Millions of smart meters are dumb
WITH the deepening cost of living ,crisis and soaring prices I decided to see if smart meters really help consumers cut energy bills.
The Government and energy providers have been telling us for the past decade that they are a money-saving tool.
But the deeper I dug, the more I discovered that the whole smart meter project is a disaster.
The technology they use is effectively obsolete, getting an installation date can take a decade, readings are inaccurate, and millions of consumers say these devices have done nothing to reduce their bills.
BACKGROUND
The smart meter rollout began in 2011 with the first version, known as a Smets1. From 2011-19, 18 million of these devices were installed in UK homes. In 2019 the Smets1 was replaced with the Smets2 and about eight million of these have been put in.
AGEING AND OBSOLETE TECH
David Sinclair contacted me to explain his Smets1 smart meter, installed in May 2015, has not worked since January 2019.
He said it stopped sending gas readings to his in-house display monitor and online account, meaning he has to manually supply meter readings.
He said Scottish Power has ignored his repeated emails for assistance and has told him it is a mobile signal problem.
David needs a Smets2 version of the meter which it will not give him as it says his meter is not broken. Many other consumers have told me similar stories.
In fact, all 18 million homes with a Smets1 meter are likely to suffer with the same issues sooner rather than later.
The newer Smets2 are connected to a national infrastructure, provided by the Data Communications Company, that lets the device communicate with the energy provider and enables users to switch suppliers seamlessly.
The Smets1 is not connected to the national infrastructure. Instead it relies on older communications technology. Problems with smart meters are only set to worsen as telecoms firms prepare to replace 2G and 3G networks with the faster 4G and 5G. Experts warn this could cause millions of the devices to stop working.
DELAYS SWITCHING
Switching supplier for those with Smets1 devices is a significant issue as the meter goes into what is called dumb mode. In other words, it stops working properly. Nearly one in five smart meters is now in dumb mode and therefore useless.
We’ve been encouraged for the past 10 years to get a smart meter but for many it can take up to a decade to get an installation date.
Emma told me she has been waiting for five years for her smart meter to be installed. Graham Stiles, of Basingstoke, Hants, has so far waited three – and Fran Williams in Dorset has been hanging on for eight years.
WHAT NEXT
The regulator, Ofgem, said all Smets1 devices will be remotely upgraded which will enable them to connect to the national infrastructure. This will solve the communications and switching issues with the now obsolete device.
The Government said it is working with industry to ensure smart gas and electricity meters can remain in place as we move away from the 2G and 3G networks.
Sounds like a plan. But surely all efforts should go on sorting out the 18 million useless smart meters and helping consumers?
So do smart meters cut your energy bill? They can help you to take steps to lower your bill by highlighting how much it is costing you to leave things on such as the lights... but that’s where it stops.
The deeper I looked the more I knew smart meters are a disaster