My supplier says my (electricity only) meter's certification has
expired so I need a new meter. All the forms and ways of telling them
when to come say 'book your smart meter installation'. Should there
also be a way of getting a non-smart meter? ... or should I just tell
them there's no mobile phone coverage where we live?

--
Chris Green
·

On 27/09/2019 13:51, Chris Green wrote:
My supplier says my (electricity only) meter's certification has
expired so I need a new meter. All the forms and ways of telling them
when to come say 'book your smart meter installation'. Should there
also be a way of getting a non-smart meter? ... or should I just tell
them there's no mobile phone coverage where we live?


You would perhaps need to phone them and tell them verbally that you
don't want a smart meter. They can't compell you to have one.

--
Michael Chare

Jethro_uk wrote:
On Fri, 27 Sep 2019 14:17:13 +0100, Michael Chare wrote:

On 27/09/2019 13:51, Chris Green wrote:
My supplier says my (electricity only) meter's certification has
expired so I need a new meter. All the forms and ways of telling them
when to come say 'book your smart meter installation'. Should there
also be a way of getting a non-smart meter? ... or should I just tell
them there's no mobile phone coverage where we live?


You would perhaps need to phone them and tell them verbally that you
don't want a smart meter. They can't compell you to have one.

I believe it depends on the tariff you signed up to ?

Well I'm not changing tariff and haven't had a smart meter so far.

--
Chris Green
·

On Friday, 27 September 2019 14:17:18 UTC+1, Michael Chare wrote:
On 27/09/2019 13:51, Chris Green wrote:
My supplier says my (electricity only) meter's certification has
expired so I need a new meter. All the forms and ways of telling them
when to come say 'book your smart meter installation'. Should there
also be a way of getting a non-smart meter? ... or should I just tell
them there's no mobile phone coverage where we live?


You would perhaps need to phone them and tell them verbally that you
don't want a smart meter. They can't compell you to have one.

--
Michael Chare

I;ve wondered if you said you'd change supplier if you can't keep your old none smart meter

On 27/09/2019 14:21, Jethro_uk wrote:
On Fri, 27 Sep 2019 14:17:13 +0100, Michael Chare wrote:

On 27/09/2019 13:51, Chris Green wrote:
My supplier says my (electricity only) meter's certification has
expired so I need a new meter. All the forms and ways of telling them
when to come say 'book your smart meter installation'. Should there
also be a way of getting a non-smart meter? ... or should I just tell
them there's no mobile phone coverage where we live?


You would perhaps need to phone them and tell them verbally that you
don't want a smart meter. They can't compell you to have one.

I believe it depends on the tariff you signed up to ?

Eon tried to tell me that it was a condition of my tariff. They backed
off when I refused. If it is a condition of the tariff then it certainly
was not highlighted when I signed up and the subject is not mentioned in
their general T&C which was all I could find.

--
Michael Chare

On Fri, 27 Sep 2019 13:51:24 +0100, Chris Green wrote:

My supplier says my (electricity only) meter's certification has
expired so I need a new meter. All the forms and ways of telling them
when to come say 'book your smart meter installation'. Should there
also be a way of getting a non-smart meter? ... or should I just tell
them there's no mobile phone coverage where we live?

Mobile signal doesn't make any difference. It'd just work as a dumb
meter, like my ex-Ovo meter does.

Michael Chare wrote:

on tried to tell me that it was a condition of my tariff. They backed
off when I refused.

There are some tariffs where it *is* a condition, and if you want to fit
PV under the new SEG scheme, I believe they will be mandatory.


As for claiming there is no mobile signal, the new generation smart
meters have options for non-mobile communication.

Andy Burns wrote:

As for claiming there is no mobile signal, the new generation smart
meters have options for non-mobile communication.

Which is? ESP?

--
Chris Green
·

On 27/09/2019 14:46, Michael Chare wrote:
On 27/09/2019 14:21, Jethro_uk wrote:
On Fri, 27 Sep 2019 14:17:13 +0100, Michael Chare wrote:
On 27/09/2019 13:51, Chris Green wrote:

My supplier says my (electricity only) meter's certification has
expired so I need a new meter. All the forms and ways of telling them
when to come say 'book your smart meter installation'. Should there
also be a way of getting a non-smart meter? ... or should I just tell
them there's no mobile phone coverage where we live?

You would perhaps need to phone them and tell them verbally that you
don't want a smart meter. They can't compel you to have one.

I believe it depends on the tariff you signed up to ?

Eon tried to tell me that it was a condition of my tariff. They backed
off when I refused. If it is a condition of the tariff then it certainly
was not highlighted when I signed up and the subject is not mentioned in
their general T&C which was all I could find.

My contract with my current supplier is within six weeks of expiry. For
me they are the least expensive of The Big Six - I don't trust £100
company startups with rented offices and equipment - but their new
contract stipulates a mandatory smart meter. I don't want one, so got on
the chat line and told them I wasn't going to renew if that was the
case. Swift as anything the agent came back with "I have taken you off
the list for a smart meter replacement". Job done...


--
Spike

On Fri, 27 Sep 2019 14:35:34 -0000 (UTC), Jethro_uk
wrote:

On Fri, 27 Sep 2019 14:37:24 +0100, Chris Green wrote:

Jethro_uk wrote:
On Fri, 27 Sep 2019 14:17:13 +0100, Michael Chare wrote:

On 27/09/2019 13:51, Chris Green wrote:
My supplier says my (electricity only) meter's certification has
expired so I need a new meter. All the forms and ways of telling
them when to come say 'book your smart meter installation'. Should
there also be a way of getting a non-smart meter? ... or should I
just tell them there's no mobile phone coverage where we live?


You would perhaps need to phone them and tell them verbally that you
don't want a smart meter. They can't compell you to have one.

I believe it depends on the tariff you signed up to ?

Well I'm not changing tariff and haven't had a smart meter so far.

Fair enough.

Personally, if there's no way of telling them in advance, I'd book the
engineer, wait for them to turn up, and when they tell you they're
fitting a smart meter, turn them away, and wait for a call from the
mothership complaining. If enough people did that, you can bet they'd
pretty quickly add a box.

If I were the engineer, I would disconnect the old meter first then if
the customer started to get awkward leave them with no electricity :-)

Personally I'm not going to have a smart meter because not only are their
no benefits to me, I get lied to when I point it out. There are however
enormous benefits for the suppliers.

I have refused, for different reasons.

On Fri, 27 Sep 2019 06:37:58 -0700 (PDT), whisky-dave
wrote:

On Friday, 27 September 2019 14:17:18 UTC+1, Michael Chare wrote:
On 27/09/2019 13:51, Chris Green wrote:
My supplier says my (electricity only) meter's certification has
expired so I need a new meter. All the forms and ways of telling them
when to come say 'book your smart meter installation'. Should there
also be a way of getting a non-smart meter? ... or should I just tell
them there's no mobile phone coverage where we live?


You would perhaps need to phone them and tell them verbally that you
don't want a smart meter. They can't compell you to have one.

--
Michael Chare

I;ve wondered if you said you'd change supplier if you can't keep your old none smart meter

I was advised to go one step further and just change supplier anyway.

On 27/09/2019 13:51, Chris Green wrote:
My supplier says my (electricity only) meter's certification has
expired so I need a new meter. All the forms and ways of telling them
when to come say 'book your smart meter installation'. Should there
also be a way of getting a non-smart meter? ... or should I just tell
them there's no mobile phone coverage where we live?

When OVO wanted to replace both our gas and electricity meters with
smart ones, they pointed me to a webpage to arrange a convenient
appointment time. It was not very obvious, but there was a link on that
page to turn down having a smart meter and it gave a phone number, which
was the only immediate way they gave to stop it.

SteveW

On 27/09/2019 16:26, Andy Burns wrote:
Michael Chare wrote:

on tried to tell me that it was a condition of my tariff. They backed
off when I refused.

There are some tariffs where it *is* a condition, and if you want to fit
PV under the new SEG scheme, I believe they will be mandatory.


As for claiming there is no mobile signal, the new generation smart
meters have options for non-mobile communication.

What options? Piggybacking on my internet connection? Sod off, I'm not
letting them on my network!

SteveW

Chris Green wrote:

Andy Burns wrote:

As for claiming there is no mobile signal, the new generation smart
meters have options for non-mobile communication.

Which is?
Arqiva run a dedicated 423MHz smartmeter radio network in parts of the
country, and smart meters can use 869MHz mesh networking elsewhere, the
latter is probably short range so might only help to hop from neighbour
to neighbour

https://www.smartdcc.co.uk/document-centre/communications-hubs/communications-hub-product-information/

On 27/09/2019 13:51, Chris Green wrote:
My supplier says my (electricity only) meter's certification has
expired so I need a new meter. All the forms and ways of telling them
when to come say 'book your smart meter installation'. Should there
also be a way of getting a non-smart meter? ... or should I just tell
them there's no mobile phone coverage where we live?


Just tell them you are exercising your right* to choose not to have a
non-smart meter - preferably also in writing (eg email or web from). If
anyone from your supplier tells you they are mandatory ask them to
confirm their name as you will be making a formal complaint to them and
also reporting the lie to to Ofgem.

see eg
https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/consumers/household-gas-and-electricity-guide/consumer-guide-understanding-energy-meters-ofgem/smart-meters-guide-your-rights

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

Change supplier. I'm not sure in the end, whether anyone will make an old
fashioned meter. Its a bit like mechanical typewriters, you can't find one
unless you buy them from a third world country.
If is a meter needs certifying they used to be able to come around run a
test and give it a new cert.

Brian

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

Blind user, so no pictures please
Note this Signature is meaningless.!
"Chris Green" wrote in message
...
My supplier says my (electricity only) meter's certification has
expired so I need a new meter. All the forms and ways of telling them
when to come say 'book your smart meter installation'. Should there
also be a way of getting a non-smart meter? ... or should I just tell
them there's no mobile phone coverage where we live?

--
Chris Green
·

On 27/09/2019 13:51, Chris Green wrote:
My supplier says my (electricity only) meter's certification has
expired so I need a new meter. All the forms and ways of telling them
when to come say 'book your smart meter installation'. Should there
also be a way of getting a non-smart meter? ... or should I just tell
them there's no mobile phone coverage where we live?


Just ignore the offer to book an appointment and probably you will not
hear from them again for 5 years. The "meter's certificate has expired"
wording is likely to be some bull **** trying to get you to have a
smart meter so that they can meet THEIR target installation figures.

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

On 27/09/2019 16:46, Spike wrote:
My contract with my current supplier is within six weeks of expiry. For
me they are the least expensive of The Big Six - I don't trust £100
company startups with rented offices and equipment - but their new
contract stipulates a mandatory smart meter. I don't want one, so got on
the chat line and told them I wasn't going to renew if that was the
case. Swift as anything the agent came back with "I have taken you off
the list for a smart meter replacement". Job done...

Just watch out for the wording of your new electricity contract. Some
stipulate that you must have a smart meter with X months of signing up.
If this is not done because you have refused to have a smart meter the
T&C of the contract allow them to immediately put you on their higher
price standard tariff.


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

On Sat, 28 Sep 2019 11:53:18 +0100, alan_m
wrote:

On 27/09/2019 13:51, Chris Green wrote:
My supplier says my (electricity only) meter's certification has
expired so I need a new meter. All the forms and ways of telling them
when to come say 'book your smart meter installation'. Should there
also be a way of getting a non-smart meter? ... or should I just tell
them there's no mobile phone coverage where we live?


Just ignore the offer to book an appointment and probably you will not
hear from them again for 5 years. The "meter's certificate has expired"
wording is likely to be some bull **** trying to get you to have a
smart meter so that they can meet THEIR target installation figures.

I did hear again (after opting out). I told them I thought they were
in breach of the (then) Data Protection Act by using my data for a
purpose I had not agreed to and they would either have to take me off
the list or provide a written explanation of the legal basis for use
of my personal data to allow me to investigate a potential breach of
DPA. .

On 28/09/2019 11:53, alan_m wrote:
On 27/09/2019 13:51, Chris Green wrote:
My supplier says my (electricity only) meter's certification has
expired so I need a new meter.Â* All the forms and ways of telling them
when to come say 'book your smart meter installation'.Â* Should there
also be a way of getting a non-smart meter? ... or should I just tell
them there's no mobile phone coverage where we live?


Just ignore the offer to book an appointment and probably you will not
hear from them again for 5 years.Â* The "meter's certificate has expired"
wording is likely to be someÂ* bull **** trying to get you to have a
smart meter so that they can meet THEIR target installation figures.


Meter Certification is NOT bull****, it is a legal requirement normally
requiring the meter to be replaced at the end of the certification
period. Normally this is 20 to 30 years but can be as much as 50.

You can check the certification period of a meter here
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1.../made/data.pdf

Brian Gaff used his keyboard to write :
Its a bit like mechanical typewriters, you can't find one unless you buy
them from a third world country.
If is a meter needs certifying they used to be able to come around run a
test and give it a new cert.

I would expect them to just install a smart meter, but not make use of
the smart functions.

On 27/09/2019 15:54, Peter Johnson wrote:
On Fri, 27 Sep 2019 13:51:24 +0100, Chris Green wrote:

My supplier says my (electricity only) meter's certification has
expired so I need a new meter. All the forms and ways of telling them
when to come say 'book your smart meter installation'. Should there
also be a way of getting a non-smart meter? ... or should I just tell
them there's no mobile phone coverage where we live?

Mobile signal doesn't make any difference. It'd just work as a dumb
meter, like my ex-Ovo meter does.


Modern smart meters can use their own dedicated radio network(2) that is
nothing to do with the mobile network, and does not require access to
the customers internet either.


--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

On 28/09/2019 11:53, alan_m wrote:

Just ignore the offer to book an appointment and probably you will not
hear from them again for 5 years.Â* The "meter's certificate has expired"
wording is likely to be someÂ* bull **** trying to get you to have a
smart meter so that they can meet THEIR target installation figures.

We ignored it, for the reasons mentioned above.

They have written again.

Andy