Can anybody explain why EDF need to write a letter to me, at least once
a year, to advise that they currently read my smart meter at 30 min
intervals and that I can if I wish change to daily or monthly readings -
do I care! It's a business account at a village hall.

Peter

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On 20/01/2018 18:17, Peter Andrews wrote:
Can anybody explain why EDF need to write a letter to me, at least once
a year, to advise that they currently read my smart meter at 30 min
intervals and that I can if I wish change to daily or monthly readings -
do I care!Â* It's a business account at a village hall.


IIRC it stems from worries some expressed about data protection/invasion
of privacy: eg "burglars will know when we are out".

--
Robin
reply-to address is (intended to be) valid

On 20/01/2018 18:17, Peter Andrews wrote:
Can anybody explain why EDF need to write a letter to me, at least once
a year, to advise that they currently read my smart meter at 30 min
intervals and that I can if I wish change to daily or monthly readings

Life expectancy of the battery in the meter? The more it responds to a
request to transmit data the shorter the life of the battery?

I've read that when the battery fails the supply may be automatically
cut off.

--
mailto : news {at} admac {dot} myzen {dot} co {dot} uk

alan_m wrote:

Peter Andrews wrote:

Can anybody explain why EDF need to write a letter to me, at least once
a year, to advise that they currently read my smart meter at 30 min
intervals and that I can if I wish change to daily or monthly readings

Life expectancy of the battery in the meter?

Smart gas meters do have batteries, but smart electricity meters work on
mains power.

alan_m wrote:

Peter Andrews wrote:

Can anybody explain why EDF need to write a letter to me, at least once
a year, to advise that they currently read my smart meter at 30 min
intervals and that I can if I wish change to daily or monthly readings

Life expectancy of the battery in the meter?

Smart gas meters do have batteries, but smart electricity meters work on
mains power.

Makes sense. I wonder who is paying for the extra electric to run
millions of smartmeters, them or us?

--

Graham.
%Profound_observation%

Graham. wrote:

I wonder who is paying for the extra electric to run millions of smartmeters, them or us
directly them, indirectly us I suppose.

Graham. wrote:
alan_m wrote:

Peter Andrews wrote:

Can anybody explain why EDF need to write a letter to me, at least once
a year, to advise that they currently read my smart meter at 30 min
intervals and that I can if I wish change to daily or monthly readings

Life expectancy of the battery in the meter?

Smart gas meters do have batteries, but smart electricity meters work on
mains power.

Makes sense. I wonder who is paying for the extra electric to run
millions of smartmeters, them or us?

Smart meters would not exist if the power companies did not make more
money from their use.

"FMurtz" wrote in message
...
Graham. wrote:
alan_m wrote:

Peter Andrews wrote:

Can anybody explain why EDF need to write a letter to me, at least
once
a year, to advise that they currently read my smart meter at 30 min
intervals and that I can if I wish change to daily or monthly readings

Life expectancy of the battery in the meter?

Smart gas meters do have batteries, but smart electricity meters work on
mains power.

Makes sense. I wonder who is paying for the extra electric to run
millions of smartmeters, them or us?

Smart meters would not exist if the power companies did not make more
money from their use.

But that can be because they dont need an army of meter readers.

"Graham." wrote in message
...
alan_m wrote:

Peter Andrews wrote:

Can anybody explain why EDF need to write a letter to me, at least once
a year, to advise that they currently read my smart meter at 30 min
intervals and that I can if I wish change to daily or monthly readings

Life expectancy of the battery in the meter?

Smart gas meters do have batteries, but smart electricity meters work on
mains power.

Makes sense. I wonder who is paying for the extra electric to run
millions of smartmeters, them or us?

With the ones that can allegedly turn off the supply remotely, it would
have to be them, otherwise they couldn't be turn on remotely later.

And its unlikely to be enough power to matter anyway.

"Graham." wrote in message
.. .
alan_m wrote:

Peter Andrews wrote:

Can anybody explain why EDF need to write a letter to me, at least once
a year, to advise that they currently read my smart meter at 30 min
intervals and that I can if I wish change to daily or monthly readings

Life expectancy of the battery in the meter?

Smart gas meters do have batteries, but smart electricity meters work on
mains power.

Makes sense. I wonder who is paying for the extra electric to run
millions of smartmeters, them or us?

With the ones that can allegedly turn off the supply remotely, it would
have to be them, otherwise they couldn't be turn on remotely later.

Yes but the "comms" may be on "their" side of the switch but still me
on the "metered" side of the meter

And its unlikely to be enough power to matter anyway.

My comment wasn't serious in that context, more about the principle.

--

Graham.
%Profound_observation%

On 20/01/2018 19:16, alan_m wrote:
On 20/01/2018 18:17, Peter Andrews wrote:
Can anybody explain why EDF need to write a letter to me, at least
once a year, to advise that they currently read my smart meter at 30
min intervals and that I can if I wish change to daily or monthly
readings

Life expectancy of the battery in the meter? The more it responds to a
request to transmit data the shorter the life of the battery?

I've read that when the battery fails the supply may be automatically
cut off.

I'm surprised an electric smart meter has a battery, apart from backup
purposes!

On 20/01/2018 19:16, alan_m wrote:
On 20/01/2018 18:17, Peter Andrews wrote:
Can anybody explain why EDF need to write a letter to me, at least
once a year, to advise that they currently read my smart meter at 30
min intervals and that I can if I wish change to daily or monthly
readings

Life expectancy of the battery in the meter? The more it responds to a
request to transmit data the shorter the life of the battery?

I've read that when the battery fails the supply may be automatically
cut off.


That is BS.
Electric meters don't have batteries to run flat and smart gas meters
wouldn't shut the gas off because of safety concerns.
You probably heard it from a paranoid I don't want a smart meter person.

On Saturday, 20 January 2018 18:14:08 UTC, Peter Andrews wrote:
Can anybody explain why EDF need to write a letter to me, at least once
a year, to advise that they currently read my smart meter at 30 min
intervals and that I can if I wish change to daily or monthly readings -
do I care! It's a business account at a village hall.

Peter


The ultimate purpose of smart meters is to cope with intermiitancy as renewable energy sources come to predominate.
You will be charged more when the wind don't blow.

On 21/01/2018 07:11, harry wrote:


The ultimate purpose of smart meters is to cope with intermiitancy as renewable energy sources come to predominate.
You will be charged more when the wind don't blow.


Or cut off when the wind doesn't blow!

--
mailto : news {at} admac {dot} myzen {dot} co {dot} uk

On 21/01/2018 10:59, alan_m wrote:
On 21/01/2018 07:11, harry wrote:


The ultimate purpose of smart meters is to cope with intermiitancy as
renewable energy sources come to predominate.
You will be charged more when the wind don't blow.


Or cut off when the wind doesn't blow!


Only if you are on a green tariff where 100% of your energy is from
green sources.

On 21/01/2018 10:59, alan_m wrote:
On 21/01/2018 07:11, harry wrote:


The ultimate purpose of smart meters is to cope with intermiitancy as
renewable energy sources come to predominate.
You will be charged more when the wind don't blow.


Or cut off when the wind doesn't blow!


Only if you are on a green tariff where 100% of your energy is from
green sources.

Then we'll all be on "green" tariffs.

I have also heard on good authority ("Big" Clive Mitchell) that in the
future, domestic smartmeters can be switched to a mode that will take
account of, and penalise you for, presenting a load with a poor power
factor.
--

Graham.
%Profound_observation%

On Sunday, 21 January 2018 14:50:15 UTC, Graham. wrote:
On 21/01/2018 10:59, alan_m wrote:
On 21/01/2018 07:11, harry wrote:


The ultimate purpose of smart meters is to cope with intermiitancy as
renewable energy sources come to predominate.
You will be charged more when the wind don't blow.


Or cut off when the wind doesn't blow!


Only if you are on a green tariff where 100% of your energy is from
green sources.

Then we'll all be on "green" tariffs.

I have also heard on good authority ("Big" Clive Mitchell) that in the
future, domestic smartmeters can be switched to a mode that will take
account of, and penalise you for, presenting a load with a poor power
factor.

That is already done to commercial users.

On Sunday, 21 January 2018 10:59:45 UTC, alan_m wrote:
On 21/01/2018 07:11, harry wrote:


The ultimate purpose of smart meters is to cope with intermiitancy as renewable energy sources come to predominate.
You will be charged more when the wind don't blow.


Or cut off when the wind doesn't blow!

Possibly even that.
Large commercial users can opt for that right now.

Well I expect its some awful default setting in the ever so helpful
settings that nobody knows exists until the system runs out of paper and the
postal bill goes through the roof.
I do sometimes wonder who trains the staff at these organisations when new
software is put in.
Brian

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This newsgroup posting comes to you directly from...
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Blind user, so no pictures please!
"Peter Andrews" wrote in message
news
Can anybody explain why EDF need to write a letter to me, at least once a
year, to advise that they currently read my smart meter at 30 min
intervals and that I can if I wish change to daily or monthly readings -
do I care! It's a business account at a village hall.

Peter

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On Sun, 21 Jan 2018 07:45:38 -0000, Brian Gaff wrote:

Well I expect its some awful default setting in the ever so helpful
settings that nobody knows exists until the system runs out of paper and
the postal bill goes through the roof.

Electronic bills/bank statements are OK but much prefer paper ones,
particulary for card/bank statements. I can tick off the entries as
being correct, write on the bill a pay by date and amount, place it
on the heap of others for payment to be set up next time I log into
online banking.

Trouble is the amount of paper you get with a paper bill thses days
is stupid and most of it useless "What is a kWHr?" "How can I save
energy?" etc. The core billing/statement information is all on a
single sheet, one or two other sheets go straight for recycling...
All I want are the facts, for a lecky bill that would fit into 1/3 of
a single side of A4, the upper 1/2 having address's, the lower 1/3
the paying in slip.

What amusses me is Barclays bank statements they are now at least
three sheets (only one useful). I remember a good few years ago, they
cut back paper statements to just to just the statement, this well
before electronic ones were available.

WTF can't companies offer a short form option of paper
bills/statements containing just the facts? It has to be opt in, so
those without net access (thus not able to set and option or download
a bill) get the "full" version by default.

--
Cheers
Dave.

In article l.net, Dave
Liquorice wrote:
On Sun, 21 Jan 2018 07:45:38 -0000, Brian Gaff wrote:

Well I expect its some awful default setting in the ever so helpful
settings that nobody knows exists until the system runs out of paper
and the postal bill goes through the roof.

Electronic bills/bank statements are OK but much prefer paper ones,
particulary for card/bank statements. I can tick off the entries as being
correct, write on the bill a pay by date and amount, place it on the heap
of others for payment to be set up next time I log into online banking.

Nothing prevents you from printing out your on-line statement.

--
from KT24 in Surrey, England

charles formulated the question :
Nothing prevents you from printing out your on-line statement.

Why would you need to, they are all there online carefully filed away.
You or you energy provider can both see those files if there should be
an issue.

On Sun, 21 Jan 2018 15:03:45 GMT, Harry Bloomfield wrote:

Nothing prevents you from printing out your on-line statement.

Why would you need to, they are all there online

And when your net connection is broke?

... carefully filed away.

One would hope they have a decent multiply redundant data back up
system but there ways that even that can fail.

You or you energy provider can both see those files if there should be
an issue.

And if the issue is that the current company copy doesn't agree with
the one they sent?

--
Cheers
Dave.

On Sun, 21 Jan 2018 13:18:37 +0000 (GMT), charles wrote:

Nothing prevents you from printing out your on-line statement.

Apart from the faff and if push came to shove it could be argued that
the dowloaded electronic document and any print of it has been
altered. A document printed on paper, with inks and machine I don't
have and matches those used by the company blows that out of the
water. There can also be problems with using a self printed utility
bill for ID verification, not everyone has photo ID.

--
Cheers
Dave.

On 21/01/2018 15:21, Dave Liquorice wrote:
On Sun, 21 Jan 2018 13:18:37 +0000 (GMT), charles wrote:

Nothing prevents you from printing out your on-line statement.

Apart from the faff and if push came to shove it could be argued that
the dowloaded electronic document and any print of it has been
altered. A document printed on paper, with inks and machine I don't
have and matches those used by the company blows that out of the
water. There can also be problems with using a self printed utility
bill for ID verification, not everyone has photo ID.


Its easy to scan and change paper documents and then print them on a
colour laser.
You can't tell the difference without using a microscope and knowing
what to look for.
I have laser printed my utility bill and used it for ID without problems.

On 21/01/18 15:21, Dave Liquorice wrote:
On Sun, 21 Jan 2018 13:18:37 +0000 (GMT), charles wrote:

Nothing prevents you from printing out your on-line statement.

Apart from the faff and if push came to shove it could be argued that
the dowloaded electronic document and any print of it has been
altered. A document printed on paper, with inks and machine I don't
have and matches those used by the company blows that out of the
water. There can also be problems with using a self printed utility
bill for ID verification, not everyone has photo ID.


I've never had anyone complain when I've supplied home printed material
like that for ID purposes - I think it's just considered the norm now.

On 21/01/18 12:19, Huge wrote:
On 2018-01-21, Dave Liquorice wrote:

[24 lines snipped]

WTF can't companies offer a short form option of paper
bills/statements containing just the facts?

*applause*



Litigation


--
Microsoft : the best reason to go to Linux that ever existed.

On Sun, 21 Jan 2018 12:23:37 +0000, The Natural Philosopher wrote:

WTF can't companies offer a short form option of paper
bills/statements containing just the facts?

*applause*

Litigation

Explain? Surely litigation can only be based on the facts, not the
inabilty of some dumb sod to understand those facts?

Or do you mean the Granny State taking action against the companies
if they don't include all the rubbush? But that could be worked round
with the opt in acknowledging that the rubbish won't be sent and you
don't need your hand held and arse wiped thank you very much.

--
Cheers
Dave.