Smart meters

Discussion in 'Off-Topic Discussion' started by Loofah, Nov 14, 2017.

  1. Loofah

    Loofah Admin Staff Member

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    Had one fitted today, just wondering if anyone else has them and do you notice yourself making any changes to how you manage your gas and leccy?
     
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    • ricky101

      ricky101 Total Gardener

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      Hi,

      First thing you need to check is that the remote display is showing the right tariff you are on.
      We needed a phone call and a day or two for them to to remotely reset it.

      After a day or two looking at the remote display to see how it all works its ended up in the cupboard since then.

      From what they now say, the typical saving folk make due to these smart meters is just a few pounds per year, but everyone is having to pay £450 on their bills over the next few years to pay for them.

      Oh, and if you change suppliers, the smart meter display will likely not work properly as they still have not managed to make them supplier compatible.

      What you might call a total .... you know what !
       
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      • CanadianLori

        CanadianLori Total Gardener

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        I was forced to have a smart meter 5 years avo.

        Now, if I want to use the cook top or any leccy, I get charged a kings ransom. Using power between 7 at night and 7 in the morning is the only affordable time. I can time shift laundry etc because I work out of my home. But they also put high use rates for the times between 7 and 9 in the morning and 5 and 7 at night . So all those young families wanting to cook breakfast before work and for their kids or later make a hot supper, pay big time. And now the lowest rate is what the original high rate was and onwards and upward. So time shifting chores resulted in no rewards. The harder we conserve the more they charge. And we've already eliminated coal plants in my province...

        I haven't used my clothes dryer in over four years. Too costly. Lots of terrible restrictions to use power economically.

        I hope you don't get it in the ear like we did.

        You can pm me your address and I will send you a sympathy card.. I sometimes feel I should get one with my bill!
         
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          Last edited: Nov 14, 2017
        • ricky101

          ricky101 Total Gardener

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          Hi Lori.

          Some user can have a night tariff option like you seem to have, but many of us just have a standard rate 24/7 so its no different if we use the dryer at 10am or 10 pm.

          Just hope they don't introduce your system onto our smart meters !
           
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          • ARMANDII

            ARMANDII Low Flying Administrator Staff Member

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            You can bet they've got plans to do just that:doh:, but the Flak they will get trying to do so will make them think twice............plus any Government allowing it to happen wouldn't be in Government for long.:dunno::snorky:
             
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            • HarryS

              HarryS Eternally Optimistic Gardener

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              As Ricky , fitted it and had a play for about two days. Stuck it in a drawer some where , next too the sandwich toaster and George Foreman grill. It does show that if you switch something on it uses electricity. And when you switch it off it stops using electricity. Unfortunately this may be a revelation to some !
               
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              • Redwing

                Redwing Wild Gardener

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                We declined to have one as apparently they don’t work properly if you live in an area with poor mobile phone coverage. Research has shown that some houses can be charged for far more electricity than they use.
                 
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                • Jiffy

                  Jiffy The Match is on Fire

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                  Not be offer one and not going to have one, we don't need one to tell us what electricity we are using, the more switches you put to on the more elecy you use, simples

                  Better switch this computer off now it's using elecy :snorky:
                   
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                  • JWK

                    JWK Gardener Staff Member

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                    This is sadly true. I heard someone say that wind turbines are switched off at night to save electricity :doh:
                     
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                    • HarryS

                      HarryS Eternally Optimistic Gardener

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                      That is most likely true , as the major problem with electricity is you cannot easily store it . So all demand must be instantly generated. One solution is the Electric mountain in North Wales. Water is pumped up to the top of the mountain using excess electric power at night. During the day it can be released through turbines for instant peak demand . It is a hugely impressive engineering project.
                      Electric Mountain - Home
                      electric_mountain_under_construction3_photo_by_first_hydro_company.jpg
                       
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                      • Kandy

                        Kandy Will be glad to see the sun again soon.....

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                        I started a discussion about Smart Meters ages ago on here and after all the advise decided that we are not interested in having one until it is forced on us:biggrin:
                         
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                        • Phil A

                          Phil A Guest

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                          I used to live next to the pump storage mountain, when it switched on in the evening all the lights in town would dim :hate-shocked:

                          Despite being off grid now I regularly get paid a pound to do surveys on smart meters :heehee:
                           
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                          • Linz

                            Linz Total Gardener

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                            Edf keep pestering me to have one.. not interested.
                             
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                            • JWK

                              JWK Gardener Staff Member

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                              True. Reminds me of another urban myth circulating amongst the stupid, they think that these socket 'safety' covers help stop electricity leaking out and costing them money :heehee:

                              [​IMG]
                               
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                              • JWK

                                JWK Gardener Staff Member

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                                I know I'm now going off topic but I hope everyone realises that those child 'safety' sockets are actually dangerous within the UK. I didn't know till a couple of years ago at the hospital I volunteer at, I was suddenly tasked to go around and throw them away.

                                Our good friend Adam Hart Davis 's website explains why:
                                FatallyFlawed

                                Here's just a couple of examples of how dangerous they are:

                                Most can be pushed in upside down which opens the internal shutters leaving the live terminal exposed !
                                [​IMG]


                                This one is still being sold by Ikea which opens the internal shutter and leaves a little gap for inquisitive children:
                                [​IMG]


                                I still keep finding them in my house, fitted when we thought we were doing the right thing to protect our kids.
                                 
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