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Morning 

had a letter from sse regarding putting in a smart meter. 

This is for the little bungalow we live in now, not the new house. 

What is the current thoughts on for or against. 

 

We are hoping to still own this when the new house is built, so as long as funds permit we will have it for a few years. 

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I ask the simple question.  How will I personally benefit from a smart meter.  Every time I have asked that question the answer has been I won't. So I say no to a smart meter.

 

That might be different if you WANT a tariff that charges variable rates throughout the day (and can work around the silly high afternoon / early evening price) in which case you might have a valid reason for wanting one.

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45 minutes ago, ProDave said:

How will I personally benefit from a smart meter

I had a letter from EDF saying that the radio signal that controls my E7 is being switched off (2023 I think), so I will benefit from one come the day.

Shall drag it out mind you.  They were meant to swap it out with the radio switch glitched a few weeks back, they never did and the switch started to work correctly again.

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1 hour ago, ProDave said:

... I ask the simple question.  How will I personally benefit from a smart meter. ....

 

Apologies @Russell griffiths if this takes your thread off topic a little ....

 

In relation to smart meters, my focus is self-consumption (because we fitted the system after the end of the FIT incentive period). As  @SteamyTea and @ProDave point out here I'll need a smart meter or an export power manager.

 

We fitted a Solis inverter. Had I known how dreadful the data-logging sotware was, I would never have entertained fitting Solis. By far the worst choice of our whole build (Schadenfreude permitted @SteamyTea) .

Now, I just have to assume that the PV we generate is consumed by us (if demanded) . But, I can't trust  Solis until I have evidence to the contrary.

 

@ProDave's answer is to  fit a 

Quote

... meter (that) records what is exported back to the grid and does not register what is imported.

https://forum.buildhub.org.uk/topic/17097-self-consumption-making-sense-of-meter-readings/?tab=comments#comment-276152

 

To bring the focus back to your  question  @Russell griffiths, I think the answer might be; fit a smart meter if there is a compelling reason (saving meaningful amounts of money)  or you want to Demand Side Manage   your consumption - switch electrical appliances on and be sure that you are consuming your own PV.

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16 minutes ago, SteamyTea said:

I think a normal digital meter has the LED light up permanently if exporting.

Link that in with the generation meter flashing, via a Raspberry Pi or two, job done.

 

Ya got me hooked now @SteamyTea

Help me help myself ... how do I start please? 

 

I'll start by looking at the meter: we are generating now ( reasonably sunny here)  and the dishwasher is running. So the LED should be off .....

(Apologies Russ, I'll start another thread)

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7 hours ago, SteamyTea said:

I think a normal digital meter has the LED light up permanently if exporting.

Link that in with the generation meter flashing, via a Raspberry Pi or two, job done.

Yes it does, and my own meter now alternates it's display between the consumption reading and reD  standing for Reverse Energy Detected, which was a feature originally meant to detect anyone trying to wind back the meter, but a feature that does not sit well with solar PV generation.

 

Edit to say, the meter at our last house still flashed the red light even when exporting though the export did not count up on the display.

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12 hours ago, SteamyTea said:

I had a letter from EDF saying that the radio signal that controls my E7 is being switched off (2023 I think), so I will benefit from one come the day.

Shall drag it out mind you.  They were meant to swap it out with the radio switch glitched a few weeks back, they never did and the switch started to work correctly again.

Radio switch can be switched with a magnet... smart meter can’t. 
 

also when the did the role out of 1st gen I don’t think the meters could deal with eco7.

Edited by Gav_P
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This thread seems to jump quite far ahead fir a simple question. 

 

I have a gen 2. It works fine, it benefits me in now I can see all my consumption historical and live. Hence can switch things off. 

 

It hasn't affected my tariff and it isn't variable. I am on the same rate I would have if I didnt have one. I don't see why there is so much contempt for a wee device that automatically sends away your figures...

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7 hours ago, SuperJohnG said:

I don't see why there is so much contempt for a wee device that automatically sends away your figures

I am not so keen of the remote disconnection facility.

I also don't know if I will be able to use my data logger with a new one.

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