We have atlast had a Smart metre fitted to monitor our electricity usage. Gosh it is quite frightening to see just how NOT cost conscious we were.
My OH went around the house switching everything off ! to try and get the gauge to read green What it has done, it has made us aware, and I am certainly making an effort to be conservative, now that the costs have doubled if not more so.
I have a smart meter, I don't have an attached meter? to tell me how much energy I am using. When I was with Eon, I did. I am with So Energy, it took them a while to access my meter. They are really good at communication and I have never had any problems getting through on the phone. I think that I am quite frugal? always leave the dishwasher until full and I do turn the lights off when I leave a room. I am always in credit, but that won't be for long. I'm sure they will let me know when I need to pay more.
Trisha
You can't go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending. C. S. Lewis
We had one at our last house and EDF, who we are with have asked if we want another one here. Think we will. EDF have increased their energy by 42% apparantly, we have yet to see what difference it makes as we pay by DD every month at £62.00 (that is for gas and electric combined) at 42% increase will add another £26.00 per month if this is the case. EDF are a French company and I have read that they are only increasing it by 7% for their French customers, which if true.. doesn't seem right. With petrol going up so much compared to a couple of years ago, it seems we can't win in this country.
Here's a great conspiracy theory I have come up with myself. Petrol is on the way out (in time) people are turning to electric cars, so electric charges are going up, so it's not so cheap to run an electric car. If everyone who owned an electric car, had a charging station at home, the grid wouldn't be able to cope with it (thats what a guy from the electric company told a friend on a new housing development.) so by making electric more expensive for household consumers, they'll try to use less to keep their bills down..but to cover that, peoeple with electric cars will be paying more as they need to charge their cars, they can't not charge their cars, they need to get from A to B.
The power companies rule the world..not the governments.
Smart meters are great at making you aware....what else have you girls been doing to save on electric/gas?
There is a lot to be said for being part of a group, and the support and friendship that is gained from this.
You don’t need to buy one Miss CG. The energy suppliers fit them for free. It’s part of a government driven initiative. We keep getting emails telling us they will fit them. My OH is resistant because he doesn’t want them to control him!
I have resisted a smart meter ... I know lots of people find them really useful, but I have some reservations. When they were introduced in the USA there was an increase in house fires apparently, but more importantly I don't want to be tied to my current supplier and there doesn't seem to be total transferability between different smart meters.
I agree with your OH LLCC, I don't want to be checking one all the time and becoming paranoid about everything I'm using. That having been said, I am very careful with my gas and electricity and do all I can to save on usage.
I never wanted a smart meter but the flat I moved into had one already fitted. Unfortunately the last owners took the handset display when they left and although the energy company have sent me a new one I haven't been able to make it work.
However, I keep getting emails from my supplier congratulating me on my low use. Basically I don't put the heating on at all apart from an hour or two in the morning and evening and then only on a low setting, just to take the chill off the air. When I'm on my own in the evenings I just huddle up on the sofa with a quilt over me and a hot water bottle or two. If I get too cold I just go to bed and watch TV. My energy supplier recently refunded me £500 which paid for a nice clothes shopping spree and a night away for my partner and I.
People tell me smart meters are great but I think a lot is just common sense too. An electrician once told me that anything that heats (central heating, oven, kettle) uses most gas and electricity so I just try to be careful with those.
I've had the French "Linky" meter (electricity) for about 5 years, first when I owned a house - had it installed, as it was free, whereas if we postponed it, we would later have had to pay a lot), and here, it was already installed. Also have an equivalent for the gas meter. Everymonth, I get a stupid email, congratulating me, or not, after comparing my energy performance to last year's. Yesterday, I was invited to take part in a kind of challenge, granting me discounts on my bill if my comsuption was lower. But I won't, I've always been quite careful not to waste electricity (or gas), but if the winter is cold, I need to live in a warm home (19 to 21°, is it too much ?)
I’ve changed electricity suppliers since I got mine and I’m on a EV tariff. Between half 11 and half 5 the electricity is quarter the daytime rate. Everything goes on then. The dishwasher, the washing machine and tumble dryer and of course the cars. My IHD doesn’t work properly though because it’s still linked to British Gas. It gives me roughly the hourly rate but that’s all. It has made a huge difference doing all these things at night and my sons are night owls so none of this is a problem. My friend has just got a smart meter. She hates it and she feels she was pressured into it. Apparently they’re free now but in time you’re going to have to pay if you want one.