Has anyone, anywhere had one actually supplied yet?
Ofgen claim they are available but EDF who I'm with say they are not. Who is
telling porkies. I have put my foot down with a firm hand and told them, I'm
not getting a smart meter fitted until you can demonstrate to me you have
and can supply a talking display.
It is not rocket science heck, LLoyds and other banks have been giving away
talking card readers for years.

Brian

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This newsgroup posting comes to you directly from...
The Sofa of Brian Gaff...

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On 29/05/2018 14:48, Brian Gaff wrote:
Has anyone, anywhere had one actually supplied yet?
Ofgen claim they are available but EDF who I'm with say they are not. Who is
telling porkies. I have put my foot down with a firm hand and told them, I'm
not getting a smart meter fitted until you can demonstrate to me you have
and can supply a talking display.
It is not rocket science heck, LLoyds and other banks have been giving away
talking card readers for years.

Brian


A talking smart meter could well be useful to you, but if you want want
it would be better to have a SMETS 2 meter which should still work if
you move suppliers.


--
Michael Chare

Michael Chare submitted this idea :
A talking smart meter could well be useful to you, but if you want want it
would be better to have a SMETS 2 meter which should still work if you move
suppliers.

Last I heard, SMETS 2 are not yet on general issue yet - still only in
the limited issue for testing purposes. Some SMETS 1's they say might
be able to be upgraded to a SMETS 2 spec.,

On 29/05/2018 17:29, Harry Bloomfield wrote:
Michael Chare submitted this idea :
A talking smart meter could well be useful to you, but if you want
want it would be better to have a SMETS 2 meter which should still
work if you move suppliers.

Last I heard, SMETS 2 are not yet on general issue yet - still only in
the limited issue for testing purposes. Some SMETS 1's they say might be
able to be upgraded to a SMETS 2 spec.,

I regard them a a security weakness as it allows the supplier to
determine when the house might be unoccupied.

--
Michael Chare

Michael Chare wrote on 29/05/2018 :
I regard them a a security weakness as it allows the supplier to determine
when the house might be unoccupied.

The entire days data is sent once per day, at around midnight. At best
it only suggests when the house 'might' not have been unoccupied (past
tense), rather than when it will be unoccupied. However, what use would
such current knowledge be to an energy supplier, for those who are less
paranoid?

Michael Chare wrote
Harry Bloomfield wrote
Michael Chare wrote

A talking smart meter could well be useful to you, but
if you want want it would be better to have a SMETS 2
meter which should still work if you move suppliers.

Last I heard, SMETS 2 are not yet on general issue yet - still
only in the limited issue for testing purposes. Some SMETS
1's they say might be able to be upgraded to a SMETS 2 spec.,

I regard them a a security weakness

Not enough of one to matter tho.

as it allows the supplier to determine
when the house might be unoccupied.

But druggy burglars don't do it that way and its easy
enough to make the house look occupied so that
even if some enterprising kid who works for the
soppier does work out that the house might be
unoccupied, finds that it looks occupied when
he shows up with his swag to loot the place.

On 29/05/2018 17:29, Harry Bloomfield wrote:
Michael Chare submitted this idea :
A talking smart meter could well be useful to you, but if you want
want it would be better to have a SMETS 2 meter which should still
work if you move suppliers.

Last I heard, SMETS 2 are not yet on general issue yet - still only in
the limited issue for testing purposes. Some SMETS 1's they say might be
able to be upgraded to a SMETS 2 spec.,

They're supposed to be going to convert all SMETs 1s to be able to be
used by all suppliers by October. I didn't say will...

--
F

On 29/05/2018 21:44, Harry Bloomfield wrote:
Michael Chare wrote on 29/05/2018 :
I regard them a a security weakness as it allows the supplier to
determine when the house might be unoccupied.

The entire days data is sent once per day, at around midnight. At best
it only suggests when the house 'might' not have been unoccupied (past
tense), rather than when it will be unoccupied. However, what use would
such current knowledge be to an energy supplier, for those who are less
paranoid?

Someone on the suppliers staff might make use of the information. Much
less energy is used when the property is unoccupied. No fridge or cooking.



--
Michael Chare

"Michael Chare" wrote in message
news
On 29/05/2018 21:44, Harry Bloomfield wrote:
Michael Chare wrote on 29/05/2018 :
I regard them a a security weakness as it allows the supplier to
determine when the house might be unoccupied.

The entire days data is sent once per day, at around midnight. At best it
only suggests when the house 'might' not have been unoccupied (past
tense), rather than when it will be unoccupied. However, what use would
such current knowledge be to an energy supplier, for those who are less
paranoid?

Someone on the suppliers staff might make use of the information.

Very unlikely indeed.

Much less energy is used when the property is unoccupied.

In winter, sure.

No fridge or cooking.

Only a fool turns the fridge off when away for a while.

Michael Chare wrote on 30/05/2018 :
On 29/05/2018 21:44, Harry Bloomfield wrote:
Michael Chare wrote on 29/05/2018 :
I regard them a a security weakness as it allows the supplier to determine
when the house might be unoccupied.

The entire days data is sent once per day, at around midnight. At best it
only suggests when the house 'might' not have been unoccupied (past tense),
rather than when it will be unoccupied. However, what use would such
current knowledge be to an energy supplier, for those who are less
paranoid?

Someone on the suppliers staff might make use of the information. Much less
energy is used when the property is unoccupied. No fridge or cooking.

What and drive maybe 2-300 miles to burgle my home? Seems a bit of a
long shot that anyone might even consider that being a viable way to
determine when an address might be empty, when they could simply knock
on a local door and see if anyone answers.

Another way would be to watch the gas flue for steam in winter. No
steam, no heating on - potentially unoccupied.

In message , Michael Chare
writes

I regard them a a security weakness as it allows the supplier to
determine when the house might be unoccupied.

I'm not convinced by that argument. When we go away, things like alarm,
fridge and freezer are still running, as are lights and radio on timer.
OK, we will not be running the washing machine or dishwasher, or have
laptops etc. charging, so yes, our consumption would drop, but looking
back (I take meter readings same day every month), the difference is not
that obvious.
--
Graeme

Graeme used his keyboard to write :
I'm not convinced by that argument. When we go away, things like alarm,
fridge and freezer are still running, as are lights and radio on timer. OK,
we will not be running the washing machine or dishwasher, or have laptops
etc. charging, so yes, our consumption would drop, but looking back (I take
meter readings same day every month), the difference is not that obvious.

--

Yes, but - the smart meters are capable of logging the reading every
30minutes, which they then report back at around midnight. Differences
between occupied and not occupied are very obvious, but only you and
the suppliers staff have access to the data. So it seems rather
unlikely to me, that anyone might bother watching my consumption as a
means to determine the place was unoccupied to break in - quite simply,
there are much easier ways to determine that.

On 30/05/2018 07:55, Graeme wrote:
In message , Michael Chare
writes

I regard them a a security weakness as it allows the supplier to
determine when the house might be unoccupied.

I'm not convinced by that argument.Â* When we go away, things like alarm,
Â*fridge and freezer are still running, as are lights and radio on
timer. OK, we will not be running the washing machine or dishwasher, or
have laptops etc. charging, so yes, our consumption would drop, but
looking back (I take meter readings same day every month), the
difference is not that obvious.

Smart meter readings typically every half-hour.

When you are away, you will be using far fewer lights, no washing
machine, no tumble-dryer, no electric oven or hob, no air-con (if you
have it), fewer lights, no TV, no immersion heater. In a few years time,
no car charging each night.

All very obvious.

SteveW

Steve Walker wrote:

Smart meter readings typically every half-hour.

Before my meters went dumb after I changed supplier, I had the choice of
half-hour, daily or monthly readings. AIUI, it's an OFGEM requirement
to obtain customer consent for more frequent than daily readings.

On 30/05/2018 21:37, Andy Burns wrote:
Steve Walker wrote:

Smart meter readings typically every half-hour.

Before my meters went dumb after I changed supplier, I had the choice of
half-hour, daily or monthly readings.Â* AIUI, it's an OFGEM requirement
to obtain customer consent for more frequent than daily readings.

Even daily would reveal a lot.

SteveW

"Steve Walker" wrote in message
news
On 30/05/2018 07:55, Graeme wrote:
In message , Michael Chare
writes

I regard them a a security weakness as it allows the supplier to
determine when the house might be unoccupied.

I'm not convinced by that argument. When we go away, things like alarm,
fridge and freezer are still running, as are lights and radio on timer.
OK, we will not be running the washing machine or dishwasher, or have
laptops etc. charging, so yes, our consumption would drop, but looking
back (I take meter readings same day every month), the difference is not
that obvious.

Smart meter readings typically every half-hour.

When you are away, you will be using far fewer lights, no washing machine,
no tumble-dryer, no electric oven or hob, no air-con (if you have it),
fewer lights, no TV,

Not if you deliberately leave the place looking as active
as when you are there.

no immersion heater. In a few years time, no car charging each night.

All very obvious.

Fraid not and its a hell of a lot easier to move
around the streets and identify houses where
the occupier is likely to be out.

"Steve Walker" wrote in message
news
On 30/05/2018 21:37, Andy Burns wrote:
Steve Walker wrote:

Smart meter readings typically every half-hour.

Before my meters went dumb after I changed supplier, I had the choice of
half-hour, daily or monthly readings. AIUI, it's an OFGEM requirement to
obtain customer consent for more frequent than daily readings.

Even daily would reveal a lot.

Nope, says nothing useful about just one person being
there and choosing to eat takeaways while everyone else
is away in some foreign tourist trap for a week or so.

On Wed, 30 May 2018 20:48:16 +0100, Harry Bloomfield wrote:

Differences between occupied and not occupied are very obvious, but only
you and the suppliers staff have access to the data.

Or anyone who has your login details for the suppliers site... B-)

--
Cheers
Dave.