Smart meters are an unwanted, expensive and unnecessary intrusion

SIR – The British Infrastructure Group’s report on smart meters (Letters, July 24) stated that the roll-out was in response to EU directives in 2006 and 2009.

Once again Britain – unlike some other EU countries – has slavishly followed EU directives, even though it is apparent that the cost of implementation far exceeds any saving to the consumer.

British energy companies are to be punished if they do not meet their quota for installing the meters, so continue to fob off consumers with useless Smets 1 devices. Some suppliers will only allow access to lower-priced tariffs if a smart meter is installed. Some companies have apparently even installed meters knowing that they won’t work.

The consumer will no doubt pay more in the end to offset the fines levied on the energy companies if they choose, as is their right, not to have the meters installed.

However, the report also says: “Annex 1 of both directives stated that roll-outs in member states would be ‘subject to assessment’, and that if a country found it was not cost-effective to roll-out smart meters, then it was free to choose not to do so. This was the case with Germany, Portugal, Belgium and a handful of other EU nations.”

Surely it is time to call a halt to this nonsense. Keith Chambers

Basingstoke, Hampshire

SIR – I don’t understand the negative comments about smart meters. Mine sits there telling me that I use about £2 worth of electricity a day, and that at certain times I use more, like when the lights are on or I’m cooking.

More than that, it tells me that at various times of the year I use more electricity – especially in winter, it seems. It’s a godsend. Dave Meneer

St Austell, Cornwall

SIR – I am my own smart meter, and can regularly be heard calling “put that light out” around the house. Warden Hodges would have been proud of me. Chris Bocock

Quorn, Leicestershire

SIR – British Gas has just rejected my solar panel reading as it was “higher than expected”, and has asked for photographic evidence.

Not only are its smart meters not smart enough to connect to solar panels; the feed-in tariff team must be stuck in a bunker where they have not noticed the recent weather. John Freeman

Kingswinford, Staffordshire

SIR – I gave in and agreed to allow a smart meter to be installed.

The allotted date and time arrived. The engineer arrived. He inspected the gas meter cupboard (fine), then the electricity meter cupboard.

Oh dear – it would not work. The electricity meter is housed in a metal box. I happily said goodbye. Veronica Humphrey

Ringmer, East Sussex