Do I have to accept a Smart Meter?

Reply to the comment left by Ron H-W at 29/10/2020 - 12:14
so far not an issue for incoming tenants as previous ones have done a bunk (and due to not giving notice are liable for charges up to day the contract is formally ended) so incoming tenant effectively starts from scratch and is not liable for any previous charges.

Reply to the comment left by Dancinglandlord at 29/10/2020 - 11:57
It's already been said Dancing Landlied. (read earluer comments) There are loads of wireless monitors on eBay for about a tenner. As Ron J-W said they don't take account of power factor deviations created by inductive or capacitive loads as they only measure apparent current not the in phase current vector and they also assume a constant mains voltage which does vary a bit. I'm sure more sophisticated monitors that would need a mains voltage connection are available and would be accurate but for most tenants the accuracy of the cheaper units would be more than adequate.

I had a request for a Smart Meter. I sent the following reply to the Agent, and have been informed that the tenant has decided against proceeding with Smart Meter installation :
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Thank you for your email. In principle, we have no objection to her having a smart meter installed.

However, as a doctor, I personally would never have a smart meter installed. Smart meters use the same frequencies that are used in microwave ovens. Unfortunately, these frequencies are not screened, as in a microwave oven. Also, these frequencies are being transmitted throughout the day; not just for short periods. There are long term health implications that the Energy industry and the government are trying to hide. The energy industry would prefer that everyone had smart meters, so they would then not have to employ anyone to read meters, and this therefore saves them money in the long term.

May I suggest that before the tenant makes a final decision, that she takes a look at the following articles :

https://theecologist.org/2017/apr/11/smart-meters-and-cell-damage-pulsed-em-radiation-our-health-risk

https://mdsafetech.org/smart-meters/

http://www.es-uk.info/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/13%20-%20Ill%20Health%20from%20wireless%20Smart%20Meters.pdf

https://beatemf.com/smart-meter-safe-distance/

Incidentally, she may even end up paying more for her electricity, as described in this Daily Mail article :

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4288180/Smart-meters-readings-SEVEN-times-high.html

Finally, if she ever finds a cheaper electricity supplier, she may not be able to switch, as different electricity companys' meters are incompatible!

Unfortunately, the effects of this type of radiation are cumulative. Even if you do not experience immediate symptoms, you are likely to end up with ill-health about ten to fifteen years down the line. Those people who are electro-sensitive are the lucky ones, as they can avoid exposure immediately. Finally, to reiterate, we have no objections to the installation of a smart meter. But at the very least, having read the articles above, the tenant will have made an informed choice.
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Reply to the comment left by brian_g at 29/10/2020 - 17:41
What a load of twaddle. Comparing a low power radio transmission of a few watts with an 800 watt microwave oven.
The meters operate in the mobile network GSM band for transmission of meter reading data very infrequently in short bursts and typically in the 2.4 GHz WiFi band for data download to the home energy usage display so no different to a WiFi router that most people have in their home.
I suppose Brian g also supports pulling down 5G transmitters to control Corvid 19.
It's laughable conspiracy theory.

Firstly ignore the pseudoscience scares about smart meters! Frankly I don't have the time to go into it! But it is nonsense!

However there are good reasons to refuse Smart Meter installation for the time being.
There are 2 generations of meters.
The first generation is NOT compatible with switching suppliers. So what happens is that you get the smart meter which replaces the old-fashioned one you can easily read yourself, and it all works fine until 12 months on when your contract is up and you wish to to take a cheaper energy deal with another supplier.
At this point (because you normally were not warned prior to switching), you discover that you are stuck with a Smart meter that doesn't work any more. This is because
(a) it has incompatible software installed to push the reading to your new supplier, and
(b) your monitor has ceased to work, and the smart meter itself has a blank screen and doesn't display a reading any more.
(c) Your new energy company says there is nothing that can be done, ie if you already have a Smart Meter via the previous company they are not going to uninstall it and install a new compatible with their own companies software one.
AND the only way to trigger the display to work is to plug in a code yourself, this gets the meter to flash through a series of figures each visible for a 'fraction of a second' - the display issue poor and the system flicks through so quick that you have to then repeat the whole process multiple times for each of the meters.
If the meters are not easy to access then this is a nightmare, even worse for the elderly/less mobile. For some it is impossible to do.

So many elderly people I know weren't warned, have been caught out by this and re very ANGRY!
I took this up with OFGEM because they (a) encourage people to both have Smart meters and (b)to switch energy suppliers and (c) no-where on their website do they warn customers that there is a significant industry-wide issue that is now several years old and still not fixed!
They did try. The solution was supposed to be sorted by rolling out a second generation meter - the SMETS2 Smart meters.
Well these SMETS2 were supposed to fix the issue by sending the meter usage data to an independent third party in a standardise fashion that was a centralised system for the whole country. The energy suppliers would then collect the usage data from this centra hub - and hey presto the elephant in the room switching issue would be fixed.
Only... it hasn't worked!
According to the meter reader who came to my property (London region) just 3 weeks ago the current industry status is:
(a) Most companies re still (surprisingly) installing the FIRST generation Smart Meters that are totally non-compatible to switching - customers unaware!
(b) There are very few areas in the UK are currently in receipt of the second gen SMETS2 Smart Meters so far
(c) AND the meter reader says they system is still NOT up and running properly without significant software issues that still need fixing. He told me that he is still having to do house calls because these SMETS2 meters are not working, the switching isn't working, the energy companies are not receiving the data and customers are often struggling to read them.

Unfortunately many people are now faced with the prospect that they must stay with their current supplier and pay the new higher contract fees in order to continue to have their existing Smart meter functionality, because if they switch to a cheaper deal they will completely loose the monitors functionality and the ability to read their meter, and so be completely unable to monitor their energy consumption altogether.
The rub is most people could at least quite easily read the units used on their old fashioned meter prior!

So frankly I'd tell explain all this to your tenants and tell them to hold their horses on the Smart meter push until the whole system is properly integrated and reliable and you can switch without using the monitor and Smart meter functionality.
If your energy company are trying to force a Smart meter on you, then what I have said is "fine, but it has to be SMETS2 or newer (normally they are install 1st gen for your area) and only after the industry has fixed the issues (that I have just explained) because I was not informed about them when taking up the contract and I don't want to be tied into your company after my contract is up because the alternative is that I will not be able to monitor my energy consumption when the Smart meter you install won't switch over.
Apparently the industry expected we would be there a year ago - and they are still no way near sorting out these issues!

Reply to the comment left by jbw63 at 29/10/2020 - 19:46Beyond what has been said, I was interviewed for a job with the smart meter manufacturer for a "management" in Hampshire that sources them from their parent company in India.
Neither the MD nor his HR "manager" could give me a single reason to install one that would provide some function not already available via an old fashioned meter plus the fuse board.
He admitted that the only functional benefit was to the energy supply who would no longer need to send out minimum wage meter readers every year or so.
He also admitted that the tab for this functionality would be picked up by the consumer both directly and via recycled tax money. The government expenditure on this utterly appalling scam is truly eye watering.

To Porky:
Totally respect your point of view. But shouldn't the tenant make the decision? And it does remove your headache with regard to the potential problems you as a landlord may face if this was installed.

Reply to the comment left by brian_g at 29/10/2020 - 20:03
Hi Brian_g,
Not necessarily, as subsequently (a) you the landlord or (b) the next tenant or (c) the existing tenant in 12 months time should they wish to switch energy suppliers ... will then be stuck with a defunct smart meter in the property which is far worse than having the original old-fashioned meter in the first place. That is until the industry manages to fix this industry-wide problem.

Reply to the comment left by brian_g at 29/10/2020 - 17:41
I am so pleased I am not the only landlord who thinks smart meters are bad because they emit electro magnetic radiation. My tenant asked if he could change suppliers and I said yes but please think carefully before you agree to a smart meter etc, etc and I am happy to say he decided against the smart meter

Reply to the comment left by Rennie at 29/10/2020 - 21:01
Oh blimey another conspiracy theory believer.
Jbw63 elequently provides all the genuine reasons why choosing to have a smart meter can be something that you as a tenant or you as a landlord may live to regret and one of those is not some whacky brain damage effect. Most people have a mobile phone pinned to them all day and most of the night with no known adverse effect (apart from obsession). Does your tenant sleep with his or her head on the meter??
Besides all that nonsense I don't believe that the tenant should be given the choice at all. It's your property and you have to be the final arbiter of the decision. Yes the tenant can request it by all means but you need to make sure you are not going to be left with a long term problem.