British Gas

[Sheila]

The are driving me round the bend.  We had a letter to say that our smart meters had stopped sending readings and would we send readings to them.  I logged on to send the readings and got 'Oops, something has gone wrong' so I phoned and got a message to leave the readings online.

This was months ago.  Wouldn't you have thought that they would have arranged to have the meters changed but eventually I managed to arrange to get new meters.  This was several weeks ago and I still can't get into our account.  I just get that b....y 'Oops'.  They say that readings are not available so I have absolutely no idea how much we owe.  I have made at least four complaints.

[alfred]

Hello Sheila,

i haven't got a smart meter as I'm not sure they have perfected accuracy in the readings, how ever once they have proved beyond faults and error which i still need convincing, ill simply bide my time, and then decide,

last year the company that i got my dual fuel from went bust and then i was transferred to British gas  and locked in until June when the frozen set price ends , then ill assume ill most likely pay another £20.00/£30.00each month, although by then i hope i wont be using that much gas as i use more electricity , either way ill have to smile, and pay the price,

[Michael Rolls]

Sheila - I've heard similar tales to yours from other people - one of the reasons I refuse to have a smart meter. I| pay by monthly direct debit and manually read my meters weekly to keep an eye on things
Mike

[hugh]

I am with EDF, and I have a smart metre. So far I have had no problems. Hugh

[klondike]

When I spent most of the summer away from home I used to get very regular meter safety checks (ie they thought I had bypassed them). Having smart meters fitted stopped that. The problem is HMG followed the EU directive to encourage them before a standard for them was agreed.

That means if you move supplier, which I did to chase the best price every time a deal ran its course, there was a good chance that the smart meter would become a dumb meter. Currently I think I'm on my third set of smart meters and they are no longer smart. Who paid for all those meter changes? Why energy bill payers obviously. More money down the pan. Thank the EU and HMG for that.

[Sheila]

The last time I logged in (yesterday), they were daft enough to ask me to complete a survey about their website.  I went to town 

[hugh]

I stick with EDF they are a could company. I have solar panels which I own helps keep my bills down. Also get cash back for energy they have made. Hugh

[klondike]

That was a good option when it was first made available. I may well have gone for it were it not that my main roof faces east and west and being a terrace I only have half of the one that leads off there and it is the half that faces north.

[alfred]

Some time ago i did think about solar panels but when looking into it further
found that the cost of the outlay would take many years before i broke even and by then solar panels might have got cheaper ,
although i have a south facing garden and solar panels could benefit me i still have doubts about the long term costs,

and time for me is running out ,   

[hugh]

My roof faces east and west and only have room for 7 panels each side. My combined energy bill at the moment £84 a month. Cash back I get £400 to £500 a year. Taking that into account my monthly bill £50 give or take a little. I got my panel from a company not through a dealer. Cannot remember what we paid for them, but the cost well now covered. Hugh

[Scrumpy]

No smart meter for me.. They keep trying to rope me in..

[Alex]

I've got a smart meter, the monitor thinggy is in the drawer in the hall 
I'm with Scottish Power and have been since they took over MANWEB my original provider, which must have been 20 odd years ago.   SP have been ok for me, and I'm on a fixed rate until February 2023 (I think )

[klondike]

SP have been ok for me, and I'm on a fixed rate until February 2023 (I think )

Mine went bust. I don't doubt I'm on an extortionate rate. Currently paying the same DD of £83 and doubtless racking up a bill sufficient to build a new power station by the time I get it.

[hugh]

No smart meter for me.. They keep trying to rope me in..

Smart metre keeps your bill at the correct amount, saves metre reading and guess work. My wife Yvonne was against having a water metre but it has saved me £30 a month.

[Sheila]

Smart metre keeps your bill at the correct amount, saves metre reading and guess work.

Not in my experience!