Warwickshire Online Chat Forum

Author	Message
cathidaw	Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2018 1:58 pm iIhad a smart meter about 2 years ago.I couldn't understand it -thick as I am- so unplugged it- the thing itself was using my electricity-wasn't it? Early this year I switched supplier and the fancy little contraption was obsolete as they cannot be transferred. The only good things that came out of all this were 2 new digital meters--which I now have, but no clue how to read them. iIhad a smart meter about 2 years ago.I couldn't understand it -thick as I am- so unplugged it- the thing itself was using my electricity-wasn't it? Early this year I switched supplier and the fancy little contraption was obsolete as they cannot be transferred. The only good things that came out of all this were 2 new digital meters--which I now have, but no clue how to read them.

Lex	Posted: Fri Nov 30, 2018 10:13 am My electricity supplier persuaded me to get a smart meter installed last year. After going over the details with the call centre assistant, we booked a day, with the engineer to arrive between 10.00 & 2.00. Come the day, I sat waiting in my flat, only to get a phone call at 1.40 to tell me the engineer wouldn't be able to make it; I wasn't impressed, but bit my tongue, as it wasn't the poor girl on the phone's fault. So a few weeks later, the company phoned back, and arranged another date. The engineer duly turned up good & early, took one look at my meter, and promptly announce he'd have to make a phone call. After talking to the office, he said smart meters weren't even made for the type of supply I have (similar to Economy 7), and so I wouldn't be able to have a one. He was as unimpressed as I was, as he'd had to drive all the way from Birmingham to do the job only to have his time wasted, and I'd wasted 2 days holiday for nothing. A few months later, the electricity company called again to ask if I wanted a smart meter. I told them I didn't because I wasn't going to waste my time & another day's holiday. Haven't heard from them since. My electricity supplier persuaded me to get a smart meter installed last year. After going over the details with the call centre assistant, we booked a day, with the engineer to arrive between 10.00 & 2.00. Come the day, I sat waiting in my flat, only to get a phone call at 1.40 to tell me the engineer wouldn't be able to make it; I wasn't impressed, but bit my tongue, as it wasn't the poor girl on the phone's fault. So a few weeks later, the company phoned back, and arranged another date. The engineer duly turned up good & early, took one look at my meter, and promptly announce he'd have to make a phone call. After talking to the office, he said smart meters weren't even made for the type of supply I have (similar to Economy 7), and so I wouldn't be able to have a one. He was as unimpressed as I was, as he'd had to drive all the way from Birmingham to do the job only to have his time wasted, and I'd wasted 2 days holiday for nothing. A few months later, the electricity company called again to ask if I wanted a smart meter. I told them I didn't because I wasn't going to waste my time & another day's holiday. Haven't heard from them since.

rebbonk	Posted: Fri Nov 30, 2018 9:47 am TVL are notorious for it Margaret. Years ago they hounded my granddad, just as they are you now. - He didn't have a TV either. Eventually, he let them in to see he hadn't got one, despite there being no roof aerial. They then left him alone for a while. But you are under no obligation to tell TVL anything and to get a warrant they need to have pretty sound reasons (like they have seen a tv on through the window) though they have been known to lie to magistrates. As regards smart meters, I have many objections and I won't be having one. TVL are notorious for it Margaret. Years ago they hounded my granddad, just as they are you now. - He didn't have a TV either. Eventually, he let them in to see he hadn't got one, despite there being no roof aerial. They then left him alone for a while. But you are under no obligation to tell TVL anything and to get a warrant they need to have pretty sound reasons (like they have seen a tv on through the window) though they have been known to lie to magistrates. As regards smart meters, I have many objections and I won't be having one.

margaret	Posted: Fri Nov 30, 2018 9:35 am I don't like being snarky when dealing with companies, but they do push people to the limit at times. What angers me most is that they target the elderly customers or more vulnerable with their bully tactics to buy their products, then they find themselves in a trap agreeing to something they don't really need. Same thing with the TV Licensing,We don't have a telly and we still get threatening reminders once a month to say in red writing, 'please read carefully, Official notice from Coventry Enforcement division. You are in breach of the Communications Act 2003. blah, blah, blah, threaten with a search warrant, blah , blah, then continue to give us a date when to expect a visit which they never have done for about 2 years. We have told them in the past that we don't have a telly , but then they still keep sending us their silly Enforcement letters. I now treat them as junk mail, straight in the bin. But the only thing that worries me is, that they have blacklisted this address. I totally and utterly despise the lot, and will not respond to them, I don't see why I should go on living with this kind of threat when I am not a telly owner. There must be some kind of law against it, especially bullying elderly folks. I don't like being snarky when dealing with companies, but they do push people to the limit at times. What angers me most is that they target the elderly customers or more vulnerable with their bully tactics to buy their products, then they find themselves in a trap agreeing to something they don't really need. Same thing with the TV Licensing,We don't have a telly and we still get threatening reminders once a month to say in red writing, 'please read carefully, Official notice from Coventry Enforcement division. You are in breach of the Communications Act 2003. blah, blah, blah, threaten with a search warrant, blah , blah, then continue to give us a date when to expect a visit which they never have done for about 2 years. We have told them in the past that we don't have a telly , but then they still keep sending us their silly Enforcement letters. I now treat them as junk mail, straight in the bin. But the only thing that worries me is, that they have blacklisted this address. I totally and utterly despise the lot, and will not respond to them, I don't see why I should go on living with this kind of threat when I am not a telly owner. There must be some kind of law against it, especially bullying elderly folks.

margaret	Posted: Fri Nov 30, 2018 8:12 am I think also the reason for people refusing smart meter is the radiation from it. So I heard anyway. Scottish Power kept email me and phoning me on my mobile to say they were in the area and persuade me to book up a date to have a have a smart meter installed. Since the summer I have told them I do not want a smart meter installed, but that did not stop them from pestering me to have one. So, after the fourth call on my mobile, I told them in no uncertain terms that I do not want a smart meter and if they have a hard time understanding plain English I will come up there and pay them a visit with a hammer and chisel to knock it into them. And if they keep bothering me I shall switch my Energy Provider! Oooh my blood pressure! ..................I never heard from them since. I think also the reason for people refusing smart meter is the radiation from it. So I heard anyway. Scottish Power kept email me and phoning me on my mobile to say they were in the area and persuade me to book up a date to have a have a smart meter installed. Since the summer I have told them I do not want a smart meter installed, but that did not stop them from pestering me to have one. So, after the fourth call on my mobile, I told them in no uncertain terms that I do not want a smart meter and if they have a hard time understanding plain English I will come up there and pay them a visit with a hammer and chisel to knock it into them. And if they keep bothering me I shall switch my Energy Provider! Oooh my blood pressure! ..................I never heard from them since.

rebbonk	Posted: Thu Nov 29, 2018 7:35 pm Maybe the people aren't stupid after all Quote: Smart meter installations suffer sharpest drop yet as 'people refuse to have them in their homes' Smart meter installations have had their steepest drop yet over the past three months, official data shows, amid suggestions that homeowners are refusing to have them installed. The number of smart meters being installed in homes declined by 10 per cent over the past quarter, after falling continuously for the past nine months, data from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy showed. Industry sources said this was because households are refusing smart meters over fears they may effectively trap them in overpriced energy deals, as they will lose their smart function if they switch. They also said technical difficulties and a short supply of new-style meters were factors behind the fall. Peter Earl, head of energy at comparethemarket.com, said: “After all the flak about the issues surrounding smart meters, a 10 per cent drop in installations over the last quarter is another massive headwind for the rollout programme. Full story:Telegraph [quote][size=134][b]Smart meter installations suffer sharpest drop yet as 'people refuse to have them in their homes' [/b][/size] Smart meter installations have had their steepest drop yet over the past three months, official data shows, amid suggestions that homeowners are refusing to have them installed. The number of smart meters being installed in homes declined by 10 per cent over the past quarter, after falling continuously for the past nine months, data from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy showed. Industry sources said this was because households are refusing smart meters over fears they may effectively trap them in overpriced energy deals, as they will lose their smart function if they switch. They also said technical difficulties and a short supply of new-style meters were factors behind the fall. Peter Earl, head of energy at comparethemarket.com, said: “After all the flak about the issues surrounding smart meters, a 10 per cent drop in installations over the last quarter is another massive headwind for the rollout programme.[/quote] Full story:[url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/11/29/smart-meter-installations-suffer-sharpest-ever-drop-households/]Telegraph[/url]

Maybe the people aren't stupid after all