[WizzyWigg]

An interesting little article on the BBC News website this morning.


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cq52382zd1no

[Indyk_EONNext]

Hey @WizzyWigg

Thank you for sharing 😊

[meldrewreborn]

Clearly the BBC don’t understand that the chap who’s had 6 smart meters has incurred costs for the rest of us of well over £1,000 for meters removed before the end of their life.

Not fitting meters with mobile enabled communication hubs in the North because of Government regulations is patently stupid, and is totally symptomatic of the dysfunctional smart meter programme, which is costing us all a great deal(the BBC doesn’t have a clue!) and at present delivers only tiny benefits to the average consumer.

[geoffers]

Originally Posted by meldrewreborn

....Not fitting meters with mobile enabled communication hubs in the North because of Government regulations is patently stupid, and is totally symptomatic of the dysfunctional smart meter programme...

Although these sort of comments are probably quite relevant now, what people don't seem to understand or take into account is that when the system was designed (maybe >15 years ago) this was probably a very sensible design consideration.

Technology moves on, and we now know things could have been done better. It is only with the benefit of hindsight that with advances in technology and coverage that we can see it could be much improved. I bet people watching Star Trek in the 70's never thought we'd all be carrying hand-held, personal communicators now.

and at present delivers only tiny benefits to the average consumer.

but without embarking on a such a scheme how would there ever be any development - the luddites opposed technological advances in the 19th century, so taking that view you'd never get any progress.

For instance some interesting govt. funded Smart Meter based IoT schemes described here Smart Meter Based Internet of Things Applications

[meldrewreborn]

@geoffers

you are not wrong but does the way things are done only get changed when the MSM identify the problem? The smart meter programme is government inspired and regulated but financed entirely by customers who have no say in how it’s delivered. Any impartial observer reviewing it could only be critical. It’s years late, many meters don’t work, and nobody appears responsible. The economic appraisal produced by the government years ago now is completely worthless. Benefits are scarce or still years into the future.
the public are sold smart metering on the advantages of the IHD to consumers but suppliers refuse to replace them if they die more than 12 months after installation.

The whole programme needs reassessment working on a sunk costs basis, that is what is the best way to deliver starting with a clean slate. Piggybacking on broadband might be a good place to start.

given that this was the initiative of one Ed Miliband, perhaps we should not find this surprising. But while past performance isn’t entirely predictive, it does suggest his latest plan for a clean electricity grid by 2030 is in trouble before it starts

[geoffers]

Originally Posted by meldrewreborn

@geoffers
....the public are sold smart metering on the advantages of the IHD to consumers but suppliers refuse to replace them if they die more than 12 months after installation.

Yep - that's certainly how it's been sold to the consumer, and many folk just seem to look at how as individuals they can manage without needing a smart meter (so many comments about reading their own meters; keeping spreadsheets etc)

But that's not actually the reason for the introduction of the smart meter program - the whole point (hidden agenda if you like) is because of the push for decarbonisation. So resources are becoming more limited but demands are becoming ever greater (EVs / electric heat pumps - love them or hate them / phasing out gas boilers etc etc) so there's got to be some way of having a more intelligent metering network, rather than relying on periodic manual reads of the meters.

I personally never look at my IHD, and although having had smart meters for nearly 6 years it's only over the last year or so (since getting a hybrid EV) that I've taken a bit more interest in the whole energy issue

[meldrewreborn]

@geoffers

I’m aware of the underlying rationale for smart metering, the idea that by getting consumers to shift their consumption out of peak periods can allow us as a nation to operate with 2 or 3 fewer power stations so making savings for all consumers, especially if they’re gas fuelled.

for that to work TOU tariffs will need to become mainstream, and I really doubt that will ever happen, as we have discussed before.

personally I don’t feel that an IHD will tell me anything that I don’t already know - my own smart meters are due for installation in 3 weeks. Then I can test out my faraday cage theory🤪

[retrotecchie]

@meldrewreborn

If that doesn't work, do you want to field-test one of my jammers?

[Mailman]

Looks like Panorama covered this tonight as well. I shall try to watch it Tuesday.

[retrotecchie]

@Mailman

I watched it tonight. What a load of old rot.

Bottom line - smart metering had cost 30-odd billion quid and rising by three years ago and the total net benefit to consumers will only be around 6 billion when the rollout is finally completed. Not exactly good value for money, is it?

The wasted money on this white elephant could have built Hinkley Point ten years ago or upgraded the grid to the required capacity for all the new renewables that can't be connected because the grid isn't up to it!

It just highlighted what I've said and maintained all along. Smart meters are a complete and utter waste of everyone's time and the billpayers money.