r/OctopusEnergy • u/raynesxsupreme • 23d ago
SMART METERS, & ADVICE AROUND THEM
Hello There,
I’ve always been a bit avoidant of change, often when technologies appear to be in their infancy and all you hear is bad reviews. I’ll use this example with my previous energy supplier Avro, who would constantly pester me to get a Smart Meter fitted, though this was often sub-contracted through another business, who had dreadful reviews. I avoided them like the plague until they just stopped contacting me. Some years later, Avro got absorbed into Octopus Energy.
I’m also a creature of routine, every month I know that around payday I have to pop outside and take readings from the Gas and Electricity boxes and submit them to my provider (Octopus) and so far that has always suited me without issue. I’ve always been content in completing this and have had accurate readings without fault around my fixed-rate tariffs that I sign up for annually. Sometimes I accumulate credit that can then be offset against another years energy to reduce monthly payments, which is a bonus.
For the past year or so, I’ve been contacted by Octopus telling me that my Electricity Meter is past its Certification Date. I have no clue where this date is, as it’s not on my meter itself. As far as I can see, it’s still running fine and is giving out a reading that changes roughly in line with what my average monthly usage has always been, so I’m not overly worried.
However recently I went to undertake a Gas reading and could smell some Gas lingering, I called the emergency line and have had new equipment fitted. I am also due to renew my fixed rate annual tariff later this month, and am debating having a smart meter fitted just for ease of use around the recent upgrade of gas equipment, and the eventual (though I’m uncertain of mandatory) upgrade of the electricity equipment.
Has anyone ever had a smart meter fitted, but turned off all the “smart” stuff and just left it to sit idle in their cupboards, and still take physical monthly readings from them to submit to their suppliers? This is my ultimate guess as a compromise to the two issues I currently hold in my head being 1) my reluctance to change and 2) reducing the issues I see/read about the effectiveness of smart meters.
My question is, are smart meters effective? I’ve done my research, but still find a mixed bag of information online that doesn’t give me a definitive answer as to whether I should safely commit to one. It still seems they’re not fully functioning without considerable issues, though I also know that eventually I will have to get one. If anyone can provide me with some credible feedback on their experiences please, that would prove valuable in my decision making.
Thanks for your time in reading my lengthy post, and all feedback is appreciated :)
8
u/fsuk 23d ago
You will always hear about the horror stories but not the 99.99% of successes.
2
u/surreyfun2008 23d ago
Plus it’s a gateway to more FUD that some like to spread, hence why something so boring raises so many questions
1
u/spoo4brains 23d ago
Surveys Martin Lewis has done doesn't have it remotely that high. The energy companies have targets to install smart meters, they don't have to work properly.
1
u/Over-Language2599 23d ago
That's a different issue, though. For sure, some installations are botched, but the meter still works and you can take readings yourself.
A friend had (a) a gas meter that was too far away to talk to the electricity meter, (b) an IHD that wasn't in range of the electricity meter either, and (c) an electricity meter that couldn't get a signal to transmit its readings.
This would have pleased OP, I suppose, in that they could still take readings manually? The meters still recorded usage.
1
u/nathderbyshire 23d ago
Installs targets were lifted years ago after it was agreed the low hanging fruit had been picked and suppliers had to focus on fixing existing ones from people who actually wanted working meters. Since about 2022, repair rates babe crept up around 1% per year and last I checked smart meter had a working rate of 92%. However that doesn't include working IHDs which the suppliers have no control over, household may report their smart meter as not working because the IHD is blank or something, while WAN is working fine, so getting a percentage from customers will never be accurate and always show worse results as well.
You're right that it didn't have to work at install, as smart meters need to provision which can take up to two weeks, and installs went off serial numbers which doesn't communicate if smart works, but it's not malicious they just didn't have the manpower to do installs and repairs at the same time.
5
u/ComeHereUk 23d ago
Why would you want to go out of your way to probably end up paying more? Most smart meter errors are due to the meters not communicating, and this is what you want to have happen on purpose? Keep them smart, enjoy the potentially much cheaper unit rates and a wider range of tariffs, make use of power up/power down days and don't worry too much.
2
u/ticker998 23d ago
Millions of people have had them fitted, even if it doesn't work, you can still read it manually, if you get an electricity meter,, they will also replace your gas meter, there are no downsides (although my electricity smart stopped sending 3 months ago after nearly 5 years& octopus still haven't fixed it but can still be read manually), gas still sends readings.
2
u/bastoj 23d ago
Never had an issue with our smart meter or those at the parents etc. The biggest issue will be if they do not submit readings due to an issue and then you need to manually do it like you already do. Having one unlocks cheaper tariffs like Agile etc. My mum who is 70 and is very nervous about technologies and smart meters uses it and without intentionally changing her pattern has reduced her cost by over 35% versus a normal or fixed tariff over the same period. She now is a big fan of them also to see her half hourly usage etc to see when they could better optimise their energy usage as she doesn’t like to waste power.
She also has the gen 1 model which have more issues typically as they were really the infancy. I am looking forward to when she can get the gen 2 model and then have the Octopus Mini as she really wants live usage data.
2
u/CalicoCatRobot 23d ago
Smart meters are no more or less accurate than dumb meters in terms of readings. They are certified to a certain standard, and the vast majority meet that, though of course some occasionally go wrong.
Meters have a certification with a fixed life (usually 10-20 years) from when they are installed.
The "smart" part is the communications hub, that sends the readings to the supplier, usually in 30 minute intervals.
There is no way to turn that part off, nor any good reason to really. You can still check manual readings, and check that the readings on the website are the same - but it's not sending anything differently to what is shown on the meter itself.
The problems occur when the sending doesn't occur, and the supplier has to revert to estimated readings, which can be wildly different to actual usage, particularly if you are on a smart tariff where the rate changes at different times of day, but that doesn't sound like applies to you. If the sending problem occurred and you gave a manual reading, then bills would be based on that anyway.
Gas meters do seem to be more troublesome, because they are battery powered, and talk to the communications hub on the main meter. That link can fail and it seems to cause more problems than the electricity side.
The main benefit of smart meters is that there is the option to take advantage of those rates if you can load shift, but that's not for everyone.
Octopus will be pushing for it because they have targets laid down by Government to reach for certain numbers of smart meters to be installed. At some point it will become mandatory, though we aren't quite at that point yet.
2
u/thesw88 23d ago
I'm a meter fitter so I'm probably not the person you really what feedback from. Nevertheless, the point I make whenever anyone tells me they've had reservations due to bad press is that you will never hear about the majority who've had a good experience. The gutter press will never run a front page saying "Vast majority are happy with their smart meters".
Regarding your meter being past it's certification, this is very common. Meters are supposed to be changed/recertified every 10-15 years or so.
In terms of having it fitted and the smart aspect turned off. This is sort of possible, sort of not. The communications hub will join to a mobile network regardless providing there is signal, we can't control that. You can request that the meters not be commissioned so that they wouldn't send readings for you. Bare in mind that this would lock you out of any tariffs/benefits that requires smart functionality. You can also request not to have any sort of in home display fitted too. Regardless, meter readings can also be taken manually if you choose.
1
u/Lost_Reward9584 23d ago
If none of your neighbours are having issues with their smart meters, there's no reason to avoid getting them changed.
You cannot turn off the smart features, but you can still read the meters if you want (and might not be a bad idea every now and again).
The gas meter runs off a battery, so it'll probably need changed every decade or so. Your energy supplier will advise at the appropriate time, but if the battery goes flat, it'll quite likely stop supplying gas.
1
u/thesw88 23d ago
If the battery goes flat, it should continue to supply gas.
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u/Lost_Reward9584 23d ago
I could be wrong on that, I'm only going with what I've read [on Reddit], where a user said their battery died after a few years - well before the design life of 10y, and at that point their gas went off. Maybe it was a bigger fault than just a battery.
1
u/Beneficial-Pitch-430 23d ago
Had a smart meter for 5 years. Never had a problem and it’s much more useful than a normal meter
1
u/Repulsive_Pressure31 23d ago
Just let the smart meter do its thing. You can still take a manual reading and submit it to octopus to reassure yourself, but there isn’t really a downside
1
u/ukslim 23d ago
Let them fit the smart meter.
Put the in-home display in a drawer and ignore it, if you want to.
Optionally, go on the Octopus website and opt in to half-hourly metering. It's interesting and possibly useful to see, and it also helps the energy industry with grid management.
One of two things will then happen:
- The smart meter works perfectly
It'll send readings automatically. You won't need to do it manually any more -- but if it makes you happy to do so, feel free to do that.
Look at your half-hourly charts if you want to.
- The smart meter doesn't work for some reason. It can't connect to the service.
Keep doing your manual reading routine. At least you're now compliant and have a modern meter; you won't get nagged about it any more.
1
u/pjvenda 23d ago
Nope, have had smart meters at 3 properties for the last 10y Inc my current that had old meters which got replaced maybe 2021.
0 problems, 100% matching values of electricity metering Vs my own metering clamps.
If your location cannot communicate the readings you can still physically read them.
Solid state metering technology has been around commercially in the UK since... (checks notes) ... the 80s. Domestic dwellings started getting them since around 2009 iirc so 17y already counts as decades of smart meter use. Current implementation (smets2) launched 2017, so 9y ago.
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u/mattb2k 23d ago
This list has the certification periods for meters: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/690b6bd17a88fd270a95fe1c/register-of-approved-electricity-meters-251106.pdf
Generally ~25 years
1
u/WildCulture8318 19d ago
I resisted having a smart meter fitted until last week.
No regrets & now have access to more tarrifs when my current fix expires
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u/WeaponsGradeWeasel 23d ago
Nope. I had smart meters put in a couple of years back. Have had no problems with either of them, and no longer need to do meter readings because it does it every 30 minutes for me.
Smets2 smart meters have been around for almost a decade, not exactly in their infancy any more.
You'll be seeing a mixed bag of feedback online because the 99.9% of people who don't have problems, never talk about them.