Aside from sensationalist stories "man billed £14bn" what are the pros and cons? The nerd in me thinks it's cool to have the data, but I see a very negative view of them online and I'm not sure why.
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Smart meters
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Smart meters
Originally posted by MaryPoppinsI'd still not breastfeed a naziOriginally posted by vetranUrine is quite nourishing -
Originally posted by d000hg View PostAside from sensationalist stories "man billed £14bn" what are the pros and cons? The nerd in me thinks it's cool to have the data, but I see a very negative view of them online and I'm not sure why.
Where as previously power to drive the meter was their problem.
Since they can be read remotely via radio they are probably easy to intercept the signal and anyone can find out usage.
Lots of people just put the remote monitor in a drawer and since there is no longer a visual reading at the point power enters the house, in practice many people end up with less clue about their usage than they did before. -
There is a concern that having them in place could eventually lead to a situation where peak pricing is used. Whereas now the meter generally doesn’t know when you used your electricity.
There is also a concern among ‘those people’ that they can cause ill health along the lines of phone masts, WiFi etc. Which to me would sound like justification for mandatory rollout.⭐️ Gold Star ContractorComment
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It's mainly for the generation of electricity, if you have real-time data about usage you are less likely to waste millions generating electricity that no-one uses.
I suppose that if you were able to modify behaviour, people washing their clothes at night etc. then it could lead to a reduction in dependency on coal.
As mentioned, no one really cares about their usage, the IHDs go straight in a drawer and to be honest if you are cold you are going to put the heating on, so I think claims about energy-saving are over-estimated. I think, it's been rounded down to saving you £11 per year or something ridiculous.Comment
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The other major concern is that so far the smart meters deployed have had serious security issues that could allow a remote attacker to hijack te connection, steal personal data, modify the consumption details, cut off supply or subvert the device to attack the upstream infrastructure.
Smart Meters Pose Security Risks to Consumers, Utilities: Researcher | SecurityWeek.Com"Being nice costs nothing and sometimes gets you extra bacon" - Pondlife.Comment
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I've heard tales of smart meters interfering very slightly with audio equipment. Mind you these people are the same people that spend thousands on cables.
I was going to have one fitted, but Siemens wouldn't give me a more accurate time that between 0800 and 2000. And then told me I'd be fined £160 if I wasn't in. I told them to foxtrot oscar.See You Next TuesdayComment
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Originally posted by Antman View Post
As mentioned, no one really cares about their usage, the IHDs go straight in a drawer and to be honest if you are cold you are going to put the heating on, so I think claims about energy-saving are over-estimated. I think, it's been rounded down to saving you £11 per year or something ridiculous.
I don't particularly see how a smart-meter will help you reduce usage though. It would let you check quickly how effective your energy saving measures are though; I recently put in an EvoHome smart heating system and some secondary glazing so not having to trudge to the gas meter in the rain would be nice... but hardly revolutionary.
They sell those aftermarket usage monitors anyway, that you just wrap around the supply. Are they any good?Originally posted by MaryPoppinsI'd still not breastfeed a naziOriginally posted by vetranUrine is quite nourishingComment
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Originally posted by DaveB View PostThe other major concern is that so far the smart meters deployed have had serious security issues that could allow a remote attacker to hijack te connection, steal personal data, modify the consumption details, cut off supply or subvert the device to attack the upstream infrastructure.
Smart Meters Pose Security Risks to Consumers, Utilities: Researcher | SecurityWeek.Com
https://utilityweek.co.uk/watchdog-e...fety-concerns/
Happened to my local Newsagent, fortunately someone was there at the time or it could have ended badly.
Get regularly pestered by British Gas to fit one - always tell them to foxtrot oscar.Do what thou wiltComment
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Whichever way you slice and dice it my view is that these items exist more for the benefit of the supplier than the user.Comment
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If you have the old style dial meter for your electricity and then install solar panels, the dials will go backwards and you can wind up paying very little indeed.
This does not happen with the new ones.England's greatest sailor since Nelson lost the armada.Comment
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