Smart meters for the gas and electricity

We have a budget account with nPower. They review it every three months and advises whether
we need to pay more or are due a refund and or a reduction in our monthly direct debit. A set amount is
deducted every month on the same day. We recieve a discount off our base price by paying by DD.

We can go on the nPower website and compare our useage month on month, quarter on quarter
and year on year. There is also a feature where we can see our consumption against customers
with a similar profile. We also have a social media users group so we are able to interact with other
nPower customers over tariffs, metering and other customer related issues.

 

That must be a riveting site. Where do I sign up.

 

I’ve just had a second gen smart meter installation.

It will work if and when I switch supplier.

I didn’t ask for it, bulb emailed me and wanted me to do it. It cost me nothing and saves me reading the meters for them.

The monitor is plugged in but annoyingly it only shows the gas consumption on kWh, there is an option of pounds and pence that works for the electric but not the gas for some reason.

It won’t change how we consume energy. We don’t use that much gas but do use a lot of electricity (three kids so in a house of five there’s generally a load of washing on, a load in the drier, the telly (at least one) and various lights might be on and some tablets or phones charging, fridges etc, and I’m not going to stop washing clothes or charging my kids ipad). No massive benefit but no detriment either. The dd story above doesn’t ring true though I’ve not had a bill to pay in the old fashioned way for years. It’s all on dd.

 

When you sign up to take Gas and electricity from nPower you are invited to join the discussion group.
It's not obligatory, but it's useful to hear different experiences from a wide range of people some of whom
have used other suppliers and who have had a good/bad experience that they want to share with others.
It's also a format to enable nPower customers to offer constructive comment in order that the Company are
able to improve their customer service levels in the future.

 

Maybe, but why were we daft enough to roll out phase 1 when they are now useless if you switch? Speaks volumes about the way we operate.

 

I keep getting bombarded with phone calls to arrange a smart meter fitted but my gas n electric are from different suppliers and will always be and just to compound things even further we have solar panels on the roof so when I ask the question will it read all three they say no.
I say to them when the smart meters can read all three readings get in touch

 

The notion that it costs you nothing is incorrect. We are all paying for the installation of smart meters to everyone via a supplement on our current tariff.

 

Yes but that’s true whether I had it installed or not.

It cost me nothing more than if I didn’t get it at all.

 

I got a version 1 smart meter, my supplier was bought up by EDF, I now have a not very smart meter.

Even with the smart meter they would send meter readers around once per year to check they were ok and calibrated (or not tampered with).

 

The cost of the scheme has been passed on in your prices, therefore you are paying for them whether you have them or not.

They don't stop you using more gas or electricity. To save money, wear a coit.

I have just had them fitted (early December) by EDF as part of the new tariff i signed up for. They have just asked me for readings!

 

Metering charges have always been embedded in the prices paid for gas and electricity as have
the cost of transmission/ shipping from the point of "generation " to each individual site.
The latter costs are regulated by OFGEM.

 

e.on insisted that i have them to keep my deal, when they came to install them they said " ah, we dont think they'll work here as your gas meter is to far away from your leccy meter"................. hehe jog on then sunbeam

 

Got them but they have not reduced my bills, I've always been careful anyway. Main benefit is not having to read meters and send the numbers in.

 

and thereby putting meter readers out of work.

 

Swings and roundabouts... companies will employ people to install meters.

I'm sure you send people emails etc. rather than send people letters every time, for instance. Times change.

 

I never plugged mine in its still in a drawer, waste of time. Just can't see any sense in having one.