What is the BENEFIT to the customer in getting a smart meter?

To be fair the DD amount being set has nothing to do with the smart meter.

The meter just sends readings of how much energy you have used.
How the supplier uses those readings is all down to the supplier not the meter itself.

As for your gas meter, how far is it from your electricity meter?

When did the engineer come to look at the Alt-Han (bridging) solution?
There was a period last year where they were not being fitted due to a manufacturing fault, that has now been corrected and they can be fitted again. (Old ones were being replaced first, but I believe they are once again fitting new ones).

More info about Alt Han:
https://althanco.com/how-it-works/

PS. There are other consumer benefits to widespread smart metering, but they are less visible and more complicated to explain in a simple manner.

The DD amount is set regarding the usage which is calculated from your reading and so has to do with your meter. The meter sends out an accurate reading every hour so OVO know EXACTLY the amount used and should charge/ take the exact amount which would in turn be just like the old way, you got a bill, you pay it.

That then WOULD be a benefit. If there are other benefits to the CUSTOMER then, WHAT its no good hiding them within some hidden or so called unexplainable way?

I dont personally know the distance from the electric meter the gas meter is as too many variables to consider plus i dont know the specification of the meter communication requirements or what type of frequencies they use. I then have walls and other possible signals in the air to consider. Only an engineer could physically calculate it.

I had a second booking since the operator said the bridging units were used. The Engineer contacted me on the day of installation to ask if I had moved my meter since the bridging units were not fitted… I said no and he cancelled.

I read up on the Bridging units at the time which is why i rearranged an appointment.

I would still like the gas one fitted as it saves me clambering over a wall and through brambles to read it! But not if the engineer will just cancel again.

I'm also with Octopus and have a smart meter, this allowed me to move to the electric tracker tariff for 2024, saved 30% on my electric for the year, cheapest daily rate was Christmas eve, 8p per unit. Tracker not as good this year but watching closely for a chance to move back.

Other suppliers will start to introduce smart tariffs based on the half hour readings, consumers will have more opportunities to find a smart tariff that suits their lifestyle and elec consumption times.

a TRACKER tariff, at least that is somewhere towards benefiting the consumer and would entice people to get them…. now take that and have intelligent DD payments you would probably get MOST want a smart meter?

You would think so wouldn’t you? But..

For one thing a smart meter does not ‘send out’ readings every hour.
It can be set to record every half-hours usage, but only ‘sends’ them to the data centre once a day. (Less if you have selected only weekly or monthly readings be sent).

The figures used to calculate your DD are based on those readings, but may not be the same as those actual readings, various reasons for that to do with the national data centres and Future Assessed Consumptions.

The supplier may then make other adjustments, depending on if your account is in credit or debit, and/or for other reasons such as OVO’s current policy of trying to get everyone to have 1-months credit on 31st March each year.

Nobody is hiding them, but if you want an explanation of how smart metering is driving down prices by making the supply of energy and the cost of the distribution infrastructure less expensive then a forum is not the place and you need to look elsewhere.

A simple example might be that if smart metering means that we can reduce the need for excess generation capacity then we can save the cost of building new power stations, and that trickles through to your bills.

It can quickly get very technical and complicated but if you want to make a start understanding it then this may help: https://www.smartdcc.co.uk/our-smart-network/does-a-smart-meter-save-money/

TBH though many people don’t want to get into those technicalities.

​@Infiltrator has already pointed out the possible benefits of Time-of-Use tariffs for customers.
AFAIK Octupus are the only supply currently have a ToU tariff, their Tracker Tariff.

It’s a Zigbee 2.4 kHz signal, similar to that used by IoT devices (Think ‘wifi’ doorbell/cameras, CH controls, any ‘smart’ fridge/washer/toothbrush/etc.etc.)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zigbee

No meter engineer is going to calculate signal strengths, plug it in and see if it works is what happens.

You didn’t say when the engineer told you that Alt Han couldn’t be fitted.
It may just have been when there was that product hold going on so he didn’t have anything to fit at that particular time but something might be possible now .

As for distance, just roughly will give us an indication.
Is it 5 meters, 10, 20, 50?

Some suppliers offer a variable direct debit, I just monitor my balance and monthly payments manually.

Thank you for a more in-depth explanation and appreciate it but most seems a little smoke and mirror in accordance with energy companies gumph so to speak. It not really an enticing one to WANT a smart meter?

I personally would be more inclined to accept it IF the crazy off the wall energy forecasting that alters your DD payments in the wrong direction was to stop and be tied to your actual reading, but that would lose the energy companies benefitting from having the extra cash?

driving down costs?? I really dont think it will and only increase them… I have not yet seen any costs go down even when they should have done.

Thank you for the information of the bridge connection frequency…. 2.4! Well thats not good then and prone to interference with local wifi? BUT if it is 2.4, that should reach half way down the road for me (like my Wifi can at 2.4!) 

as for distance: I just done a rough laser measure from meter to outside window (6.2M) then as im on a 1st floor, the drop to the actual meter outside is 4.6M - a lot less line of sight BUT as its an old no cavity building with 1foot thick walls and a BRICK ceiling for them below me the drop-off in signal will be a lot.  no line of sight. (but my 2.4Ghz wifi makes it no problem and its further away! - so their units must be …. naff or real low power since the unit attached to the gas meter will be on a battery?) - shame it cant bridge through my Mesh wifi? 

I would need to try and hunt out the appointment date but i think it might be long gone and might be further back than I could guess (due to Covid)

Some worrying statements in the first link!

charged more at peak times? I want to see charge less on off peak not for me to be charged that same for off-peak but a possibility of being charged MORE on  peak! - the working could be seen this way?

will not affect my wifi? - the communication to and from the meter / remote is 2.4ghz…. so it WILL interfere!

Radiation? seriously? People asked that?

Hacking - ANYTHING electronic, especially with software, has the possibility of being hacked.

Meters going wrong? Its electronic...of course it could go wrong, even fail.

again, im seeing more smoke and mirrors? 

Be a little more transparent and people wouldn't question obtaining a smart meter?

Offer more incentives with monitored on/off peak discounts, maybe even ask for more information to make sure your meters CAN communicate in the first place with the distance between them? ….. and why use 2.4??

I’m analysing this thread at the moment and will respond later today.

However, I want to take some time to write my response carefully, please bear with me as this will take a while.