I...........
Smart meters are being rolled out nationally with the government target for all homes to have one by 2020. ..........
Like many other half-assed government initiatives this one is
NOT for the benefit of ordinary people!
According to what I have read (and I may be wrong):
1. The energy companies will be obliged to "offer" their customers a Smart Meter within the next few years; but the customers are
NOT obligated to accept one.
2. The Smart Meters will cost millions and millions of pounds, will be bought by the government and provided to the power companies by the government
FREE OF CHARGE.
3. Once installed the Smart Meters will become the
THE PROPERTY OF THE POWER COMPANY THAT FITTED THEM.
4. The power companies who install the
FREE Smart Meters will be
allowed to increase their tariffs in order to recover the cost of installation.
So, in synopsis it is another huge screw-up by our illustrious leaders and yet again the tax-payer will subsidise private utility companies.
Remember, the one saving grace is that,
AT THE MOMENT, YOU THE CUSTOMER CAN REFUSE TO ACCEPT THE INSTALLATION OF A SMART METER.
I am old enough to remember the time when the water companies conned people into installing water meters.
They introduced some really attractive tariffs to persuade people to change over to a metered supply and they even had a "No Standing Charge" system that allowed really economical people to "pay for every drop". (A phrase used in an Anglian Water promotion that is still being used today, despite the fact that it is a total lie!)
Since the majority of people now have meters, surprise, surprise, the "No Standing Charge" systems have been scrapped and the cost per cubic metre of water more than quadrupled.
The question is:
"Does anyone think that the universal
installation of Smart Meters will result in the taxpayer paying less tax,
or the ordinary householder paying less for electricity and gas?"
If the answer is
"Yes!" then I hope to live long enough to see the day that happens ... :thumb:
... and if the answer is "No!" then who will benefit?
The Utility Companies of course!