Smart Meters. Anyone had one installed? Smart Thermostats?

[geoffshep]

I have both. Smart meters are useful for accurate (most of the time!) billing without having to send meter readings or have the meter reader call. So the linked bit is useful - the other side is that they have some sort of display to show your current usage. The problem(s) with ours are that the first generation display is way too bright, with a huge green light which illuminates the entire room - and it uses up a socket as it needs continuous power (partially defeating the object?). So we do not use the display at all. Later models have somewhat better displays. Tat said, I am not overly bothered about my current usage - it is fine to know that the kettle is drawing a lot of power, but I am not going to stop using the kettle because of it.

Secondly, it is not very smart. We had it installed by British Gas, but when we switched to EON they couldn't read it. Because we had a smart meter marker, we couldn't get the quarterly email notification to send readings so the reader had to call - you couldn't make it up! Now we are back on BG, they work as they did before.

As for the thermostat, we have Hive and it is very good. The remote control is useful, and although it sounds lazy, it is much easier to program the thermostat from your device, even from the same room, than it is to do it on the thermostat itself. Nest has other functions but is mains powered so needs to be near a socket. Hive is battery powered and can be anywhere - and can be unhooked and moved about the house if required.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

It is the peak usage that causes the problem - the spikes. It cannot be beyond technology to charge a multiple of different rates through the day and night. We've Economy 7 (necessity, no mains gas), but it could be more controlled than that - if you have a base rate of perhaps 15p, there is no reason why they shouldn't charge 10p at two in the afternoon, 12p at ten in the morning, 5p at two in the morning, 9p at five in the morning and 30p between five and six in the afternoon ...
all e.g. of course. Without looking, the spikes are something like 7.00am - 8.30am and 5.00pm and 6.30pm - these are what they should be trying to control, and a lot of the usage between those hours is only habit. We don't need to cut consumption to save building a new power station, we just need to control the spikes, the maximum demand.

 

[pcb1962]

The PowerWatch site is setup to scare stupid and gullible people into buying his very expensive and utterly useless meters and detectors.
It's a complete and utter scam.

What about the World Health Organisation report on EMF and cancer:

https://monographs.iarc.fr/ENG/Monograp ... mono80.pdf

The report that concluded this?

5.5 Evaluation

There is limited evidence in humans for the carcinogenicity of extremely low-
frequency magnetic fields in relation to childhood leukaemia.

There is inadequate evidence in humans for the carcinogenicity of extremely low-
frequency magnetic fields in relation to all other cancers.

There is inadequate evidence in humans for the carcinogenicity of static electric
or magnetic fields and extremely low-frequency electric fields.

There is inadequate evidence in experimental animals for the carcinogenicity of
extremely low-frequency magnetic fields.

In other words there's less danger from EMF radiation that there is from standing outside on a sunny day.

Nothing personal woodpig, I just hate scammers who prey on vulnerable people, and all the people who setup these websites that sell expensive solutions to a problem that doesn't exist are beneath contempt.

 

[Duncan A]

But the power companies are not introducing smart meters for the consumers benefit - whatever the marketeers might assert. I suspect the real reasons are:

- reduce their costs of meter reading
- enable remote disconnection in cases of payment default
- build the infrastructure to enable flexible pricing by time segment, necessary as capacity is under severe strain.

The power companies are fitting smart meters because they've been ordered to by the government. Naturally, they will try to use them to their advantage but, at the present stage of tech development, they're an £11 billion expense which goes onto our bills with very few benefits for the end user. If people can't be bothered to switch lights off or turn the heating down to save money/save the planet, do the government really think that the same people are going to sit hunched over their smart meter analysing energy usage to the last Watt?

For the conspiracy theorists out there, the majority of the meters are made in China and there are fears that they have embedded software that would enable China to shut down power nationwide in the event of conflict. No idea if that is true!

As for "Smart" devices generally, we've all seen lately how easy they are to hack into for all manner of nefarious purposes. Personally, I intend to steer clear of them until they offer better functionality and better protection.

Duncan

 

[Racers]

We have a programmable thermostat with 4 temperature/time settings for weekdays and weekends it does every thing we need, its not connected to the internet the battery last years so its cheap to run, isn't hive £9 a month?

Pete

 

[Sheffield Tony]

"The best system out there is the honeywell evohome which controls each radiator individually by motorised TRVs instead of just heating the whole house when the boiler comes on".

For most people, this an absolute nonsense. The only way this will work is if every door in the house is closed all the time. I would be astounded if any of you keep EVERY door closed ALL the time. only opening it for passing through and then closing it again.1 bedroom door left open and its suddenly the hottest room in the house.
I cant imagine how long it would take to recoup the cost of those motorised valves and wiring.

I'm with you there. In a well insulated house, keeping the whole house warm isn't too costly. In a poorly insulated house, heating just part of it is a really good way of encouraging condensation in the cold rooms.

 

[dcmguy]

I am not an expert but......

From what I have read the smart meter is mostly for the benefit of the electricity company. So far I have heard nothing positive about them from anybody but the energy suppliers. I have heard lots of suspicions and doubts from sources outside the electricity industry. I am waiting until I know more.

You can buy a consumption meter independently.

• Last I read was that the smart meters from different suppliers do not co-operate, so a smart meter fitted by supplier A cannot be read by supplier B (check this is fact). If this is so then it is another barrier to switching
• The smart meter transmits your meter reading (over wifi I think, may even use your wifi, check this is fact) so that the man does not need access to get your meter reading.
• I would need to check the security before I let such a device inside my walls. What if scrotes could monitor your energy usage - they could sit in their car and see which people were consuming little/no leccy and determine who is in and who is not......?
• Suppliers may use them to use 'differential pricing', ie different prices at different times of day. This will be touted as a saving for the customer, but even if it is it will make tarrif comparisons even harder.

Just my tuppence - I'll get my (tin foil) hat now.

That seems about right I think. With all this alternative energy stuff from different things like tidal barrages and wind farms and solar and whatever coming through the whole power availability landscape is changing dramatically I reckon. Supply is bound to be more variable. So energy companies are going to have to manage flows better and use pricing to target the people who wont pay a premium price to be 'browned out' when supply isnt enough. I must remember to do the lottery!

 

[MMUK]

How can we be short on power in the UK? As of this year we have a generation capacity in excess of 60GW, not including standby engines. In the last 12 months, demand hasn't exceeded 48GW.