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Smart meter opt out

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Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 3,292 ✭✭✭0lddog


    ted1 wrote: »
    I suggest you look at how the electricity market works in Ireland. The wholesale price shoots up during peak hours. Your electricity provider buys at that price. They are not profiteering, probably making the same mark up. But what they can do is charge you cheaper no peak rate. As they won’t be subsidising the peak rate

    So what next ?

    Low income families think twice about cooking food, heating, TV when they get back from a days work ?

    No thanks.

    I'd prefer it the way it is.


  • Registered Users Posts: 33,650 ✭✭✭✭Hotblack Desiato
    Restaurant at the End of the Universe


    It's getting nearly as ridiculous as the hysteria over water charges was.

    An oven doesn't actually use all that much electricity, and how many times a week do you do a roast dinner anyway?

    It took a while but I don't mind. How does my body look in this light?



  • Registered Users Posts: 23,180 ✭✭✭✭ted1


    0lddog wrote: »
    So what next ?

    Low income families think twice about cooking food, heating, TV when they get back from a days work ?

    No thanks.

    I'd prefer it the way it is.

    They simply don't sign up for Time Of Use tariffs.
    or if they are on low income, they sign up and can save energy,

    for a start using electricity for heating isn't the most economical, unless its a heat pump, and if it is the house should be well insulated so knocking it off for 2 hours shouldn't make a difference. if its storage heaters, they shouldn't be running during the day. for other electric heating they could simply turn it down for two hours but really look at alternatives.


    electric shower, dish washers, tumble dryers, dehumidifiers etc. can easily be left off during peak hours.

    You may have preferred it the way it was, but that involved bruign fossil fuels, destroying the planet and causing many people to suffer for lung diseases etc.

    Our power system has changed its o longer large fossil plants, its distributed RES and a reducing number of thermal plants. Things chnage get used to it.
    our


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,452 ✭✭✭John.G


    Would it be correct to assume that eventually, that the customer will be able to view present usage (power) etc with a app from these meters?.


  • Registered Users Posts: 12,030 ✭✭✭✭KCross


    John.G wrote: »
    Would it be correct to assume that eventually, that the customer will be able to view present usage (power) etc with a app from these meters?.

    Yes, thats in the plan but I'm not sure if its an app or a static device that you put on your counter that connects to it.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 21,404 ✭✭✭✭Alun


    John.G wrote: »
    Would it be correct to assume that eventually, that the customer will be able to view present usage (power) etc with a app from these meters?.
    That's the idea, although it's only at half hourly intervals as far as I can see, not instantaneous usage, so an energy monitor would actually be more useful in that regard. Also it would appear that you can't access that information unless you're already on a smart plan.


  • Registered Users Posts: 25,292 ✭✭✭✭coylemj


    John.G wrote: »
    Would it be correct to assume that eventually, that the customer will be able to view present usage (power) etc with a app from these meters?.

    Yes, you will be able to see your usage, broken down to 30 minutes intervals. But it won't come direct from the meter, you will get an app to query the usage database from either your supplier or Electric Ireland (who install and read the meters).

    The meters will send the data to Electric Ireland via old-fashioned (2G) SMS text messages over the 3 Ireland network. Your home wi-fi will not be involved.


  • Registered Users Posts: 9,354 ✭✭✭irishgeo


    Anyone requested a smartmeter install from the esb?


  • Registered Users Posts: 498 ✭✭TheBigEvil


    Ours was installed late last year, and we we're never asked if we wanted it. And over the last number of months we have noticed a low, faint, humming noise, especially at night, that was never there before. Certainly does not seem to be anything obvious, external to the house, but is certainly within the house. Im not saying it is specifically the Smart Meter, but certainly has only appeared in the last number of months. We have even turned off the mains (from the consumer Unit), to try and eliminate an electrical device within the house being the cause, but the noise is still there. Has anyone that got a smart meter noticed anything like that?

    Has anyone that has had a smart meter installed then got it removed? If so, do you just contact the ESB to get them to put you previous one back in?


  • Registered Users Posts: 592 ✭✭✭hawthorne


    TheBigEvil wrote: »
    Ours was installed late last year, and we we're never asked if we wanted it. And over the last number of months we have noticed a low, faint, humming noise, especially at night, that was never there before. Certainly does not seem to be anything obvious, external to the house, but is certainly within the house. Im not saying it is specifically the Smart Meter, but certainly has only appeared in the last number of months. We have even turned off the mains (from the consumer Unit), to try and eliminate an electrical device within the house being the cause, but the noise is still there. Has anyone that got a smart meter noticed anything like that?

    Has anyone that has had a smart meter installed then got it removed? If so, do you just contact the ESB to get them to put you previous one back in?

    There are no analogue meters produced anymore. And the ESB won't put back the old one either- even if you still have kept it undamaged somewhere safe.
    I would contact the ESB and tell them about the humming noise. Hopefully they will come and investigate.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 103 ✭✭Terry..


    Can someone summarize the changes with a smart meter

    A 3rd peak tariff

    Free weekend hours ?

    Smart monitoring and graphs etc.


    How is the monitoring and graphs done , how does it all work ?


  • Registered Users Posts: 16,820 ✭✭✭✭Sleeper12


    Terry.. wrote:
    Free weekend hours ?

    Some are offering one weekend day free electricity per week at the moment. Eventually they may offer 5 or 6 different rates throughout the day and night.

    Longterm I'm expecting peak rates to increase but with options for reducing rates off peak.


  • Registered Users Posts: 32 RingSting


    If you think a smart meter will save you money you are a fool.

    Just look at the tariffs !

    Rip off



  • Registered Users Posts: 44 longcock


    Spot on RingSting, and wait until the government sell the ESB and some bean counter in an office at the other side of the globe decides they could do with more revenue from us Paddy's and he adds another 4 or 5 units on to each smart every month, million and half smart meters means a nice cool €1million+ a month for doing nothing and us consumers won't even notice it and that's just the start.



  • Registered Users Posts: 32 RingSting


    Why are you happy to pay more for the same usage ?

    Why cant I keep my current tariff and get a smart meter is a better question.



  • Registered Users Posts: 33,650 ✭✭✭✭Hotblack Desiato
    Restaurant at the End of the Universe


    I got a smart meter - tariff hasn't changed.

    It'd be nice if the alarmism and conspiracies were at least vaguely based on some sort of facts for a change...

    The government is not going to sell off the ESB, it's strategic national infrastructure, and you don't buy your energy from them anyway.

    It took a while but I don't mind. How does my body look in this light?



  • Registered Users Posts: 28,003 ✭✭✭✭AndrewJRenko


    FG would have sold off ESB as part of their massive planned sell off in 2011, if they had done a deal with Ross and the independents.

    Can't you still take a manual read on your meter?



  • Registered Users Posts: 44 longcock


    Yes you still will be able to take a manual reading.



  • Registered Users Posts: 33,650 ✭✭✭✭Hotblack Desiato
    Restaurant at the End of the Universe


    How do you claim to know they would have? It was never in anyone's manifesto afaik. Same as all that selling off Irish Water bollocks.

    It took a while but I don't mind. How does my body look in this light?



  • Registered Users Posts: 28,003 ✭✭✭✭AndrewJRenko


    Their manifesto plan was to sell off 4 billion of state assets. Where would you find 4 billion in assets (2011 prices) without including ESB?



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  • Registered Users Posts: 45,179 ✭✭✭✭Bobeagleburger


    Current day/night still a much better alternative than a smart meter.

    Will refuse a smart meter until tariffs are more competitive.



  • Registered Users Posts: 16,421 ✭✭✭✭astrofool


    The exact same plans are available on a smart meter as a regular meter, there is just more options on a smart meter.

    The non smart plans will eventually be priced enough above the smart plans that it won't make sense to use them, those with an old meter and refusing to budge (which they can't do as ESB Networks both own the meter and have the right to access it) will always be paying more.



  • Registered Users Posts: 3,224 ✭✭✭Kramer


    EV owners are understandably very savvy when it comes to electricity costs & they say smart meter rates are dearer than current day/night meter rates. None would accept a smart meter - even the very affluent Tesla owners! Why would they? Why would anyone want to pay over the odds for electricity? It's dear enough as it is.



  • Posts: 7,712 ✭✭✭[Deleted User]




  • Registered Users Posts: 16,421 ✭✭✭✭astrofool


    You're conflating smart tariffs with smart meters, the smart meters have the same tariffs available (all day, day/night) as the old meters, the meters don't make a slight bit of difference here.

    I had mine changed over a few months back, same cost per unit, same standing charge before as afterwards, I could have chosen a new smart plan, but I didn't, but now I can access my usage data on an hourly breakdown.



  • Registered Users Posts: 28,003 ✭✭✭✭AndrewJRenko


    Where are you getting the hourly breakdown from?



  • Registered Users Posts: 3,224 ✭✭✭Kramer


    smart meters have the same tariffs available (all day, day/night) as the old meters, the meters don't make a slight bit of difference here

    They don't though. You can't avail of many of the cheaper tariffs currently available on a day/night meter, if you have a smart meter. They are simply not available to you.

    Check the EV car forum - it's been discussed there in detail. If you have a smart meter now, you are likely paying more for your electricity.

    Regarding being forced to accept a smart meter, at present, you're not.



  • Registered Users Posts: 2,103 ✭✭✭Ger Roe


    This info is readily available already. I have a device that cost me €15 that lets me know exactly how much electricity I am using and how much it costs me - battery operated cable clamp device at the incoming meter and wireless monitor receiver in the house. They were actually given out free by many energy providers in Europe as a supplier switchover incentive. I have been using my counter top device to monitor my usage for about seven years. No big deal, but a lot of hype will be generated to achieve smart meter buy in by adding apps that do what already can be easily done.

    Bottom line from my monitoring over the years......... we are and will continue paying more for using less electricity no matter how many saving measures you introduce around your home. The consumer will always have to work harder to negate price rises, rather than simply taking advantage of supposed cost saving measures. Like the tables in Vegas, the service provider always has the advantage.

    The currently offered smart meter tariffs offer no advantage to me as a conservative user, without an electric car to charge overnight. Although I have a smart meter, there is currently no incentive for me to change to the currently offered 'saver' rates, as an already very low level user. Case in point being where your daytime/normal/whatever they call it, rate is increased, so you can avail of the lower rate time periods offered. Unless you have a viable amount of high use devices that you can run at inconvenient hours, you are not going to save.

    If you are already sensible and knowledgeable about your electricity usage, the marketing ploys of presenting smart meter tariffs of marginal benefit, are all just smoke and mirrors. They really need to do better...... but they won't.



  • Registered Users Posts: 16,421 ✭✭✭✭astrofool


    It's all on the electric Ireland site (at least for me), I had one of the cable clamp devices before but this is handier.

    I'm unsure what the EV owners are doing, but if they didn't say they were installing the smart meter, it wouldn't be noticed, literally everything is the same before and after. It sounds like another one of those Irish things where people are afraid of change and looking for reasons to stay as they are via fear mongering.



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  • Registered Users Posts: 2,103 ✭✭✭Ger Roe


    I don't people are afraid of change for what it is.... they are afraid of it being used to their disadvantage and that is a very real fear - probably a certainty.

    Smart meters and a range of cost saving tariffs , only work where there is a large enough consumer base in a competitive and innovative marketplace. We have none of those necessary criteria in this country.

    The same principles apply for the provision of insurance and broadband and what do we see here?.... the same consumers also being taken advantage of.



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