smart-meter-licence/

[mikeprice]

I don't know why nobody saw these issues coming...

 

https://www.capita.com/news/news/2013/capita-preferred-applicant-for-smart-meter-licence/

 

Well colour me shocked!!

 

Oh and on the subject of the actual suppliers

apparently Bulb (who many on here seem to have said seem to be good - including me) are not installing any Smart Meters until the Gen 2 ones are available as they don't see the point in installing Gen 1 meters

[mavhc]

How do they keep getting work?

[mikeprice]

How do they keep getting work?

 

Trump

 

brexit

 

Capita

 

I rest my case

[difinity]

How do they keep getting work?

 

MPs promised future jobs and they also take the blame for government screw ups.

[Michael]

+1 for Bulb, from nPower previously. No Smart Meter as yet, although I've heard reports they're not so smart also.

 

Why they're not mobile and Wi-Fi compatible, makes no sense given it's well known UK coverage for mobile is not consistent!

 

Bulb's App is also easy to use for Android/Apple users too.

[mikeprice]

I was surprised it wasn't wifi compatible

 

But looking at the security on many 'Smart devices' I wouldn't be too happy with them on my network

and if they were fairly standard across the country they would be an obvious target for any one looking for a gateway

[mavhc]

either you put smart devices on your guest wifi, so they can't talk to anything else, and communicate via the internet, or create a vlan for each group, or use open source stuff, or assume your lan isn't secure and secure the computers on it

[mikeprice]

yeah - that's what I would do if I needed to

 

but as I avoid stuff like that I haven't need to as yet - I don't even know what it possible with the standard Virgin wifi as I've never had to look at it

[mavhc]

VM Guest wifi does isolation, don't think it'll do vlans though

[Michael]

Smart Meters must be running off some commonly used software for it to generate and send data via a mobile phone signal.

 

Encryption is most likely the solution, regardless of connectivity type used. You'd think at the design state someone would have thought about this? Having a one size fits all approach probably cuts costs and simplifies design, but isn't guaranteed to work regardless of install location.

[Andrew_C]

Supplier - Good Energy and Octopus recently.

 

"Smart Meters" - you don't fatten a pig by weighing it. Too many downsides for me to want one.

[mikeprice]

According to the papers recently Smart Meters don't save as much money as was previously estimated (pause for for sounds of people being shocked)

 

The publicity for them seemed to say that they WOULD save you loads of money - but at the end of the day it is only the people in the house that can do that. Therefore if you don't change anything then nothing will change

and I don't actually think most people will do anything - hence they won't save anything

 

The bloke who installed mine said when he goes to a house with a smart meter to do normal electricity/gas stuff he normally finds the display device has been stuffed in the back of a cupboard or drawer - so it is unlikely to be helping them save anything

 

I have always suspected that the real reason was purely to save the energy companies money having to send people round to read meters.

 

But give them credit for a great con job as they have managed to get the government to agree to us paying for the things through bill increases so that THEY can save money and cut jobs

[Michael]

I thought the real reason was to stop energy suppliers guesstimating your use, and you pay what you use. A much fairer/simpler system - whether you actually save any money is a different question.

[mikeprice]

I thought the real reason was to stop energy suppliers guesstimating your use, and you pay what you use. A much fairer/simpler system - whether you actually save any money is a different question.

 

Well yes - in a way - but they only ever estimated the reading to cut costs on sending someone round to read it - and eventually they needed to sedn someone round anyway

 

they have started getting you to do the reading yourself - again reducing the costs but thet also requires effort and allows people to lie about their usage.

 

This system, especially as they haven't had to pay for the roll-out, gets round both problems as the reading are always accurate and they don't have to pay anyone

 

of course it does open the door for variable pricing later on - but no-one is mentioning that

[LeMarchand]

I thought the real reason was to stop energy suppliers guesstimating your use, and you pay what you use. A much fairer/simpler system - whether you actually save any money is a different question.

 

Big businesses wanting to do play fair with their customers?

[Michael]

Big businesses wanting to do play fair with their customers?

 

Indeed, be it forced.

 

Unfortunately I think Smart Meters in reality will increase prices further, given everyone's then paying the right amount with no over-payments. Factor in energy saving schemes and profit margins will be squeezed furthermore.

[mavhc]

1. automatic transmission of energy usage to supplier

2. display current energy usage to users, so they can realise what they're doing that uses a lot, this depends on them wanting to save money of course

 

https://www.smartme.co.uk/technical.html

https://www.smartdcc.co.uk/media/443774/smets1_supporting_requirements.pdf

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/335764/dcc_consultation_on_approval_of_procurement_strategy_and_statement_of_service_exemptions_annex_2.pdf

 

Regions South and Central will utilise cellular mobile technology plus wireless mesh radio

Region North will utilise long-range radio technology.

[southhamster]

I'm ambivalent about smart meters. One concern I have is that the elec. Co. Can remotely disconnect you. Given the general uselessness of the big companies how long before someone gets stuck in a Kafkaesque hell where their power is turned off but no-one will take responsibility for turning it back on. I also wonder about a hack turning loads of people's electricity off in the middle of winter (tinfoil hat?)

[mavhc]

No one ever turns off electricity, even if you don't pay, pointless thing to worry about. And if they do just unplug the meter and connect directly.

 

If you're that worried just make your own electricity at home for free

[StevieM]

Getting back to topic, I've been with Ebico for almost 10 years. Ebico was the UK's first 'Not-for-profit' energy supplier, with an emphasis on supporting those affected by fuel poverty.

 

Customer service is first rate; I've never had to wait more than about 5 rings to have my call answered - by a human!

 

It used to partner with SSE, when it offered one simple tariff regardless of how much energy you used or your method of payment - e.g. pre-payment meters cost the same as direct debit - with no daily standing charge. Now it partners with Robin Hood Energy (also a not-for-profit supplier) and offers several plans to suit different needs. I'm still on the Zero standing charge one as that is best for me (although I've noticed they now also do a Zero Green tariff).

 

Definitely worth a look. https://ebico.org.uk/

[mikeprice]

I also wonder about a hack turning loads of people's electricity off in the middle of winter (tinfoil hat?)

 

Well if I was a hacker who wanted to do something spectacular then that would be a very tempting target

 

If I was a person who actually thought about impact (old people, sick people, young kids) etc then obviously I wouldn't but there are too many people in the first group that aren't in the second

and then there are the hackers that want to blackmail companies as well

 

so not so tinfoil hatty maybe