Npower installing Smart Meters in Sheffield

[1978]

Anything sold as "smart" is usually a bad thing. Its to try and trick you that it's a great thing so you don't question it.

 

Smart meters - continually report back your detailed electricity consumption in 15-minute windows, producing a record in a govt database of when you are in/out/doing much.

 

Smart bombs in Iraq - lots of innocent people killed.

 

Smart motorways - riddled with surveillance cameras

 

Whilst I don't go along with the negative tone of the above a family member was involved with an early stage developing smart meter technology. He could see how much energy was being used at home in Essex from our home in Sheffield! Was able to tell his wife had stayed at home that night and my memory says he could tell which rooms were using the energy! Of course he may have been overplaying what could be done, and my memory may be unclear of the details.

 

Time to retire to a turf roofed croft in the Outer Hebrides!

[apelike]

Anything sold as "smart" is usually a bad thing. Its to try and trick you that it's a great thing so you don't question it.

 

Smart meters - continually report back your detailed electricity consumption in 15-minute windows, producing a record in a govt database of when you are in/out/doing much.

 

Smart bombs in Iraq - lots of innocent people killed.

 

Smart motorways - riddled with surveillance cameras

 

You missed out smart TV's from that list, you know the one that can be hacked by governments and listen to what you say.

Edited March 10, 2017 by apelike

[I1L2T3]

A couple of things really. Don't just let them turn up and install the meter. Ask for the small print and read it. When npower wanted to do ours the small print revealed:

 

1. They obviously shut off your gas supply temporarily to install a gas meter. They take zero responsibility if your appliances do not work afterwards, e.g. if your boiler pilot light won't relight. This is something to think about for people with older boilers and especially so during colder months. Obviously sometimes an analogue meter needs to be replaced too for safety reasons but if your new smart meter is not being installed on safety grounds it might be better to wait until it is warmer.

 

2. The meters use wireless technology. They also take no responsibility for disruption to the operation of your existing wireless devices and signals.

 

On the basis of these two things we asked them not to install.

[Phili Buster]

You missed out smart TV's from that list, you know the one that can be hacked by governments and listen to what you say.

 

 

 

Don't forget that those so called 'smart' TV's might not be so smart when the apps they are running are updated but will not work with the software within the once 'smart' TV.

 

Unless, of course, the software in the TV is updated ... but then what about the un-updated apps which now don't work on the new updated 'smart' software?

 

Don't believe me? PC's/laptops/tablets have been suffering with these problems for years.

[Blue Day]

A couple of things really. Don't just let them turn up and install the meter. Ask for the small print and read it. When npower wanted to do ours the small print revealed:

 

1. They obviously shut off your gas supply temporarily to install a gas meter. They take zero responsibility if your appliances do not work afterwards, e.g. if your boiler pilot light won't relight. This is something to think about for people with older boilers and especially so during colder months. Obviously sometimes an analogue meter needs to be replaced too for safety reasons but if your new smart meter is not being installed on safety grounds it might be better to wait until it is warmer.

 

2. The meters use wireless technology. They also take no responsibility for disruption to the operation of your existing wireless devices and signals.

 

On the basis of these two things we asked them not to install.

 

It's true that by law if a gas engineer changes your meter, he has to inspect any gas appliances you have before he turns the gas back on.

 

Some would see this as a positive thing, because if any of your gas appliances are unsafe, surely it's best if you know???

[SkylinePhoto]

It wont be long until they are made mandatory by the government.

 

The way out of this is to say that you have no internet connection.

[Blue Day]

It wont be long until they are made mandatory by the government.

 

The way out of this is to say that you have no internet connection.

 

You don't need internet connection to have a smart meter......

[sedith]

And so it carries on, Npower sending me text messages about appointments I haven't made, even though I cancelled and told them I didn't want a smart meter two weeks ago.

This shower of s**t want closing down, they couldn't organise a tea party.

Npower response is 'take no notice' of the text, they'll stop eventually.

Are these the same people who want to install a smart meter at my property and transmit information via a SIM card to themselves … they are having a laugh … they can't even stop the text messages. Thats me out of it … I'm off to another supplier.

 

---------- Post added 14-03-2017 at 20:30 ----------

 

British Gas use them for "reading" smart meters. They are actually checking whether customers might have a cannabis factory with all the attendant paraphanalia.

If you don't have a cannabis factory will they put you one in?