Smart meters by themselves do not supply homes with cheaper energy

SIR – Is it any wonder the smart meter rollout is stalling (report, August 26)? Smart meters cannot, by themselves, save money; they give information. It is up to the user to interpret it and use power when it is cheaper. This may be inconvenient for normal households. We do not want dinner at 2am.

I could write, on one side of A4, advice for every household in the country to save electricity, and have it delivered for a tiny fraction of the rollout cost. Let us not forget that this rollout is destined to cost more than building a Trident nuclear submarine.

These meters are strictly voluntary. Just say No.

Newbury, Berkshire

SIR – Smart meters rely on a mobile phone signal to connect to the service provider. We tried a smart meter but the phone signal was not strong enough and it had to be removed. This is one of the reasons for poor take-up.

Waterlooville, Hampshire SIR – Last summer I was told my house would be fitted with smart meters, although I send internet readings every month. A technician arrived in October and on first sight told me that my meter boxes, on an outside wall, were not big enough, and left.

My house was only four years old and I assumed all new houses would have very similarly sized meter boxes.

Does this mean that this expensive project will never be completed?

Macclesfield, Cheshire

SIR – I have just been through a surreal phone call to my supplier, EDF.

I had received an email stating that, as I had expressed interest in a smart meter, I should phone the number supplied to arrange a suitable date for it to be fitted. The email gave details of the time the installation would take.

I phoned the company and, after giving my account number and address, I was more than a little puzzled to be told that there were no fitters “at all” in the area in which I live. No information was available as to when the situation would change.

Basingstoke, Hampshire

SIR – About two years ago I was persuaded by my energy supplier to have smart meters installed for gas and electricity. Some months later I changed energy supplier, only to be informed that my new supplier could not “connect” to this brand of smart meter.

No mention was made of this flaw before the smart meters were installed, and I see no mention in the current press and television advertising urging us to install smart meters.

I strongly advise the public to avoid smart meters unless the appropriate authority can give a guarantee that all energy suppliers will be able to connect to smart meters being currently installed. A simple yes or no is all that is required.

East Hanningfield, Essex