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[otherclive]

I hope you be very happy with your smart meter
our gas fire also got disconnected and put outside

I wasn’t really seeking happiness through a smart meter. More it allows better visibility if expenditure because at present BG only produce invoices every six months, and despite me providing monthly meter readings I cannot see my expenditure. Although I could if so bothered calculate energy costs on a monthly basis. No, my main reason is to be in a good position for deciding my supplier when this existing low tariff ends at the end of April 2023.

Quite noticeable how my wife has remarked on the meter goes 50% into the orange zone when boiling a kettle. Already less water going into the kettle. Might bring a stainless gas kettle down from my camping kit and make tea from water heated on the cooker. 😂

 

[Hutch]

I wasn’t really seeking happiness through a smart meter. More it allows better visibility if expenditure because at present BG only produce invoices every six months, and despite me providing monthly meter readings I cannot see my expenditure. Although I could if so bothered calculate energy costs on a monthly basis. No, my main reason is to be in a good position for deciding my supplier when this existing low tariff ends at the end of April 2023.

Quite noticeable how my wife has remarked on the meter goes 50% into the orange zone when boiling a kettle. Already less water going into the kettle. Might bring a stainless gas kettle down from my camping kit and make tea from water heated on the cooker. 😂

OC, remember you will find in Setting on the remote that you can change your daily usage, For electric or gas,
But only filling the kettle for what we need is normal now.

 

[Beachball]

I wasn’t really seeking happiness through a smart meter. More it allows better visibility if expenditure because at present BG only produce invoices every six months, and despite me providing monthly meter readings I cannot see my expenditure. Although I could if so bothered calculate energy costs on a monthly basis. No, my main reason is to be in a good position for deciding my supplier when this existing low tariff ends at the end of April 2023.

Quite noticeable how my wife has remarked on the meter goes 50% into the orange zone when boiling a kettle. Already less water going into the kettle. Might bring a stainless gas kettle down from my camping kit and make tea from water heated on the cooker. 😂

In these uncertain times with monetary issues which everyone is experiencing ,
We can only hope that tools like a smart meter can help us make informed decisions hoping that the next supplier is all you hope for with a good deal for the future

 

[Buckman]

Quite noticeable how my wife has remarked on the meter goes 50% into the orange zone when boiling a kettle. Already less water going into the kettle. Might bring a stainless gas kettle down from my camping kit and make tea from water heated on the cooker. 😂

One of our relatives used to boil wate rin the morning, fill the thermos flask and sued that water for the rest of the day. Did I mentioned that she only used one teabag a day for several cups of tea?

 

[otherclive]

One of our relatives used to boil wate rin the morning, fill the thermos flask and sued that water for the rest of the day. Did I mentioned that she only used one teabag a day for several cups of tea?

She must have been a fan of the “ Great Escape”.

 

[otherclive]

OC, remember you will find in Setting on the remote that you can change your daily usage, For electric or gas,
But only filling the kettle for what we need is normal now.

I have “explored” the Smart meters features and it’s probably time now to put it to bed. Since we moved here nearly four years ago our debit per month has been £80 and we have always ended the contract term with credit. Our current contract started April 2021 and ends 30 April this year and we are currently £328 in credit and the HMG £66/67 pm have been going directly to our bank account. But following the BG six monthly account review of 23 December BG want us to increase the direct debit to £138 pm. I think this must have been influenced by two things. The cold spell and the fact that our grandson was working from here for nearly three weeks solid so we had to give him some measure of heat given he does 0830-1700 days. So our last monthly energy reading was higher than we have had in this house. My principal concern is that these higher reading will possibly influence our direct debit payments when we come off contract and go onto standard rate. So he’s now being “ encouraged “ to WFO, or a buddies for some days and split the load. 😱

 

[Buckman]

I have “explored” the Smart meters features and it’s probably time now to put it to bed. Since we moved here nearly four years ago our debit per month has been £80 and we have always ended the contract term with credit. Our current contract started April 2021 and ends 30 April this year and we are currently £328 in credit and the HMG £66/67 pm have been going directly to our bank account. But following the BG six monthly account review of 23 December BG want us to increase the direct debit to £138 pm. I think this must have been influenced by two things. The cold spell and the fact that our grandson was working from here for nearly three weeks solid so we had to give him some measure of heat given he does 0830-1700 days. So our last monthly energy reading was higher than we have had in this house. My principal concern is that these higher reading will possibly influence our direct debit payments when we come off contract and go onto standard rate. So he’s now being “ encouraged “ to WFO, or a buddies for some days and split the load. 😱

We are with BGAS and do not have gas and our DD is substantially more than yours. Going into the winter we had a credit of nearly £500 which has just about been wiped out.

We also requested BGAS to supply our bills on a quarterly basis and not six monthly. Makes for easier management for us and helps us keep on top of the bills most of the time.

 

[otherclive]

We are with BGAS and do not have gas and our DD is substantially more than yours. Going into the winter we had a credit of nearly £500 which has just about been wiped out.

We also requested BGAS to supply our bills on a quarterly basis and not six monthly. Makes for easier management for us and helps us keep on top of the bills most of the time.

My main criticism of BG was that even though I submit monthly readings neither the website showed no usage or cost. The app showed a bar chart but in kwhrs with costs not available. Yet when we started the contract I they had good graphs going back to previous years and sectioned into months or seasons. I feel they have removed that information to “ nudge” customers to a smart meter. I could have asked for a detailed bill each month but their quaint system requires 10 days and it’s only issued by letter not email.

Now that the smart meter has been fitted all online data is available so restricting non smart meter households to data access is all part of the grand scheme. But I’m now okay with it.





But I am all set up now for contract end in April. I am also leaving their Homecare after the saga of the gas fire and using a local central heating company that look after three of our neighbours at half the price per annum, and who will service the gas fire too. They have an excellent reputation for service and unscheduled call outs.

 

[Buckman]

My main criticism of BG was that even though I submit monthly readings neither the website showed no usage or cost. The app showed a bar chart but in kwhrs with costs not available. Yet when we started the contract I they had good graphs going back to previous years and sectioned into months or seasons. I feel they have removed that information to “ nudge” customers to a smart meter. I could have asked for a detailed bill each month but their quaint system requires 10 days and it’s only issued my letter not email.

But I am all set up now for contract end in April. I am also leaving their Homecare after the saga of the gas fire and using a local central heating company that look after three of our neighbours at half the price per annum, and who will service the gas fire too. They have an excellent reputation for service and unscheduled call outs.

I suspect that the "hidden" reason suppliers do the six monthly bill is for the customer to be in debt to them at the end of the contract as that way they can keep the customer.

A customer could change suppliers, but not many people can afford to pay off the old debt and also pay off their current account so they stick with the supplier for another year or more.

Their current supplier then locks them into a new contract for another year or 18 months while the customer is paying off the old debt and at the end of that contrract the cycle starts again. Very sneaky, but it does happen!

 

[otherclive]

I suspect that the "hidden" reason suppliers do the six monthly bill is for the customer to be in debt to them at the end of the contract as that way they can keep the customer.

A customer could change suppliers, but not many people can afford to pay off the old debt and also pay off their current account so they stick with the supplier for another year or more.

Their current supplier then locks them into a new contract for another year or 18 months while the customer is paying off the old debt and at the end of that contrract the cycle starts again. Very sneaky, but it does happen!

You old cynic 😂 But probably very true.

 

[Buckman]

You old cynic 😂 But probably very true.

I worked in the industry for a small supplier many years ago and it was a known tactic.