Should I fix in? & do I have to get a smart meter if so?

Hi @Jazz , each of the tariff offers will usually quote their own terms which might well include having a smart meter but you’ll need to check based on those offered to you

I want a fixed tariff too, but OVO need me to have a smart meter installed. I don’t want one so I am switching to Octopus who let me keep my old meter.

It’s worth noting @lynsgarden that you’re only delaying the inevitable by doing that.

Why is it you don’t want one? Ultimately, Smart Meters are just… Meters like any other… You don’t have to look at them, you don’t have to mess with them, you can chuck the IHD into a cupboard and ignore it, you can set the meter to just submit monthly readings if you REALLY don’t want your supplier knowing much more than just meter readings (but you sacrifice a lot of cool stuff by doing so)… And just pretend it doesn’t exist.

Besides, I’m able to generate quotes with OVO’s tools that don’t mandate a Smart Meter. I have one anyway and love it.

At the end of the day. the meter belongs to the supplier and NOT the customer, meaning the supplier is entitled to fit whatever meter they want as long as it meets the required spec. You don’t get to pick and choose what goes on the wall. Given the service life is also maximum 20 years for most meters, whatever you’ve got now will have to be replaced eventually anyway.

I phoned OVO and they said I don't have to have a smart meter. I know so many people who have them where they do not work so until it's made compulsory I am happy to read my meters myself 

As we’ve said here on the Forum many times though… “Don’t work” is only true if the meter fails to perform its primary function of tracking energy consumption locally and providing a way to let a reading be taken directly from the front of the meter. Everything else is secondary.

With that being said, you can still submit manual readings even with a Smart Meter. Having one means that you’re just not gonna get estimated bills if you forget to do it for some reason.

And you can absolutely 100% read them yourself to keep your own records. The absolute worst case scenario is it fails to submit a reading automatically so you send a reading yourself - which is no worse than what you do now.

The other advantage? A Smart Meter stores 13 months worth of meter readings locally - giving YOU the upper hand if the supplier screws up your bills as the data can just be retrieved again to regenerate the bills with. You can’t do that with Traditional Meters as they can’t store anything more than what the current reading is.

I take a screenshot on my phone of all readings so have prove if they mess up readings.  As I said I'm happy as is until they become compulsory!

As far as I can see, the fixed tariff needs a smart meter, the variable tariff doesn’t.

Then you should probably take the fix offer and the meter. But why is it you don't want one? It's ultimately in your best interest to accept it, otherwise you will be locked out of the best deals. 

IIABDFI. Why do business with someone who locks you out of the best deals?