SSE: REVEALED Inside Insight From A Smart Meter Employee
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 12 ก.ย. 2023
- SSE: REVEALED Inside Insight From A Smart Meter Employee
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When I was a child we had "service stations" where a man would fill up your car, check the oil and clean the windscreen. We had real people who spoke English answering the phone when you called a business or Government department. We had bag packers at the grocery store, we had police men who came to your home quickly if you reported an intruder. You could buy something from a furniture shop and a man would deliver it and install it for you. If things broke (which they rarely did because they were made properly from quality material) they could be fixed. Power, phone and water were Government run entities that were subsidized by taxes and were cheaper and not profit driven. Those days are sadly long gone!
Sounds like a far fetched utopia, yet it was only the '80s 😮😅
Somebody should have pulled the 'EMERGENCY STOP' cord in about 1990, would have saved a LOT of problems, and the £25 fine doesn't seem so steep now 😅
Margret thatcher sold our utilities with no authority, treason, all energy broker are peddling stolen goods,
@moonplus We all knew who sold of the utilities and there're still in power(the logest I've had in 1 job is 7 Yr) and they've been in 30yr,is it not about time that the public deserve better,send them back to the stone ago they don't deserve anything less.DONT vote tories, Labour or the greens(would walk everywhere) atthe next election,VOTE REFORM.
Those were the days when Britain was BRITISH.
Too right bless
If anything is truly to your benefit as a consumer they would do anything in their power to stop you getting it. The very fact they are virtually forcing everyone into getting 'Smart' meter tells anyone with a hint of intelligence that they are not for your benefit, it's for theirs.
The same would apply to medical interventions.
@@David-135beat me to it, experimental mRNA gene therapy injections was exactly what I was about to post
It was initially intended to be a win win scenario for smart meters. The energy companies could avoid the massive capital expenses of storage and peak load price hikes by incentivising customers to assist in grid load management. All in return for the prices being kept lower than would otherwise be the case. Think of the former economy 7 type scenario with variable pricing. Sadly the net zero zealots have ruined everything with their “punish the customers” ethos rather than educate the customer. 😢. They’ve set us back a decade at least.
Yes, the lockdowns completely changed the way I thought about myself as a consumer. They can soon stop people doing things like shopping, flying on holiday and so on, when they can get more wealth for themselves by stopping them doing it. .
Well said
What BOLLOCKS! I have an analogue meter, and read it myself and send the readings to the provider. Meters still get read occasionally, but its not something carried out regularly.
The purpose of smart meters is to increase charges, and to easily enable self disconnection.
That's exactly what I was going to say, send my readings down every month so this totally suspect.
Left British gas due to being hounded to have an SM, no chance, i can do it myself.
I don't have a smart meter and i ignore their messages to "please send in your meter reading" I don't work for British Gas and i don't get paid to do their job, if they want to read it they can send a little fellow round they employ like they used to do.
@@garyhendrie4001 i have british gas and a company (morrison data services) reads both my meters this company also reads for OVO (sometimes) also has read for Eon in the past.
@@garyhendrie4001 totally hear you Gary however, gave BG opportunity to read meter then found out the numbers were fiddled, fought it and got £100 sorry payment so always wprth keeping an eye on the readings 👍
The last house i bought had a smart meter. The previous occupant had passed away about a year earlier, and all year, British Gas sent higher and higher estimated bills and threats amounting to about 1500 to 2000 pounds. The moment I took over and got them to actually read the meter - they said, oh yeah and zeroed the bill. Technology + incompetence.
'Chancers, looking to extort if the dummy falls for it'. There, I fixed it for you.
As an SSE customer I've been offered a smart meter a few times over the phone and refused it by saying "I don't want anything smarter than me and I'm not very smart" They usually have a laugh and that's the end of it.
😂😂😂
@@10tendogsdonieunfortunately the government has passed a bill ensuring we will all have to get them by allowing for the forceful entry to your home if necessary.
If you don't want/refuse a smart meter, you're smarter than you think 😁👍
I thought SSE is now OVO?
@@humourless682 It is for me (now Ovo).
Convenience is leading western societies towards tyrannical control.
It is profits that are leading western society towards tyrannical control.
It's about what it's always about, money and control
I. Have just had a lovely man at my door telling me I am the only person in my area without a smart meter and tried his hardest to get me to have one fitted. I politely declined . 👍
Cialdini's 6th principle of persuasion " Consensus/Social Proof " - - - - textbook !
Simply tell them to piss off,while you can as soon you will all be having them force fitted,qoute by using reasonable force if required thanks to Mr sunak.
The older meters have already been phased out, soon you will be told you need a new smart meter to replace your old dangerous meter.
@@steviewylie5267 You blame Pinocchio for Geppetto's work?
I bought the electricity, it's up to me how I use it.
We need to put smart meters on MP's bank accounts to see where the money is coming from. "Davos ? "
SSE are currently advertising for Door to Door smart meter Consultants. The job spec describes the role as ‘robustly selling the benefits of a smart meter to households and highlighting their legal obligations to have a smart meter’ I wasn’t aware there was any current legal obligations to have one. And, also ‘to be firm in communication and guide the householder to right choice through refusing to take no as an answer’
And there you have the voice of tyranny, loud and clear. RESIST!!!
@@marchellabrahams The Energy Bill mandates that ''all meters '' must be Smart Meters.
How this will actually work remains to be seen, but it will be a Criminal Offence if you
do not comply, but the worse part is, that the ''Provider has a Lawful Right to Force Entry
without requiring any Court Order'' to Install one.
99.9 % of UK Citizens are not even aware that this is all being approved by the Government [presently a Bill]
and will come into force shortly. Only 19 MP's rejected it on its First Reading.
Unless the people unite and say this stops now, then in a couple of months this will
be Law, and not 'Tyranny'.
The sad thing is that the majority in the UK will do absolutely Nothing..
@@stevestephens8969what's concerning is how there's been little to no media coverage of this outrage, i could suspect government collusion to divert the public's attention elsewhere, like for example the recent crumbly concrete in schools issue.
@@stevestephens8969.it's law now ....😢
@@stevestephens8969 only the Wef Kings assent is left and then whatever period of grace before enforcement becomes mandatory is left, if any of that is left. Frankly we need to get off grid.
Smart meters kill jobs !
And by the information in this video, meter readers damage property, injure & potentially kill people. Which is the better option?
“Smart meters kill jobs.” So does all technology.That doesn’t mean it should always be resisted.
The cost of reading meters is enormous but there is also a legal responsibility on the suppliers to check the meter for safety annually anyway. Believe it or not, a small number of people interfere with their meters and steal electricity and gas!
Ex meter reader.
The main issue is the remote calibration of these meters and the ability to switch power off.
People are being hounded into a situation they have no control over.PLANNED.@@robertdell4612
I made the mistake of having a smart meter fitted, I used to be a meter reader for Siemens and had always read my own meter with no problems. I had a dual rate meter and day rate was rate 2 and night rate was rate 1, the new smart meter is the other way round 2 now 1 and 1 now 2. This caused Scottish powers billing system to reverse all of my bills for the last 12months more than doubling my direct debit. I'd always found Scottish powers customer service to be quite good in the past. Not anymore apart from one person who tried to help the other people were rude, lazy and just not really interested, one even cut me off mid call. All refused to let me speak to a manager. I could go on, profit before anything else and screw the customer.😡
we have just had a not so smart meter fitted, could not get out of it as the radio switch has to removed by next year.
I double checked the Economy 7 rates and times on it and they appear to be correct but will check what the bills are.
Scottish Power are a disgusting company, no customer service at all
I always thought that serving in the forces was the most dangerous occupation, obviously I was wrong it’s a meter reader! All those vehicles with dodgy handbrakes and those slippery steps to climb, nightmare 😂😂
I used to be a meter reader and it was a poxy job, attacks by dogs and irate customers was just part of it. Worst job I've ever had.😢
Yeah pointless bitching about his job ,out in all weathers my Ares ,I was a postie for 23 years ,that was all weathers ,not indoors fitting a metre,slips and trips,he ain't a royal marine ,cop ,firefighter for crying out loud.
@@dps8435 I agree with you. What he stated about all the pitballs that can happen to meter readers was so exaggerated . I have had the same little postie for years, always with a smile and a laugh whatever the weather and usually wearing shorts. Last time I had a new meter fitted they left me a smart meter to use. It is still in its box.
Out in all weathers ...in a VAN
The reason for smart meters that was not mentioned is that with one of these meters companies can start to charge more for usage at peak times eg 5pm to 8pm when a lot of people are cooking dinner or even at half time in the footy when people leave their chair to make a cuppa.
or turn our power off remotely
The standing charge is criminal in itself. You’re stuck in the situation where if everybody saves power, then the power companies profits decrease. So what do they do to ensure profits? Raise the standard charge! If only I could get out of this Mafia like scheme. If only I could get completely off grid, no gas, electricity, or water mafia, no council tax. If only.
I agree about the standing charge, I've often wondered if I could charge the energy company rent for the space taken up by the meters in my house !
Go and live on a desert island ? ? ?
You could always move to Mexico .
You can, it takes work and knowledge to become sovereign. I am on the way to doing so. An interesting empowering journey.
when people are struggling,what do they do?put the standing charge up loads,they come out with lots of reasons why,it’s just pure GREED.
I'm with Ovo, i keep getting letters saying that my electricity Meter certificate has expired... really? I didn't know i had a certificate?!? And that they are worried that it is not measuring my readings correctly. I give spot on readings before the 5th of each month, my readings are low due to very careful usage, i even use torches and candles for lights, never use the oven etc
I have flatly refused a smart meter, my neighbour's monthly payments have doubled and wishes he never had one installed.
Ovo also mentioned that if refuse, they will alter my tariff to a higher one, this cannot be right?!?? Its very intimidating indeed and manipulative. The government needs to do something positive sort out these companies. Thank God for Andy, that was a good video.
Strange - in over 40 years as a home owner I've never had a meter reader call. I've always been asked to send in self readings.
Same here ..
I read my meter and send the reading to my provider, shell energy, every month and pay for the usage not an average monthly payment system, a little trust us required, not a meter reader,, still don't want, or need, a smart meter it's basically a remote control for your energy provider to screw you
Do they have to fit a smart meter Michael to take you on as a customer? Do they have the standing charges for the meters. Mines with SP are nearly £32 per month.
@@margaretblack8538 they would like me to have a, smart meter, but as yet its not a prerequisit, so until the government energy bill is passed I won't be having one
I lived in a three bedroomed farmhouse in Scotland, admittedly colder than the rest of the country, but SSE charged me approximately £3,000-4,000 per quarter. They are now passing the buck of my complaint to OVO, who have distinguished themselves by opening an account on a property with no working meter, and charging me for electricity the property cannot use. Not even the Ombudsman seems able to sort out the mess.
Is there no way to destroy it ?
Blow it up, melt it, smash it etc etc etc ?
Stop paying immediately and tell the to take a long walk off a short plank!
@@nigelkthomas9501 Blimey, I haven't paid them a penny, don't worry!!
What a bargain
Ombudsman? He is only there is so people feel they have a way of retaliating, he will do nothing
I’ve lived in my current property for over ten years. In that time I’ve only seen a meter reader once. I give a meter reading on-line every month. I’ve moved to different energy companies three times since I’ve been here. They’ve all used the same web based meter reading system. I’m always being, shall we say, persuaded to have a smart meter. I always refuse. I really can’t understand why anyone would think a smart meter is a good idea. I have a background in IT. I fully understand the opportunities for abuse that smart meters give the energy companies. The best advice I can give anyone is whatever you do don’t get a smart meter.. 😏
👍👍
I have been taking and providing my own meter readings for years. Probably over ten since I saw an actual meter reader. Many others have been doing the same sending in their readings themselves and many already have a smart meter, so the push to get everyone to switch seems to be more about control. Energy companies should get on with supplying energy as they have done in the past, and stop the manipulation and intimidation of their customers.
The govt is going to give them the power to enforce entry into homes to switch meters to smart.
Then the government becomes my enemy and I must get them removed one way or the other. If anyone tries to enter my home without my permission people will get injured. If energy companies try to control me I will go off grid. @@triciabaker8992
Ive never thought about it that way before. I didn't realise meter reading was such a hard job. What we need is an energy supplier that has customers as stock holders. Then we could all benefit. Our country, our energy. Whats so hard about that? Keep up the fantastic job your doing Andy. Thanks very much.
We did once have suppliers in which we were 'stockholders'. They were called 'nationalised' industries, and although they did not return a profit to you, it was a legal requirement to generate (for example) electricity at the lowest price. That was their 'prime directive.' The prime directive of a private firm is to maximise profits for its owners. Quality of service is secondary to that.
Years ago i worked as a postman for a year if there was an aggressive dog at a property and it was unrestrained you could refuse to deliver and the householder had to collect his mail himself
I’m the smart one in my house, no room for imposters.
I hate SSE with a passion, they are now trying to charge me £2000 for a bill me and my flatmate settled as a final bill over 3 years ago. Now I can't get them to stop. It's starting to look like I am going to have to go to court just to stop the harrassment.
This doesn't account for legislation enforcing smart meter installation upto & including forced entry to someone's house.
Oh right so I "need" a smart meter to stop your van rolling away, now it all make sense. I'll book installation right away 😂
Our electric meter is so high in our garage, that I have to stand on the very top of a 6-tread step ladder to read the meter with a torch. They will only bring it down If we pay around £400 for the cost of the work, but then they will fit a smart meter. The gas meter is only waist height, why the heck do they have to put them up so high in the first place. We have only been here about 6 years and they were already in, I will not be having a smart meter, no matter how many times I have been asked. We are in our 60s now and I'm disabled and we can't keep reading this darn electric meter for many more years like we are doing. Keep up the good work Andy
They're as useful to the public as smart motorways and smart cameras..
its a shame we dont have smart politicians
The old electro mechanical meters were designed when the domestic loads were mainly resistive or almost zero power factor. They can’t read reactive loads as found in todays appliances correctly were the voltage and current are out of phase. The smart meters can read the power correctly, which is why the bills go up! I’m sticking with my old meter for as long as possibly!
There was another meter available which is not called 'Smart,' that appears to be digital - at least the display would indicate it to be so.
One was fitted around 1990 at my home. As a newly married couple we had begun executing the fitment of some serious energy saving ideas in what was my new brides home.
A guy turned up on Boxing Day 1990, said he was from the Electricity board and insisted we have our meter changed - there and then. He went on to ask if we had any spare lengths of some quite heavy-duty cable. He said these were required to enable him to complete his work. When we told him we did not have anything like what he needed. He then said he would have to disconnect us - presumably because he thought our old electro mechanical meter was faulty. Presumably our being left with no electricity over the rest of Christmas was considered normal by this gent.
My wife pointed out that she was in the middle of making a meal for our - soon to arrive - guests... however, she had to go into full Rottweller mode to close him down; she won. He managed to (magically) find ALL that he needed to complete his work and went on his way.
Bottom line: our usage remained (as far as I could tell) where it was before his rude and very unprofessional visit.
You are charged irrespective of power factor which ever meter you have.
Your bill has not gone up due to inductive or capacitive loads.
@@fivish also, the electromechanical meters cannot react fast enough to transient power surges, the “smart” meters can.
Me to
akula9713 That's interesting . Genuine question. What's the difference between resistive and reactive loads? What do you mean by out of phase?
We have had, on several occasions, had meter readers visit the property, read the meters, enter the details on their handheld device……only to be told by the supplier that our bill is estimated because no reading was received. Naturally their reading was higher than the actual consumption
The power companies are a law unto themselves and while I have sympathy for workers who have accidents it is down to the companies to ensure there are sufficient staff and equipment to carry out the work safely. One of my sons did recovery, a dangerous job especially on high speed roads but he was always careful ,followed sensible safety rules and ensured both he and the customer were safe. He has NEVER had a car accident and he has driven since the age of 17 he is now 40, rides bikes , drives lorries, and has covered in his lifetime hundreds of thousands of miles.
The new Bill which has just had it's third reading is a far bigger threat to our freedoms of choice as it could well see people and businesses fined huge sums and face imprisonment for not having the right form of heating and it looks like it will also make smart meters compulsory.
did you know that trying to change providers, most wont let you until you have a smart metre so we are trapped
Same with changing tariff with your current provider.
@@K_a_r_l_o_s Octopus have just offered me a better fixed-tariff with no such strings attached... apart from paying by Direct Debit that is.
Be careful with this too. Suppliers seem to imagine it is their business to ensure you end up paying enough money in, to cover your likely future month (or more) bill.
They were reluctant to allow me to reduce what they thought my monthly payment should be. I threatened them with going back to where I was (using the 14 day cooling off clause - to avoid a £150 cancellation fee) they stalled a bit, but conceded to my request at the end.
Become your own provider
Thats only with the biggies, why would you
I was switched to Scottish Power without my knowledge or consent when the last one went under just over two years ago. Haven't paid a penny since because they could not be given my bank details which is how I found out - they texted a few months later asking for them. Theyve recently decided to hand me over for collection but have no signed contract, I've written and informed them they have no implied contract either.
Cancel your direct debit and research non payment online, theres a load of sites that are helpful. You just have to lose the fear.
The last meter reader that knocked my door was wearing jeans and a T-shirt. I asked what he wanted. He said he’d come to read the meter. I said, where’s your id? He just walked away!!
I would suspect that he wasn't a meter reader.
Ironically, I've just finished reading my own two meter's, and sent the details via my PC. This system seems to work oK, as i get a full update of power used and cost, for conparison. It seems to be a very flexible way of keeping an eye on the balance between the seasons. But, it doesnt stop my supplier from pushing a ''SMART?'' meter system. But i'm not changing. ( while there is choice)
I’ve always thought that, in so many other Companies we are now doing their job.
. . as in 'self-checkouts . . .
Using logic,we didn't have this problem before power companies were privatised,when the grid was nationalised,and profits weren't required,the system ran as sweet as a nut.Obviously,without shareholders filling their pockets,there was enough money to cover any accidents or insurance claims and the systems never ran at a loss.The logical answer is to renationalise.
On a recent phone call to Southwest Water regarding my bill, I was told it costs £50 to read each meter. 🤔 Our home is in a private close however the meters are all outside the boundary of our close and so they should be read by the SWW personnel and not customers. In over 20 years of having a water meter I've never read a meter myself. I agree, these companies have forgotten who they are serving. Much like the rest of this country now, the hard working people of this once great country are totally ignored.
I am with EON Next and I have those "Electicity key" and "Gas card" meters. I have answered the door many times to people who ask me if I want a smart meter. I always refuse.
Smart Meters = Time of day pricing, nuff said it's coming.
I changed providers about six months ago, and part of their package was a new style display, only to find that the display only worked with their smart meter, so had to return it and use the original display from the original install, They are useful in displaying your usage and balance, but some I have seen "the ones with circles displaying red and green bars depicting your daily usage and costs" can be very hard too understand, my own works simply by displaying a balance of days and money left on both gas and electric clearly showing when a top-up is required. What always has amazed me is the smart pipes and cables that deliver energy to your home the fact they know only to deliver the cheaper gas to my home is outstanding.
I haven't seen a meter reader in about 20 years. It would be easy to do readings for many houses in my area. But they send an email and I reply immediately with the readings. Very quick and easy. The bill follows equally quickly unfortunately. I should have a reduction maybe as I save them all the problems you just read out.
Get rid of the 'standing charge' and I MIGHT consider replacing my pre-pay analogue meters with smart ones.
Gas standing charge = 37.8p per day, but for the last few months I have allowed the meter to go on 'emergency' credit (£10, no standing charge) and with only hot water usage that £10 lasts 3 weeks, which is 47.6p per day.
So 57% of my gas cost is just for having it there.
Why is it only 'utility companies' that need you to pay a daily charge for their 'supply chain' ? Supermarkets/corner shops/petrol stations all have supply chains, but they don't charge customers by the day.
They don't charge, because you can go somewhere else - you can't for utilities, you're stuck with the same small number of rip-off merchants.
The 'supply chain' is added to the cost of the product. Power generation & distribution is very expensive, and let's be honest here, extremely convenient - when you want it, it's there (most of the time). That's what you are paying the standing charge for.
I have been bombarded with emails telling me it's time to change to a smart meter for months now, it dawned on me after a while that the number of emails I was getting must mean that the smart meter would probably be of more benefit to the supplier than the consumer. This seemed to have proved to be true a few days ago when I got a phone call from the supplier asking me to make an appointment to have a new meter fitted. When I said I didn't want one she got quite upset and told me that the government wanted everyone to have a smart meter by 2025. I said I didn't care what the government wanted. This seemed to annoy her even more and she rang off. ???????????
They want to try working on a building sie or scaffolding and many more jobs,im sure the little darlings that read meters come very low in the big scheme of things,😂
After 'Smart' meters were installed in the south of Spain where I lived for 23 years, local protests about inflated.bills were so common that the local electricity office closed down and moved to a more secure area... just saying... people were finding that their energy bills were up to double what they had been before.
I used to work at utilita myself and we were told that the standing charges where to pay for the metre readers who are temporary and they have to read your metre legally every two years to check the metre is not tampered with and check the metre readings match up with their records I don't believe that would ever get rid of this because smart metres were introduced to have variable charging levels for throughout the day or night that's what they're for they're not they're not for anything to do with saving your money that's just marketing spiel to get you on board
I think most of us are aware of the real reason behind compulsory smart meters.
All that nonesense of meter readers that cost too much i refuse to accept.
I will resist until i receive legal letters saying they will force entry, if we all do the same
the police and locksmiths are going to be busy!
I spoke with a meter reader when they visited. They DO NOT work for the energy companies. They are an outsourced agency reading meters in a particular area for all customers regardless of which energy company they have signed up to. This makes excellent sense.
I suspect it will give the government better control. Perhaps ration energy altogether or just at certain times that suit the providers profit motive, or even cut you off for some misdemeanour. What horrors people who like control can inflict.
Eon offer a discount for paying their bill by direct debit but there's no discount for accepting a smart meter - just the offer of a drink in Costa Coffee (I don't want one) or to plant a tree (where? which species? who will weed, water and re-stake it?) I've refused to have a smart meter for reasons Andy quoted: it's no benefit to me but a big saving to Eon - plus the government can ration electricity when their Net Zero fantasy doesn't work. Good video - confessions of a meter reader!
We're all smart enough to generate our own power wonder what would happen if that were the case every one should do that and back them into the corner British people have gone soft we need to stand up to them or this country will go down the tubes and we will have zero money while thay live the high life great vid cheers
It’s easy to see why energy companies might prefer us to have a smart meter to avoid all the overheads associated with having meter readers. However, it’s the Government who have told the energy companies that they need to install a certain number of smart meters every year. I have been an Electrician for just over 45 years and in my experience the old analog meters will always be safer and more reliable than a smart meter. I have lived in the same house for the last 33 years with the same analog electricity meter which is still in perfect working order (unlike me). The ability to remotely read and control smart meters, and charge you variable rates if you want to do something irresponsible like having your evening meal in the evening during peak times is more like the real reason for their implementation. As for the claims that a smart meter will save you money, a large percentage of the U.K. are having to save money by simply not putting on their heating or lights due to the excessive price of electricity and gas.
Hello, (Former) Electrician here too (A proper one that did an apprenticeship back in the 90s, not a 3 day hero) I'm interested to hear what makes you say the old analogue meters (i presume you mean the rotating disc type?) are safer? Just to add, I worked for a company for 7 years that contracted to DNO's Eon/CN, SSE, EDF, SP, I've seen many meter & cutout fires, and other problems that occur on network faults...
Had eon try to ring me regarding smart meter installation. If they carry on pestering me ill see my solicitor and get him to send a warning letter.
When they run our of prison space for all us folks resisting (12 months Porridge), do we get a 4* Hotel + 47 quid a day like our Dinghy Floating Royalty?
No
Andy, your information is priceless. You just need a shirt and tie and a news background. Brilliant explanations and just plain honesty thanks fella!
It is a down ward spiral, no meter readers, no vans, van manufacturers selling less, no call centres less computers and then with no one going into properties to check, electricity theft will increase. As for paying shareholders they are also being ripped off as no company now pays a decent dividend. All the power is with the board no one to hold them to account as all investment companies pensions etc are all on each others boards.
My elderly mum was an SSE customer but is now with Ovo. As soon as the switch was made (which sh3 was unaware of until it happened) she started to receive letters telling her she was in arrears and her electricity costs increased significantly. In my experience Ovo is an aggressive company which hides behind a mask of ‘friendly greenness’. She cannot move away because there is no alternative provider in her area.
I was likewise forcibly moved from SSE to OVO. Soon after having paid my first quarterly bill with them I got a very heavy handed final demand for a completely different amount. It was for the next months estimated usage. OVO could not cope with quarterly paying customers!
The same thing is happening with my son, ovo took over and jacked his payments gas and electric from £37 a month to £99 now, how is he expected to pay that he lives on his own, now unemployed he goes out all day so he doesn't use anything, he won't use the cooker, only microwaves or he doesn't eat, these companies are SO wrong and greedy
Your correct regarding OVO, I HAD 8 months of hell with them & my bills were more random than the weather, bizarrely enough, no one at OVO had any common sense with billing a customer correctly.
I understand smart meters will allow power suppliers to trim back power supply when the capacity in an area exceeds supply....expect your power to be cut, freezers turned off etc when you get a very cold windless day in the middle of winter.
@@icouldbewrongicouldberightSunday with a bum
As a retired meter reader, experienced with electric , gas and water meters, I agree that reading does have its hazards. Many other occupations do also. Common sense and awareness is essential to stay as safe as possible.
Smart meters are a way to save the supply companies massive costs whilst keeping profits high, as mentioned. They are normally connected over the mobile networks, and do allow changes of tariff remotely. In France EDF, their national supplier can switch districts off at peak demand hours to maintain supply. No doubt that could happen here!
In past years early smart meters could only communicate with their parent companies, so a change of supplier by the customer would and did need another meter change, or it would become a dumb meter in the meantime. I don't know if that's still the case?
Personally I have an analogue meter, and don't intend having a smart meter if avoidable! Just send reads by Internet as necessary, as meter men are rare beasts here.
45 years ago, we were told, privatising essential services leads to increased market completion and results in cheaper consumer pricing. I think its safe to say that was a lie. Our energy, transport, fuel and living costs are now amongst the highest in Europe while real-term salaries has barely moved in years.
Most of the outlined can be said for post persons and parcel delivery guys. Generally going anywhere is a risk without working.
Surely by removing old style metres and installing smart metres should have made their compulsory daily charge rate cheaper, less overheads less manpower to read and verify metres etc etc. Then how come mine's gone up substantially more than doubled since I had a smart metre installed.
Why!!!
Smart metres are just another way of increasing utility companies already humongous profits.
Shares in SSE doing nicely thanks.
I (reluctantly) had smart meters fitted for gas, electricity and two for water! The main reason was that it was a pain having to clear stuff away (small flat) for someone to read the traditional meters. The two water meters have never worked, so I just send readings when it occurs to me - they seem happy with that. The gas and electricity (British Gas) seem okay but they couldn't supply the gadget that enables me to see my usage which was a bit of a disappointment. I'm not sure about them having the ability to switch me off, I figure they could probably do that anyway. For me, the advantage is not having to let people in to read the meters.
I rang up Octopus last week, to ask why our display device, was suddenly showing 10p per hour, instead of the usual 3p per hour under the same conditions.
I was told,
"the display device has no bearing on my bill whatsoever, it's just a way of showing that something is draining your energy"
I complained, and demanded that I had this explained in full.
No one rang back,
but we are back to 3p an hour again.
Welcome to the near future. When everyone is smart metered people will be paying all sorts of prices all over the day and night.
Same here got battery solar power still.expensive
As early as 2012, environmental health Professor David Carpenter, founder of Albany School of Public Health, and author of 370 peer-reviewed publications, issued a public letter on the plausible toxic risks of intensive, pulsed-microwave smart metering.
His letter Smart-meters: Correcting the Gross Misinformation was rapidly signed by 50 international health experts.
"We, the undersigned ... have co-authored hundreds of peer-reviewed studies on the health effects of electromagnetic fields (EMFs) ... Mass deployment of smart grids could expose large chunks of the general population to alarming risk scenarios ...
As of July 14, 2023, 259 EMF scientists from 44 nations
and 15 Supporting Scientists from 11 nations have signed the Appeal.
"could"
@@Technaudio "the ignorant will always participate in their own demise"
A friend got them fitted and their standing charges are nearly a pound a day.
I read my own meters and plan to continue to do so!
So no benefit to the consumer, only the company. How very surprising, who could have guessed?
They can put it in.... but I wont let it connect to the net... simple..
Thanks Andy . Anything SMART is not smart at all!! And SMART meters are very dangerous and very often the cause of fires. They say the fire on Lahaina/Hawaii was partly also fueled by SMART meters
ANY meter can catch fire. Usually as a result of poor installation, tampering, etc. The meter itself is not the cause.
Perhaps energy companies should offer a discount for customers who submit their own readings online, this is surely the cheapest option as it save meter reading staff and associated costs and saves the cost of having a smart meter installation.
Whoopie do I live on a hill.. Car💥 ….Also no ulez charges..
There is no law that says you can't install your own meter.
If your meter fails, as mine did they force you into a smart meter unless you buy a brand new replacement meter from the manufacturer at their full cost which they know are unavailable and not made anymore, its a complete scam.
I smell BS from that email 📧
You can smell what you want that email is spot on ovo hasn’t has a bean for years
Yep
It makes me wonder about the mental capacity of a meter reader if he can't remember to yank the handbrake on when he stops. Give me strength!
Yes! I call BS!
Very basic, low skilled job. Even meter fitters didn't need to have any proper electrical qualifications (don't know if this is still the case) I tried to get a job as a meter fitter years ago, despite having nearly 20 years as a fully qualified electrician, including 7 years working for a company that contracted to DNO's and having authorisation to work on the Distribution Networks, pull cutout fuses, change cutouts, connect & disconnect meters, I could not get a job as a meter fitter because I wasn't MOCOPA trained, even though my qualifications & authorisations were far superior.
I'm on pre pay ... never get meter read ... so that excuse for them to give me a smart meter .. holds no water
IV worked as a subcontractor for some energy companies.....there H&S costs millions....it's way out of control.
One job for E-ON could of cost around 10k on our behalf.......the job on our part was nearly 250k and there was other subs involved with there invoices.
As for meter readings.....IV just had a court demand off my energy supplier (for 18yrs+) demanding warrant to access my meter for inspection and possibly replace with smart meter.
Here's the joke.....my gas meter was read approx 6mths ago.
My electric meter is about 3 foot to side of gas meter on the outside of the house with nothing as a obstruction.
There just printing there own money and profits knowing we have to pay them.
It out of control.
I suspect the majority of meter readings are made by the owner/tenant and sent in over the internet. I don't think the energy companies do many.
Get your smart meters taken out for health reasons. You don’t have to divulge what your personal health reason is.
Isn't it in the energy company's contract that they have to send somebody out for safety reasons once per annum?
Yes, they are supposed to, my meters have not been read for many years, I do send in the readings every 3 months
@@icouldbewrongicouldberight mine have not been read my a meter reader for 10 or more years
They are. But between the Distribution Network and Energy Companies they don't want to know!
Pushing all the responsibility they can onto consumers and electrical contractors, while they run on equipment and cabling which is decades old.
Unlikely, i can remember the meter reader coming monthly i didnt let him in but read it for him for years. Sure to be 10 years since last meter reader came ina Corsa.
Other than that no one in 35 years lived here has asked to check or check any meter and ive been with loads until late and that aint a big 6 agenda pushing provider.
I don't think smart meters are such a bad thing, as pointed out they save a lot of trouble and expense for the energy companies. Having said that, it is the way that the meters are being used which is bad, and getting worse. Once the government finds a way to control us they will exploit it as much as they can, modern electronics are enabling them to do this, with energy, cars, phones, cameras, and anything else they can find.
I would also point out that you could easily see when you were using a lot of electricity with the old meters - you could see them spinning faster!
SRETEM
Australia you pay for them every bill. They do NOT tell you.
We need to pt our heads together and find out how to disable these digital meters without breaking them open. I’m guessing there is a way.
Just tell them to put it in Dumb Mode.
Where there's a Will, there's a way😊
Thank you again Andy for this latest information. God bless.
We phone our gas and electric meter readings once a month to British Gas. We asked an operator can your company read our meter readings? They said no we can't, so they must use estimated readings according to the size of the house and how many people live there.
This greed culture has no bounds. Take that awful Rose woman. She did a fantastic job at Nat West. Their profit rose (no pun) from 2.5 Billion to 3.4 billion last year. Great for the Company and even better for the shairholders. Not so good for the Nat West customers. The closing of branches, the dwindeling staff, us being forced into internet banking and no more paper statements, and 20 min wait on the phone to try and speak to people. Thats the way to run a succesful company nowadays.
Why do MPs not pay utility accounts 🤔 wish I didn’t have to pay them, quite a good perk that one, I try not to use my heating, never hardly used it last year I wrapped up in jumper and blankets, nice to know the MPs stay nice and cosy at no cost to them.
I was told by the local Energy company that they have surveillance capabilities…nice…
One point rarely mentioned is that the additional workload of installing smart meters means that they are being installed by new operatives who have only been on a ludicrously short course and often have no previous experience of high power electrical connections. And they are employed by 3rd party companies to install as many as possible a day. There is growing evidence of loose connections and even some mis-wired meters. Along with your snazzy new usage display you get the increased risk of a house fire!
GREAT NEWS --YET AGAIN
There may be accidents and on going costs with the installation and maintenance of smart meters too.
Meter readers dont exist where I live. I've not seen one since the 90s
😆 I just read mine myself and add the reading to my account online.
Me too. I send my meter readings to Eon once a month and I recently switched to variable payment. I pay by DD each month for the energy used for that month. Easy, takes 2 minutes, job done.
If their accidents are so great they need investigating
If anything was going to be a benefit to me they wouldn't offer it. The new bill going through parliament will "FORCE" us to have smart meters - end of storey.
Sounds like most of them needed to retake there driveing test one of the first things you are told is where the handbrake is and how to use it
Couriers are in fits of laughter listening to this
my wife reads our meter , she never has a problem!!