What info can we get from a smart meter

A

aamstudent

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Hi,
we had a smart meter installed in the second week of April.
The installer told me that with the smart meter we could get detailed info on when and how we were using our electricity.
I looked up Energia's website and it says the same as does the CRU website.
here https://www.cru.ie/home/smart-meters/ and here https://www.energia.ie/smart-meter-upgrade.

They did say that it could take up to 30 days for this information to flow through to our provider, Energia.

After almost 40 days, nothing was showing up so we rang Energia who told us that this info is only available to people on a smart meter.
This doesn't make sense to me. Its not what they said on their websites.

We should be getting information "allowing you to manage your electricity consumption and make more informed choices."
There seems to be very little benefit to use of having a smart meter other than eliminating estimated readings.
They told us that if we want info we can go out to the meter and record it manually.

Is this just Energia or are all providers doing the same.

Given the ESB Networks are a body that fall within the remit of FOI, surely we should have access to that information anyway.

TIA
 
We have had ours for over 2 years now and the only thing it does is make the meter reading available to the electricity provider.
There website does say this the below:
Each day, normally around midnight and via a secure 2G mobile network, your meter will send ESB Networks the total amount of electricity consumed over the previous 24 hour period. This reading will be used to provide information to support customer billing, customers switching suppliers and moving premises.

The meter will also record a more detailed breakdown of the electricity consumed in up to 30 minute periods. However, this information will only leave your home if you request this Energia or if you're not an Energia customer, through your own supplier.
Click to expand...

So it would seem that a call to Energia should allow them to set this up for you.
 
The reality is that smart meters help the energy providers improve their cash flow by not having to issue estimated bills. As I've said many times it provides consumers with questionable if any benefits, with the so-called benefits being marketing hype.

More consumer deception and misinformation.
 
@Savvy Thanks for the reply.
Where on the Energia website did you see that because they said to me that I only get that if I have a smart tariff.

Thanks to the other replies also.
 
mathepac said:
The reality is that smart meters help the energy providers improve their cash flow by not having to issue estimated bills. As I've said many times it provides consumers with questionable if any benefits, with the so-called benefits being marketing hype.

More consumer deception and misinformation.
Click to expand...
To be fair having accurate bills is the antithesis of consumer deception. One of my biggest gripes with the industry is the infrequency of meter readings, esp where the meter isn't easily accessible and the consumer would have difficulty reading themselves
 
I was delighted to move to Smart meter, expecting to be able to view information on an app or something (Perhaps I'm a bit simple).
But the installer told me that there was no new information available from it

Then I was looking forward to the Smart Tariffs expecting great rates at night for charging the EV or just for regular night rate electricity.
Then when I saw the rates and they seemed to be an absolute joke and the fact that you can't then revert to a non smart meter tariff later put me off them totally.
Now in fairness I've not looked in the last year so perhaps they are better these days but I'm not doing too bad on my 24 hour rate with the large reductions I get.
 
In fairness, bonkers.ie have a publicity stunt for the ESB/Electric Ireland about smart meters, which is the same old same old. It adds nothing to the knowledge base. It's just the same waffle. If bonkers.ie genuinely wanted to inform consumers, why not pick a tech-head who has no dog in the fight, so to speak?

The bottom line is there is zero consumer benefit from smart meters. There is zero environmental benefit from smart meters. How long will it take to offset the carbon and other costs of manufacturing and installing the meters, devices which only benefit the manufacturers and the energy companies?
 
I asked our provider BGE and was told I can only see info if I move to a smart tarrif

I would like to just see the info first
 
mathepac said:
In fairness, bonkers.ie have a publicity stunt for the ESB/Electric Ireland about smart meters, which is the same old same old. It adds nothing to the knowledge base. It's just the same waffle. If bonkers.ie genuinely wanted to inform consumers, why not pick a tech-head who has no dog in the fight, so to speak?

The bottom line is there is zero consumer benefit from smart meters. There is zero environmental benefit from smart meters. How long will it take to offset the carbon and other costs of manufacturing and installing the meters, devices which only benefit the manufacturers and the energy companies?
Click to expand...
Totally agree. As for the bonkers.ie podcast on smart meters , that's 32 minutes of my life I want back . Smart meters give you NO information whatsoever and if you sign up blindly to a smart tariff , apparantly you can never go back. What a scam .
 
I got a smart meter installed recently so l had a look at the great new smart plans. You would need a computer program to calculate if you could make savings on any of these plans. The unit charges are increased for the peak periods and the standing charges are also increased. Any savings made during the off peak periods would have to be offset against the extra peak charges and extra standing charges. As for the free electricity on Saturday or Sunday you would not be able to go out on those days as you would need to spend the day doing the weeks baking, laundry and dishwashing to make use of the free electricity. If you went on holiday at a weekend you would end up paying for expensive electricity the next week to do the laundry and dishwashing.
 
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every month I get an email from Electric Ireland called "Your Latest Energy Insights". It gives some information on current usage and trend and a link to my account.

On my account there's a tab called "insights" and I can see my exact usage by the hour combined with what the outside temperature was that hour and the cost per hour/day.

My average daily cost is €1.60, but last Monday it was €2.80 - I worked from home that day and did a little more housework than normal (herself was returning home the next day :p - Ironing saw a jump to 30c of usage between 9pm & 10pm)

If I remember correctly I had to tick a box to get the insights, but it is very detailed and will also give you comparisons with similar homes.
 
Would it be worthwhile making a complaint to the Advertising Standards Authority on the grounds that the benefits being touted in the ads for having smart meters installed cannot accrue to the consumer unless s/he takes other unspecified steps?

In the show biz world, the equivalent of smart meter advertisements are the Diana Ross concert ads currently running on the wireless vs. her appearance at Glastonbury. The years seem to have robbed her of her ability to sing in key, but the ads are based around old recordings which don't inform the consumer about what they'll hear on the night.
 
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Am I missing something here?

The smart meters seem to have advantages for the consumer over non-smart meters.

1) You get accurate bills which is much better for the consumer than estimated bills.
2) You can get detailed information if you apply for it. This will help you to understand your use and optimise it.
3) The supplier has lower costs because they don't have people walking the streets reading old meters. That should, in time, help bring down the cost of electricity.

So what is the problem?

That the billing system is hard to understand? The ordinary billing system is hard to understand, so that is not a disadvantage of smart meters.

That if you opt for a smart tariff, you cannot go backwards to an old tariff. Is there any advantage of an old tariff over a smart tariff? There doesn't appear to be, so it's not unreasonable to ask people to stay on the new tariff.

Are people associating the rise in electricity costs with the introduction of smart meters and getting cranky as a result? But the costs are rising for people who don't have smart meters.

Brendan
 
Brendan Burgess said:
Am I missing something here?

The smart meters seem to have advantages for the consumer over non-smart meters.

1) You get accurate bills which is much better for the consumer than estimated bills.
2) You can get detailed information if you apply for it. This will help you to understand your use and optimise it.
3) The supplier has lower costs because they don't have people walking the streets reading old meters. That should, in time, help bring down the cost of electricity.

So what is the problem?

That the billing system is hard to understand? The ordinary billing system is hard to understand, so that is not a disadvantage of smart meters.

That if you opt for a smart tariff, you cannot go backwards to an old tariff. Is there any advantage of an old tariff over a smart tariff? There doesn't appear to be, so it's not unreasonable to ask people to stay on the new tariff.

Are people associating the rise in electricity costs with the introduction of smart meters and getting cranky as a result? But the costs are rising for people who don't have smart meters.

Brendan
Click to expand...
The main reason? Cost!! For people with an EV a good old fashioned day night meter is far superior. Half price electricity for 9 hours over night with an EV beats the smart plans hands down, a few smart plugs for dishwasher and tumble dryer and you are looking at 60% shift to night rate without much effort.

If you want insights get an owl monitor and keep the old D/N best of both worlds.

Want accurate bills? Set a reminder once every two months in the calendar and submit your readings.
 
1) I can calculate accurate-up-to-the-second electricity consumption figures and invoices faster than my supplier can get them to me, even with a smart meter. I'll correct that, faster and more accurately than anyone's supplier can do it.

Is this accuracy of which you speak due to the wear on an electro-mechanical device like the old meter? If so, how does the accuracy change over time; by how much in percentage terms? Does it over or under-read? Who has published any data on the degree of alleged inaccuracy in electro-mechanical meters?

Me 1, So-called smart meter, Nil

2) That would not appear to be the case, based on comments in the thread. Posters have applied but no extra information is forthcoming

Me 1, So-called smart meter, Nil

3) Suppliers have had in excess of 2 years with no meter-readers either walking the streets or reading meters. (One may pay better than the other!) If they have laid off the meter-readers, they would seem to have pocketed the savings. Again!

Me 1, So-called smart meter, Nil

3-Nil to Me. That's a pretty comprehensive trouncing

The problem for me is I disliked being misled, played for a fool or lied to by any supplier who touts non-existant benefits for me when all they ever do is line their own pockets.

The billing system per se is not difficult to understand. You burn their product, you pay for it at the pre-published rate(s) which show on your invoices.

One thing that is very, very difficult to understand is why I haven't had a bill since March 16th last. Another thing that's difficult to understand is why the so-called service charges have increased at such an alarming rate. The services associated with invoicing a more expensive product are now higher. Why and BTW, what's this PSO levy all about? Is this to pay the ridiculously inflated wages paid to public servants generally and EI/ESB in particular?
 
Supplementary question: I was recently informed that, if I want to sell surplus electricity to my supplier (I'm planning to install pv panels) then I must have a smart meter. Reading the foregoing: it looks as though getting one may cost me more than I will save?
 
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