[retrotecchie]

@meldrewreborn

I know this, but just because it is, or has somehow become, 'accepted industry practice' that doesn't make it sit right with me.

Sure, if you want a smart meter to take advantage of a 'dangled carrot' of cheaper rates, all well and good but the industry should not be allowed to beat the rest of us with the 'stick' of paying for smart metering rollout as part of our standing charges, especially those of us who simply cannot have smart meters anyway.

Rather like the switchoff of analogue telly. That was something else that seemed like a good idea to someone until we (the great unwashed) realised we'd have to go out and spend our own money on set top boxes and throw away all our redundant VCRs.

"Ah, but it gives you more choice", they said. "Oh," I replied, "can I choose not to participate?"

"No, just hand over more of your money..."

Just because newer technologies say 'you can...' doesn't mean 'you should....'

I chose to have a black and white TV right up into the late 90s, because the licence was so much cheaper. I was never at home much and only watched the news and the snooker occasionally. Snooker was always fine...'for those of you watching in black and white, the pink is just behind the blue'.

But, before @Beki_EONNext beats me with her big stick for going a bit too far off topic...

Smart meters...for so many reasons, just NO!

[meldrewreborn]

@retrotecchie

I hear you - but very few others are.

With much of todays stuff, the march of technological progress means that perfectly serviceable kit has to be junked, in order to keep up with newer stuff that we don't actually have uses for that our old stuff didn't.

[retrotecchie]

It's why I'm called retrotecchie....

I still work on stuff that was mainstream in the 90s because it still does what it says on the tin, and it's more cost effective to not replace it for the sake of it.

[retrotecchie]

I prefer to install my own smart metering...



So much tidier than the bulky ugly old things they stick in your cupboard under the stairs. One in each sub board, plus one in the main consumer unit, all linked back to Mission Control in my office.

And reads to an accuracy of 0.01kWh. This one is in the sub DB for the barn/office which allows me to accurately work out exactly how much electricity I have used for business use and can claim back accordingly.