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Do I have to have a smart meter fitted - is it mandatory?

  • 24 May 2017
  • 9 replies
  • 2002 views
B
I have researched at length on whether to have a meter installed and the conclusion is no thanks.
The meter does not have universal usage so if you switch to another provider you will have to get it removed or it stays redundant and who wants old kit left in your crib.
You can simply give a monthly or every three weeks' reading of electricity and gas and that is just as good and you won't have a prying meter to deal with.
The cost also needs to be totally free ie. not just saying there's no charge to installing a meter but still taking the cost out of profits for the meters installed instead of passing all savings on to all customers 🆒
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Best answer by Mattj3135 25 May 2017, 01:59

I have researched at length on whether to have a meter installed and the conclusion is no thanks.
The meter does not have universal usage so if you switch to another provider you will have to get it removed or it stays redundant and who wants old kit left in your crib.
You can simply give a monthly or every three weeks' reading of electricity and gas and that is just as good and you won't have a prying meter to deal with.
The cost also needs to be totally free ie. not just saying there's no charge to installing a meter but still taking the cost out of profits for the meters installed instead of passing all savings on to all customers 🆒

welcome to the forum @Blavatsky and thanks for your post,

At the moment it really is an personal choice on whether to upgrade to the current smart meter technology being used by OVO and if you feel you wouldn't have much benefit from the current meters being used - no harm in staying as you are if you're content as is.

i get the vibe that this article may be of interest to you at some point as it covers the topic of next generation smart meters, you can catch the discussions here: https://forum.ovoenergy.com/all-about-energy-24/smart-meters-smets1-or-smets2-106

Kind Regards
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9 replies

B
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Thank you. I did not query health effects, but security remains a concern, not addressed in your link as far as I could find. There is quite a lot online regarding systems like hive etc. and a report that it has been shown possible to "reverse" communication with smart meters experimentally.
However, there is nothing to stop me taking an image of my meter including the reading and sending it to you as requested.
Darran_OVO
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Hi @bakeart Welcome to the forum, don't forget to add a profile pic and update your profile!

The plan is that in the future current Smart Meters will be updated to ensure you are able to move between suppliers much more easily (should you want to). The industry has some work to do on this first to ensure it all works correctly. That being the case, there's no reason why you can't go ahead a get a Smart Meter installed now.

In regards to security, there is a conversation here: https://forum.ovoenergy.com/all-about-energy-24/smart-meter-sending-data-to-ovo-is-it-safe-727 that might provide some reassurance. You can view what others have said on this subject.

Hope that helps.

Darran
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B
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I will not have a smart meter until it is compulsory. While I hope to be with Ovo for a long time, I would want them to be compatible will all power companies before I did. I also have concerns about their susceptibilty to hacking.
Aadil
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Here here....🆒
GarethMarlow
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Hi, sorry for the late reply to this.

I'm a bit of a smart meter fan, and one of the reasons I am pleased to be with Ovo (and no, they're not paying me to say this!).

Main benefits are:
- No more estimated meter readings, so your bill/account represents actual usage (in the past I've over-paid by more than £1,500 due to estimated bills!)
- You can see straight away how much your energy is costing you - again, no nasty surprises when the bill comes. Helps to encourage the kids to switch the lights off, unplug devices when they're not in use, etc.
- You can get to all of this info from the website and also from the Ovo app, any time/any where
- You can see how much big power-consuming devices are costing you. For instance, I have a second oven that I use just for baking bread, which I have to run at full-blast for a couple of hours to get up to temperature. It's not cheap - but at least I can see exactly how much it costs per hour.

As another poster has said, I don't see any downside to having one, and there are lots of advantages.
Aadil
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If you Switch to OVO they will sort out the new smart meters installation for you.

I can't begin to tell you how much better they are. Seeing what you are consuming in real time will help you to save instantly.

Technically they are simple to use. If you are pay as you go it'll save going out to top up as you can use pc or the app.

I was sceptical but I'm now sold 100%.

Are they compulsory though? I don't think so but I can't see why you'd not want them. They do the usual job of metering your supply but with added, fuss free, extras.

Hope this helps
S
Rank
Hi,
we're thinking of changing to OVO but do not want a smart meter. I've read through the forum and seen a few answers that say that they are not compulsory, but the members asking the question appear to be existing customers. Can you confirm that smart meters are also not compulsory for new users?

If they are then we'll look somewhere else.

steve
A
I have researched at length on whether to have a meter installed and the conclusion is no thanks.
The meter does not have universal usage so if you switch to another provider you will have to get it removed or it stays redundant and who wants old kit left in your crib.
You can simply give a monthly or every three weeks' reading of electricity and gas and that is just as good and you won't have a prying meter to deal with.
The cost also needs to be totally free ie. not just saying there's no charge to installing a meter but still taking the cost out of profits for the meters installed instead of passing all savings on to all customers 🆒

Hi Blavatsky,

I've changed the title of your topic to make it easier for other people to find.

As @Mattj3135 pointed out, there's no obligation to have smart meters installed if you'd prefer not to.

It sounds like you've made up your mind, but if you do have any questions just give us a shout.

Max
Mattj3135
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Userlevel 6
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I have researched at length on whether to have a meter installed and the conclusion is no thanks.
The meter does not have universal usage so if you switch to another provider you will have to get it removed or it stays redundant and who wants old kit left in your crib.
You can simply give a monthly or every three weeks' reading of electricity and gas and that is just as good and you won't have a prying meter to deal with.
The cost also needs to be totally free ie. not just saying there's no charge to installing a meter but still taking the cost out of profits for the meters installed instead of passing all savings on to all customers 🆒

welcome to the forum @Blavatsky and thanks for your post,

At the moment it really is an personal choice on whether to upgrade to the current smart meter technology being used by OVO and if you feel you wouldn't have much benefit from the current meters being used - no harm in staying as you are if you're content as is.

i get the vibe that this article may be of interest to you at some point as it covers the topic of next generation smart meters, you can catch the discussions here: https://forum.ovoenergy.com/all-about-energy-24/smart-meters-smets1-or-smets2-106

Kind Regards

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