For quite a while now we have been receiving junk phone calls, not from e-on (our provider), saying "your electricity meter life expired so please choose a date for a smart meter to replace it" (present meter is not smart). Today we received a letter from e-on saying the same thing.
They say "your electricity meter has reached end of life and there is a legal obligation exchange it". They go on to say "we'll keep sending you reminders until we can change your meter". Intentions to brow-beat until we give in??
They offer no evidence for this statement of 'end of life'. There is no statement of how long the existing meter has been in use or what its manufacturer states is its expected 'life'. My wife dug out a Daily Mail (yes, I know!) article which 'looked into this'. It states that OFGEM could not give a clear answer on when a meter should be replaced. The article also states "A Government spokesman says:'Electricity meters need replacing after their certification period, usually between 10 and 20 years. Smart meters are the default replacement offering but are not mandatory and a customer can refuse to have one installed at any time'.
Apparently a new smart meter can be installed without the 'communications hub', but will that render it operationally exactly the same as our dumb meter? In any case e-on are not offering us that option.
Does anyone know what the legal position is?
My take on smart meters is that as there is so much pressure to have one, especially via unsolicited phone calls from unknown parties, that there must be more in it for them than there is for us.
They say "your electricity meter has reached end of life and there is a legal obligation exchange it". They go on to say "we'll keep sending you reminders until we can change your meter". Intentions to brow-beat until we give in??
They offer no evidence for this statement of 'end of life'. There is no statement of how long the existing meter has been in use or what its manufacturer states is its expected 'life'. My wife dug out a Daily Mail (yes, I know!) article which 'looked into this'. It states that OFGEM could not give a clear answer on when a meter should be replaced. The article also states "A Government spokesman says:'Electricity meters need replacing after their certification period, usually between 10 and 20 years. Smart meters are the default replacement offering but are not mandatory and a customer can refuse to have one installed at any time'.
Apparently a new smart meter can be installed without the 'communications hub', but will that render it operationally exactly the same as our dumb meter? In any case e-on are not offering us that option.
Does anyone know what the legal position is?
My take on smart meters is that as there is so much pressure to have one, especially via unsolicited phone calls from unknown parties, that there must be more in it for them than there is for us.
Sent from my Bardic lamp held out of the window of a Churnet Valley signal box.
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