The smart meter roll-out: myth-busting with Bjoern Reinke

As in our previous investigations, we’ve borrowed Bjoern Reinke, our Director of Data and Data Science as our guide. Bjoern’s worked in the smart programme for more than a decade, and we can justifiably describe him as a genuine expert in the field.

Smart meters only reduce energy consumption by 2%

Embedded content: https://vimeo.com/393472785 Energy consumption will vary enormously after the smart meter rollout. Some customers will not reduce their electricity use at all – those who buy electric cars, for instance, may see their costs increase. Others could use the information from their smart meter to help them take actions that cut their consumption by up to 20%.

Smart meters will enable customers to understand how much energy they are using. They’re also key to building the UK’s smart grid, which will help balance energy supply and demand more efficiently. The data and insight they give us can also help us change our energy use and save time and money.

Customers are being blackmailed into getting smart meters to get cheaper tariffs

Embedded content: https://vimeo.com/444236124 There’s no truth at all in the suggestion that smart meters are being used in unfair practices.

Smart meters enable suppliers like Opus Energy to collect accurate information at a low cost and in a timely way, so they help to reduce our costs. It’ is only fair that customers should share some of those savings.

Non-energy costs make up around 60% of the typical energy bill. Smart meters will help the network operator reduce these costs by making it easier and cheaper to balance electricity supply and demand. End users will share these benefits too.

Millions of smart meters have broken and there’s “no end in sight to the problem”.

Embedded content: https://vimeo.com/449600242 Some older smart meters had difficulty switching between energy suppliers. We haven’t installed any of that kind – so all our smart meters are easily switchable.

And even if your previous supplier installed an older smart meter, that‘s a problem that the Data Communications Company (DCC) is fixing.

Already, some of those meters are being reconnected and it’s not like they need to be reinstalled or taken off the wall again. The DCC are fixing the meters by pushing out a digital update – like the kind you get on your phone.

We hope Bjoern has helped bust some of the more absurd myths about smart meters for you. If you’re an Opus Energy customer, you can get a new smart meter installed at no extra cost. All you need to do is register.