Kidderminster reader's letter: Views on smart meters

I endorse the comments Paul is making.

We’ve been led to believe by clever marketing that these meters will save customers money.

They benefit the energy companies, not us.

The only way we save money on our energy bills is using less energy.

We do that by our own intelligent thinking, not a smart meter.

Consumers are the ones who can save money by the way we control our usage.

It is not by having a smart meter which only babysits day-to-day energy activity and relays information back to the energy suppliers.

They can decide how best to control our energy bills and ultimately our lives.

I happen to log my energy readings at the end of each week by physically reading my gas and electricity meters.

This tells me the energy I use each week.

I can see if it has increased or decreased.

I may be old school but believe that we should always have a choice.

I am sticking to the old way as long as I can and, in doing so, not experiencing all the nasty, irritating problems thousands of smart users are having.

If I need to I can then modify my usage saving myself money.

A smart meter is not needed to do this.

These meters are designed to remotely read the energy used.

Something like this installed in your property has the capability to be remotely manipulated by whoever is in charge and the customer then has no control.

It is also an extra device that can go faulty.

If it was left as a straightforward monitoring device to read consumption this is fine.

As we can see this is not the case.

Ultimately, if you are thinking of moving home, changing tariffs or buying a new property the chances you will be put on a smart meter are then raised.

We all may have to succumb in the end as we will have no choice left.

James Cottrell

Kidderminster

What do you think? Send letters to letters@kidderminstershuttle.co.uk.