Smart meters give consumers greater power

SIR – Richard Phillips (Letters, February 26) misses the point about smart meters.

The real benefit is that electricity suppliers no longer need to employ meter readers, as it is all done automatically. Gone, too, are the days of estimated readings, with all their ensuing problems.

The console helps the consumer to reduce bills, as it takes very little detective work to see where the money is going.

Simon Pain Rock, Cornwall

SIR – A year ago I had smart meters installed because I thought it meant that manual readings would no longer be necessary.

Since then, someone has called on three occasions to read the meters. Annoyingly, each of these has been when I have been at a crucial point of cooking – last time, I had just cracked an egg into the frying pan.

My supplier now informs me that it needs to take readings in order to check that the smart meters are working correctly.

Fiona Cooke Fareham, Hampshire

SIR – I may be an old cynic, but I fear that the real purpose of these gadgets is to allow electricity companies to charge different rates at different times of the day.

I suspect that customers will be charged higher rates for using electricity at peak times, and at times when green energy is not being generated.

Can someone reassure me that this is not the case?

Roger Lindeck Lancing, West Sussex

SIR – If one already has smart meters and then changes supplier, the new supplier is unable to access the data that the meters are supposed to provide.

This cancels out their one small benefit, which is remote consumption readings.

Trevor Bullock Long Crendon, Buckinghamshire

SIR – We cannot have a smart meter installed because it is not smart enough to make its signal penetrate our 3ft-thick walls.

David J Hartshorn Badby, Northamptonshire