It's a shame that the main two people contributing possible answers to my questions appear to not have smart meters and are sceptical of them. Thank you to them however for attempting answers.

I feel I'm pretty well informed on green energy sources/systems having run solar PV since 2011. I'm using solar and batteries in conjunction with an half hourly agile smart meter tariff and automation using Home Assistant with Predbat, to achieve an average daily cost of 9 to 10 p/kWh for my electricity import.
I am optimistic that these techniques will eventually help with driving smoother greener energy generation. However the energy supply companies need to get better with providing knowledgeable staff for support and education. I'm talking to you EON Next.