O/T Can any legal eagles on here clarify this is legit?

[Brin]

I received this email today from my energy supplier. Is what they are stating 100% correct?

Reason why I ask, is that I mentioned this to someone in the energy business and they said it's just a scaremonger tactic they are using of late just to get as many households as possible to be on a smart meter. He, has already refused to make contact with them. Is he correct? Moreover, can they legally impose this on me to have a smart meter fitted?

I have heard and read of so many smart meters not giving out correct readings. They no longer have to knock on your door to check your meters, they just drive slowly down your street while the software within the vehicle supposedly picks up your meter reading data, how safe/correct is that?

Here's the email.

''Your electricity meter needs replacing.

Your electricity meter has now reached the end of its certification period. As meters age past this date, they may start to run too fast or too slow. We are required by law under the Electricity Act 1989 to get your meter replaced once it has reached its certification date to ensure the energy you are using is measured correctly, and you only pay for what you use.

Book your smart meter installation for a date and time that works for you''

[Ronners]

I had exactly the same email in March last year Brin, i ignored it and didn't reply back and, so far anyway, I haven't had any other contact regarding it, hope that helps.

[Spuddy Speight]

Re having a smart meter installed.

Morning, Brin.

I had a similar email from my energy provider over two years ago. I informed them that I'd had new kitchen units fitted and my electricity meter was visible but at the back of and below one of those units. For some reason they did not want to know after that. I asked them to record that fact.
For what it's worth smart meters are really about more control over end users. That's not just my opinion. One of my friends goes ape about the mention of smart meters and 'Alexa'. The latter is a conversation for another day. Lol.

Hope this helps.
Spud

[NorthWestCorner]

I received this email today from my energy supplier. Is what they are stating 100% correct?

Reason why I ask, is that I mentioned this to someone in the energy business and they said it's just a scaremonger tactic they are using of late just to get as many households as possible to be on a smart meter. He, has already refused to make contact with them. Is he correct? Moreover, can they legally impose this on me to have a smart meter fitted?

I have heard and read of so many smart meters not giving out correct readings. They no longer have to knock on your door to check your meters, they just drive slowly down your street while the software within the vehicle supposedly picks up your meter reading data, how safe/correct is that?

Here's the email.

''Your electricity meter needs replacing.

Your electricity meter has now reached the end of its certification period. As meters age past this date, they may start to run too fast or too slow. We are required by law under the Electricity Act 1989 to get your meter replaced once it has reached its certification date to ensure the energy you are using is measured correctly, and you only pay for what you use.

Book your smart meter installation for a date and time that works for you''

Whether the email you have received is genuine or not, impossible to say, and be warned, there are some fraudulent emails out there in an attempt to get people to pay etc. But there is a genuine issue out there:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cdjlkrwmpveo

[Brin]

Ronners, Spud and NWC, thank you for replying.

NWC, that's a good read and I'm safe in the knowledge I don't have a RTS meter fitted. Likewise to what Spud said, I had a similar email last year from them and having took advice then, I totally ignored them and nothing further came of it. Now they're at it again, can't be all that serious to have a smart meter fitted if they didn't chase me up for well over 1 year!

[NorthWestCorner]

If it’s not an RTS then I would also ignore it!

[harpo88]

I'll have a chat wi my colleague Brin who's a bit of an expert on smart meters as we work with some of the manufacturers. Seems from this page it's an issue with calibration changing over time, as with lots of measuring instruments, so I guess energy suppliers and also the network companies want to know more accurately how much energy is being used. Fully agree it's not a helpful way of communicating and the suppliers are digging themselves a hole, again!

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/electric...-certification

[Brin]

I'll have a chat wi my colleague Brin who's a bit of an expert on smart meters as we work with some of the manufacturers. Seems from this page it's an issue with calibration changing over time, as with lots of measuring instruments, so I guess energy suppliers and also the network companies want to know more accurately how much energy is being used. Fully agree it's not a helpful way of communicating and the suppliers are digging themselves a hole, again!

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/electric...-certification

Thanks for that pal.

[frogmiller]

They were sending the police with the linky (smart metres) installers
This was for those that refused to have them fitted.

Whilst at the same times other European countries like Germany were not forcing them on households.

Gone are the times when the national grid could predict a surge at half time of a match or something similar.
They?d just open the valves on a hydroelectric plant to cope.

Soon they?ll need a well limed gust of wind or the sun to shine at night!

[Grist_To_The_Mill]

Anything that measures is subject to a built in measurement error.

The speedometer on your car for example might say 40mph but on reality the true speed is somewhere between 39 to 41 mph

Also all measurement devices wear out. In the case of energy meters this may result in higher or lower readings. If your old meter has been "reading high" then you've been paying for energy you haven't actually used. The reverse of course is also true, your old meter might be under reporting so you've had a bit of free energy.

The bias on the meter can of course be checked and adjustments made, that's what calibration really means but it's an expensive thing to do. It's much easier to just replace the meter for a brand new one ie with a state of the art smart meter.

Under current arrangements you can still refuse a smart meter but your energy supplier will still want to replace the old meter and put in a "dumbed down" meter with less capabilities.