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Not As Environmentally Friendly As Promised

Nosmo King said:
An easy way to avoid this is to just unplug your smart meter, surely?
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Or not get one in the first place. I’ve just had a text asking me to open an account online and supply my meter reading. Fuck that. They took the job on. They can send someone to read the meter. It’s on outside wall, therefore no need to be let in.
 
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There have been reported problems of early adopters of smart meters where their smart meters don’t work now they have had to switch providers thanks to their fail.
KISS. Keep It Simple Stupid.
The tech isn’t ready.
 
Analogue Boy said:
There have been reported problems of early adopters of smart meters where their smart meters don’t work now they have had to switch providers thanks to their fail.
KISS. Keep It Simple Stupid.
The tech isn’t ready.
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My Mum has this problem. The electricity reading is fine, but I suspect the gas reader/sender unit isn't working. They can't be arsed to send out someone to fix it.
 
maximus otter said:

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If you have a new digital meter, suppliers will be able to switch it to a pre-payment setting without even entering your property."
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That's sensationalist journalism.
Because they already can and do change meters from monthly bills to pre payment using software without entering someone's home.
But to do so needs a formal script to be read to the customer as there are safety implications.

If you have a non Smart meter, and run up large debts and refuse to pay it off, the energy company applies for a court warrant and engineers enter your home with police protection to install a Pre Payment meter.
 
Analogue Boy said:
I’ve just had a text asking me to open an account online and supply my meter reading. They can send someone to read the meter. It’s on outside wall, therefore no need to be let in.
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You'll simply get estimated bills, possibly a little higher than the usage you'd actually use, but not much.
 
Mythopoeika said:
My Mum has this problem. The electricity reading is fine, but I suspect the gas reader/sender unit isn't working. They can't be arsed to send out someone to fix it.
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No. Everything’s fine. They just don’t seem to employ meter readers. I’m supposed to log in and open an account and tell them what the reading is. I bet if I reported 000000015, they’d send someone around sharp enough. (But it was dark and my torch is flickery and wobbly).
 
Mythopoeika said:
My Mum has this problem. The electricity reading is fine, but I suspect the gas reader/sender unit isn't working. They can't be arsed to send out someone to fix it.
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It is likely not a fault, simply a result of what the meters are capable of.
With first generation Smart meters, if the gas meter is more than 10 metres away from the electricity meter, then there will be no automatic gas reading transmitted. That is the range of transmission.
The gas meter has to transmit it to the electricity meter first, then both readings are sent into the company.

With second generation Smart meters, the gas meter can send a reading independently of the electricity meter.

With certain properties, especially pre mid-Victorian, the walls of the property are thick enough for Smart meters to not be able to transmit readings.
They still work as meters, you just have to read then manually.
 
Victory said:
You'll simply get estimated bills, possibly a little higher than the usage you'd actually use, but not much.
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I know how this works. I’ve been working from home for 18 months and consumption has gone through the roof. My point is, they’ve changed the business model so now I have to report to them (on an internet which I may or may not have access to) while the meter is outdoors and they have access and can take a reading any time they like. That is entirely the point of having a meter outside the house. I do not need to develop an internet relationship with them when there’s a fucking hatch they can open and read it for themselves.
 
@Analogue Boy

It depends who your supplier is.

Most suppliers make it a condition of their contract that if a reading is not given by a customer on a monthly/quarterly basis, they will estimate.

But at the same time, a more reputable supplier will endeavour to send a meter reader once or twice a year.

The thing is, the meter readers often do not work for the supplier, but for a contracted third party, and if pushed hard to meet targets, can work long hours and mistakes do occur...i.e. getting one digit wrong, or confusing a day reading for a night reading on an Economy 7 meter, or confusing the electricity meter with the gas meter, or reading a neighbour's meter.

To not take readings yourself is your prerogative, but it's worth taking photos of your meters now and then and sending them in, in case of any discrepancy or dispute.

I have experienced being billed for hundreds of pound usage in a month simply because of a high reading, (they initially thought possibly it had one misread digit) which meant time spent calling a call centre and wondering if the money would be taken by direct debit.

In my case they thought the meter was probably faulty and replaced it with a new one.
 
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Maybe I should go through an internet wrangle of asking them how to get the special key to open the outside meter cupboard. That could be resolved by Christmas.
 
I have a Rolson key that does access to 4 utilities. Of course I can open it but I’ve been here for 14 years and they’ve only just started asking for me to supply meter readings. I pay enough. I don’t intend to do their work for them.
 
Victory said:
With first generation Smart meters, if the gas meter is more than 10 metres away from the electricity meter, then there will be no automatic gas reading transmitted. That is the range of transmission.
The gas meter has to transmit it to the electricity meter first, then both readings are sent into the company.
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That explains why we can't get a reading for the gas then. Cheers Vic.
 
Analogue Boy said:
the special key
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Turn your central heating down, or your mum will be gang-raped!

"The co-founder of Extinction Rebellion claimed the climate crisis would lead to the gang rape of "your mother, sister and girlfriend" in a self-published pamphlet written while he was in prison in 2019.

Roger Hallam, who is believed to be involved in organising Insulate Britain protests, wrote that, in the aftermath of sustained climate change, "a gang of boys will break into your house demanding food".

"They will see your mother, your sister, your girlfriend and they will gang rape her on the kitchen table," he wrote. "They will force you to watch, laughing at you. At the end they will accuse you of enjoying it."

Mr Hallam was kicked out of Extinction Rebellion in 2020 over comments he made about the Holocaust. He reportedly said there was nothing "unique" about the murder of six million Jews and called it "just another ---kery in human history".

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/20...-will/?li_source=LI&li_medium=liftigniter-rhr

maximus otter
 
maximus otter said:
Turn your central heating down, or your mum will be gang-raped!

"The co-founder of Extinction Rebellion claimed the climate crisis would lead to the gang rape of "your mother, sister and girlfriend" in a self-published pamphlet written while he was in prison in 2019.

Roger Hallam, who is believed to be involved in organising Insulate Britain protests, wrote that, in the aftermath of sustained climate change, "a gang of boys will break into your house demanding food".

"They will see your mother, your sister, your girlfriend and they will gang rape her on the kitchen table," he wrote. "They will force you to watch, laughing at you. At the end they will accuse you of enjoying it."

Mr Hallam was kicked out of Extinction Rebellion in 2020 over comments he made about the Holocaust. He reportedly said there was nothing "unique" about the murder of six million Jews and called it "just another ---kery in human history".

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/20...-will/?li_source=LI&li_medium=liftigniter-rhr

maximus otter
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He's a piece of work, isn't he?
 
Anyone else feel the irony of having COP26 around bonfire night when 20 tons of sh*t is shot into the atmosphere over a few days? :roll:
 
GNC said:
There was a day here when planes were going over every five minutes. Someone didn't think it through...
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And even better, after dropping off all these important delegates off at Glasgow Airport a number of aircraft were then flown the 30 odd miles to Prestwick Airport.
 
Not healthy for the windfarm's finances either.

A French court has recognised “turbine syndrome” after a couple complained their health was damaged by living near a windfarm.

In what is believed to be the first judgment of its kind in France, Belgians Christel and Luc Fockaert were awarded more than €100,000 in compensation by the judge in Toulouse.

The couple claimed they experienced a range of health problems including headaches, insomnia, heart irregularities, depression, dizziness, tinnitus and nausea for more than two years, insisting these were caused by six wind turbines set up 700 metres from their home at Fontrieu in the Tarn, southern France.

The turbines had been installed in 2008. However, it was reported that the couple’s health problems started five years later. The Fockaerts believed this was because woodland between their property and the nearest turbine was cut down.

https://amp.theguardian.com/world/2...l-fight-wind-turbine-syndrome-windfarm-health
 
Was the compensation awarded against the people who put up the windfarm or the people who cut down the trees?
 
Trevp666 said:
Was the compensation awarded against the people who put up the windfarm or the people who cut down the trees?
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The energy companies Sasu, Margnes Energie and Sasu Singladou Energie, which run the park, were ordered to pay €110,000 in compensation to the couple and were reported to have since changed the lights and speed of the six turbines.
 
ramonmercado said:
Not healthy for the windfarm's finances either.

A French court has recognised “turbine syndrome” after a couple complained their health was damaged by living near a windfarm.

In what is believed to be the first judgment of its kind in France, Belgians Christel and Luc Fockaert were awarded more than €100,000 in compensation by the judge in Toulouse.

The couple claimed they experienced a range of health problems including headaches, insomnia, heart irregularities, depression, dizziness, tinnitus and nausea for more than two years, insisting these were caused by six wind turbines set up 700 metres from their home at Fontrieu in the Tarn, southern France.

The turbines had been installed in 2008. However, it was reported that the couple’s health problems started five years later. The Fockaerts believed this was because woodland between their property and the nearest turbine was cut down.

https://amp.theguardian.com/world/2...l-fight-wind-turbine-syndrome-windfarm-health
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I’m skeptical. I live and frequently work near sizeable wind farms. I can barely hear anything even when almost directly beneath a windmill. It’s about as loud as having a quiet (ie new) dishwasher running in the next room. Is it noise that is supposedly causing these maladies? Vibration?
 
IamSundog said:
I’m skeptical. I live and frequently work near sizeable wind farms. I can barely hear anything even when almost directly beneath a windmill. It’s about as loud as having a quiet (ie new) dishwasher running in the next room. Is it noise that is supposedly causing these maladies? Vibration?
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There is a wind turbine overlooking Kessingland Zoo (near Lowerstoft), it's not loud but the hum is constant throughout the day (and night presumably). It was a cause of only minor irritation to me but then I could walk away - unlike the big and small zoo animals.
 
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