How to remove a smart meter in a new build?

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  • JoeSoap's Avatar
    Level 91
    I'm wondering what the privacy/security risks are here. I don't mind who knows if I boil a kettle at 3am (I am a bit of an insomniac) but if the system can be hacked so that I lose power or money then that would be a different matter.
    I'm an Eon Next dual fuel customer with no particular expertise but have some time on my hands that I am using to try and help out a bit.
  • WizzyWigg's Avatar
    Level 81
    Afternoon @JoeSoap there's probably more risk to privacy/security with a mobile phone (smart or otherwise).
    Tetley β˜• might be interested in your nocturnal habits. πŸ˜‚
    If you move out of your house nowadays you are more than likely to be on CCTV of some description. πŸ˜‰
  • geoffers's Avatar
    Level 29
    I'm wondering what the privacy/security risks are here. I don't mind who knows if I boil a kettle at 3am (I am a bit of an insomniac) but if the system can be hacked so that I lose power or money then that would be a different matter.
    Yeah - I think there's a lot of paranoia out there, some people are terrified of tech...

    OK - I agree that there are inevitably security risks on a macro scale, so if for instance Putin manages to hack into the system and decides he wants to bring down the system that's going to happen whether I have a smart meter or not. And if it gets to that stage I'm sure there will be worse things to worry about...

    People seem to be afraid that their usage is being monitored, but hey you have to give quarterly meter readings on a dumb system, so who cares if you're providing half hourly readings.

    The media paint a bad picture of people being remotely switched off, so I guess if you can't pay your bills I accept that maybe you wouldn't like to have one.

    We all use internet banking these days, and yes there are horror stories of people being scammed of their savings, but we still keep using it.

    Has anyone been scammed out of their electricity or gas yet?
  • WizzyWigg's Avatar
    Level 81
    Yeah - I think there's a lot of paranoia out there, some people are terrified of tech...

    OK - I agree that there are inevitably security risks on a macro scale, so if for instance Putin manages to hack into the system and decides he wants to bring down the system that's going to happen whether I have a smart meter or not. And if it gets to that stage I'm sure there will be worse things to worry about...

    People seem to be afraid that their usage is being monitored, but hey you have to give quarterly meter readings on a dumb system, so who cares if you're providing half hourly readings.

    The media paint a bad picture of people being remotely switched off, so I guess if you can't pay your bills I accept that maybe you wouldn't like to have one.

    We all use internet banking these days, and yes there are horror stories of people being scammed of their savings, but we still keep using it.

    Has anyone been scammed out of their electricity or gas yet?


    Spot on @geoffers . Let's be honest most modern devices are hackable. Fridges, vacuum cleaners, ovens, door bells, phones, tablets, ad infinitum! Where's there a will there's a way.
    Mr Orwell wasn't wrong with Big Brother.............. πŸ€”
  • basin7389's Avatar
    Level 6
    @JoeSoap, @WizzyWigg, @geoffers,

    It's essential to distinguish between privacy and security, especially in our increasingly digital age. While they overlap, privacy concerns our right to control our personal information, deciding what, when, and to whom we share it. Security, on the other hand, deals with the protection of this data from unwanted breaches or theft.

    In our case, we are talking about smart meters. These devices are not just measuring your energy consumption; they can meticulously document when and how you use every household item. The intimate details of our daily lives are laid bare, revealing patterns that, when analysed, can paint an uncomfortably detailed picture of our habits, routines, and preferences.

    Such a trove of data is tempting for many entities. There's a burgeoning industry around 'behavioural surplus' β€” where our behaviours, patterns, and tendencies are collected, analysed, and then commodified. In essence, we become products, our profiles sold to the highest bidder. This can lead to manipulative marketing strategies, pushing us towards products or services that we don't need, or even shaping governmental policies around these gathered insights.

    In giving away our privacy, we're not just revealing our favourite time to make a cup of tea or when we use our washing machine. We're giving entities the tools to understand, predict, and, in some instances, manipulate our choices and behaviours. Privacy isn't merely a luxury or a relic of the analogue age; it might very well be the most valuable asset we possess. Remember: once you provide away information, reclaiming your privacy can be an uphill battle. Guard it wisely.
  • geoffers's Avatar
    Level 29
    @JoeSoap, @WizzyWigg, @geoffers,

    It's essential to distinguish between privacy and security, especially in our increasingly digital age. While they overlap, privacy concerns our right to control our personal information, deciding what, when, and to whom we share it. Security, on the other hand, deals with the protection of this data from unwanted breaches or theft.

    In our case, we are talking about smart meters. These devices are not just measuring your energy consumption; they can meticulously document when and how you use every household item. The intimate details of our daily lives are laid bare, revealing patterns that, when analysed, can paint an uncomfortably detailed picture of our habits, routines, and preferences.

    Such a trove of data is tempting for many entities. There's a burgeoning industry around 'behavioural surplus' β€” where our behaviours, patterns, and tendencies are collected, analysed, and then commodified. In essence, we become products, our profiles sold to the highest bidder. This can lead to manipulative marketing strategies, pushing us towards products or services that we don't need, or even shaping governmental policies around these gathered insights.

    In giving away our privacy, we're not just revealing our favourite time to make a cup of tea or when we use our washing machine. We're giving entities the tools to understand, predict, and, in some instances, manipulate our choices and behaviours. Privacy isn't merely a luxury or a relic of the analogue age; it might very well be the most valuable asset we possess. Remember: once you provide away information, reclaiming your privacy can be an uphill battle. Guard it wisely.
    So I presume you're not typing this from your mobile phone...

    It seems that people are willing to be tracked by big (evil πŸ€“) tech companies like Apple & Google, but there instant there's a hint of government involvement they get all in a tizz 🀣
  • JoeSoap's Avatar
    Level 91
    Afternoon @JoeSoap there's probably more risk to privacy/security with a mobile phone (smart or otherwise).
    Tetley β˜• might be interested in your nocturnal habits. πŸ˜‚
    If you move out of your house nowadays you are more than likely to be on CCTV of some description. πŸ˜‰

    There's me with my banking apps, that I don't want to be without, worrying about my smart meters getting hacked 🀣. It's probably a subconscious thing where I'm looking for a reason not to have an engineer round to do who-knows-what to get my meters talking to the world again πŸ€”.

    Tetley???? ... It's Yorkshire Tea for me β˜•
  • JoeSoap's Avatar
    Level 91
    Yeah - I think there's a lot of paranoia out there, some people are terrified of tech...

    OK - I agree that there are inevitably security risks on a macro scale, so if for instance Putin manages to hack into the system and decides he wants to bring down the system that's going to happen whether I have a smart meter or not. And if it gets to that stage I'm sure there will be worse things to worry about...

    People seem to be afraid that their usage is being monitored, but hey you have to give quarterly meter readings on a dumb system, so who cares if you're providing half hourly readings.

    The media paint a bad picture of people being remotely switched off, so I guess if you can't pay your bills I accept that maybe you wouldn't like to have one.

    We all use internet banking these days, and yes there are horror stories of people being scammed of their savings, but we still keep using it.

    Has anyone been scammed out of their electricity or gas yet?

    The truth is, I really miss seeing my half-hourly usage in my Bright app since my meters went dumb so I'm happy to risk others seeing it as long as I can too.
  • WizzyWigg's Avatar
    Level 81

    Tetley???? ... It's Yorkshire Tea for me β˜•

    Sean Bean might be watching πŸ‘€ you! πŸ˜‚
  • JoeSoap's Avatar
    Level 91
    Sean Bean might be watching πŸ‘€ you! πŸ˜‚

    Better than coffee bean... if you're a tea drinker πŸ˜‚