On 28/10/10 14:40, Mike Barnes wrote:
Michael :
"Mike wrote in message news:vNJPXMj
lid...
Currently I read the electricity and gas meters at the end of each
month, fill in an online form, and pay for the actual usage near the
middle of the following month. I'm very happy with this arrangement.

My supplier (First Utility) has offered me free "smart meters".

http://www.first-utility.com/home-en...t-smart-meters

A smart meter takes automatic readings of your energy usage
It sends the readings via a mobile communications link to First Utility
We make your energy usage data available to view online
You receive an accurate, monthly energy bill

Experience tells me that if something is free there must be a downside,
but I can't see it. Is there one? Is this a consumer-subsidised scheme
like those "free" CFLs?


I wonder if it draws the power that it needs to run before or after it
measures the power that you are consuming.

You might also want to consider the implications of the 'Smart Tariff'.

Indeed I just did that and it works out more expensive.

So much for "free".

Therefore I'll leave things as they are. While investigating the tariffs
I discovered that I'm due for a substantial dual fuel rebate quite soon
- I'd forgotten about that. People might complain about the service but
FU been have very good for me.


When E-on fitted these for us we didn't have to change tariff, there was no
lockin, and they were explicit that the power used by the meter is not added
to the bill just like with any other electronic meter. They also stated that
it consumed less power than the energy needed to spin the disc in the old
analogue meters.

For us it was a no-brainer to have them fitted as it meant we never needed to
see a meter reader again.