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Smart Meter Customers Face Paying More at Busy Times to Help Meet Demand of Net Zero

by Will Jones
25 March 2024 3:02 PM

Millions of households with smart meters face paying more for their electricity at the busiest times of day under regulator plans. The Telegraph has more.

Ofgem is consulting on introducing a “dynamic” energy price cap to meet the demand of Net Zero, despite repeated assurances from the Government that smart meter technology would not result in more expensive energy bills for consumers.

The energy watchdog said it would look to “encourage consumer flexibility” by basing the energy price cap around the wholesale costs of electricity throughout the day.

The plans include allowing suppliers to charge more for electricity when the grid is at its busiest, as Britons move away from conventional gas boilers and adopt electric-powered heat pumps and electric vehicles. 

Proposals would scrap the energy price cap – currently £1,690 a year – and effectively switch the entire country to a 1970s-style “time-of-use” tariff that charges different prices throughout the day.

This would either be introduced in weekly “time bands” that are divided into more expensive peak and cheaper off-peak periods, or linked directly to half-hourly wholesale market prices.

Ofgem admitted the latter proposal would risk “exposing customers to wholesale price variability” and that “many consumers may struggle to engage with constantly evolving pricing”.

Of particular concern is the effect on energy bills of those using medical equipment. The regulator said it was considering exemptions for those relying on power for such equipment, as well as for millions of electric drivers who charge their cars overnight. 

Consumers would be given incentives to take advantage of lower prices and avoid using electricity when costs go up in both scenarios.

Experts warned against the effects of surge pricing on vulnerable groups such as the elderly who typically have the heating on for more time during the day. 

Worth reading in full.

Tags: Climate AlarmismEnergy BillsEnergy CostsEnergy crisisNet ZeroSmart meters

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27 Comments
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Solentviews
Solentviews
1 year ago

Well this is not going to end well. Anyone can see that.
The old maxim of KISS – Keep It Simple Stupid, appears to have been thrown out the window.

Last edited 1 year ago by Solentviews
144
0
huxleypiggles
huxleypiggles
1 year ago
Reply to  Solentviews

“Well this is not going to end well.”

That is the whole point of this disruption, to help sow confusion, anxiety, depression and the rest.

Every bit of news these days announces something that causes upset and turmoil. In order to win the battle of minds the psychological well-being of the population has to be severely undermined and destabilised. So bit by bit petty, pointless and disruptive intrusions are foisted on us and all intended to scramble our mental wellness. It is all about creating misery and depression with the goal of wholly weakening the population.

162
0
Dinger64
Dinger64
1 year ago

And what about all that cheap clean green energy we were promised?

178
0
varmint
varmint
1 year ago
Reply to  Dinger64

A quick look at your energy bills over the last 10 years will dispel the myth of cheaper energy from wind and sun. Yet somehow people still believe politicians and the media when they say wind is now cheaper than coal and gas. Even when they hold the energy bill in their hand.

107
0
10navigator
10navigator
1 year ago

——‘as Britons move away from conventional gas boilers and adopt electric powered heat pumps and electric vehicles.’ IMHO It’s never gonna happen. Sure, 20% might virtue signal and go down that route. 30% wlll be extremely anti, and the 50% remainder will be apathetic/not in a position to do anything about it anyway.

115
0
varmint
varmint
1 year ago
Reply to  10navigator

“as Britons move away from conventional boilers”????? ——-They will not “move away”. They are being coerced. No one in their right mind would “move away” from the best central heating system they ever had.

129
0
10navigator
10navigator
1 year ago
Reply to  varmint

Or swap an ICE car for a milk float!!

87
0
JohnK
JohnK
1 year ago

When I heard that story on GBN earlier today, what occurred to me was variable open market pricing, or auctioning the output to maximise profit for the utility suppliers. Note that there is already variable pricing at half hour intervals in the trade (the balancing price – shown here https://grid.iamkate.com/ ).

It is just about possible that “smart” meter communications could be used for remote load management – although the current structure of the industry, with several nominally independent utility firms using the same distribution cable in the street managed by the District Network Operator (DNO does not make that easy.

Keep your eyes open for further reorganisation of the trade to make that happen (or perhaps someone will spy on the Ofgem script in advance).

36
0
transmissionofflame
transmissionofflame
1 year ago

Another conspiracy theory become fact

I have no intention of getting a smart meter.

190
-1
ellie-em
ellie-em
1 year ago
Reply to  transmissionofflame

Me neither, they can shove ‘em where the sun doesn’t shine, along with the electric vehicles and heat pumps, wrapped together with a rainbow sash!

118
0
Miss Dolly
Miss Dolly
1 year ago
Reply to  transmissionofflame

I don’t have a smart meter but I’m sure they will put people without a smart meter permanently on the peak tariff.

88
0
transmissionofflame
transmissionofflame
1 year ago
Reply to  Miss Dolly

I’m sure we will be punished in whatever way they can manage

67
0
varmint
varmint
1 year ago
Reply to  Miss Dolly

Well they may do that or they may make having a smart meter a legal requirement which it currently isn’t. But one way or another the tyranny of net zero will be forced on us. There is no escape.

67
0
Marcus Aurelius knew
Marcus Aurelius knew
1 year ago
Reply to  varmint

There is always an escape.

34
-2
varmint
varmint
1 year ago
Reply to  Marcus Aurelius knew

What is the escape route? We can only refuse smart meters for so long, and all the petrol and diesel cars will soon be gone with gas central heating not long behind them. If you know how to escape please let us all know how.

14
-1
GroundhogDayAgain
GroundhogDayAgain
1 year ago
Reply to  transmissionofflame

They’ve called me many times asking to switch me over to a smart meter. Each time I say no thanks. When asked why, I say I just don’t want one and I don’t elaborate further.

I do recall reading (here, I think) that new powers have been (will be?) granted to allow energy companies to gain access to our property with police assistance. I don’t recall the specifics.

30
0
transmissionofflame
transmissionofflame
1 year ago
Reply to  GroundhogDayAgain

Yes I read that too.

I get emails to remind me to do a meter reading, monthly. The emails used to have a clickable link which took me to the relevant page on my account. They still do, but you need to scroll WAY down for that – now the first clickable link is “Book your smart meter installation here”.

39
0
varmint
varmint
1 year ago

I am a conspiracy theorist. ————-Or at least so many of my friends and family seem to think, although they don’t say it quite as bluntly as that. The trouble is that I do not blindly accept all of the climate crisis/renewable energy/ net zero stuff that is all over news programs and spouted out of the mouths of politicians. —-At a recent family gathering there was some talk of smart meters. One person said “I have a smart meter because there is no way I am having an estimated bill”—–I replied by saying “Look you will use so much energy in the whole year, and you will have to pay for it all, no matter whether you pay for some of it earlier than when it is really due to be paid for or not. But with your smart meter the energy company will know at exactly what time you are using that energy and will charge you more at peak times” One other person said “But the energy will cost less during the night”—–I said “But you mostly don’t use energy during the night, you don’t cook dinner during the night, you don’t watch telly during the night or sit for 3 hours on your laptop during the night”—–Basically I was trying to tell them that because of the increase in unreliable wind and solar that cannot provide base load, the smart meter is there to ration energy use. It is there to discourage use at peak times by charging you more, and that is really it’s main purpose. The idea that it will save you money and you will not have estimated bills is the selling point for the smart meter and many people fall for this. ———-I still don’t think they believe a word I said, and that is their loss. But it is the same on all aspects of this climate/energy issue. People are bombarded on a daily basis with climate scaremongering and don’t always have the time or inclination to investigate things for themselves. ——That is not just their loss, it is the loss of the whole country as absurd net zero policies are being forced on us under false pretences and at astronomical cost.

143
0
huxleypiggles
huxleypiggles
1 year ago
Reply to  varmint

“and don’t always have the time or inclination to investigate things for themselves”

Not true. I have lost count of the number of times I have offered to forward articles and videos which provide our alternative views and usually I am talking about “graduates,” and the response every time is ‘No thanks.” The intelligent stupid are thick amongst us and quite simply refuse to accept that they have been dumb enough to fall for yet another monumental scam – it would blow their halos.

By the way varmint, you are NOT a “conspiracy theorist” you are a conspiracy realist. Thank goodness.

56
0
varmint
varmint
1 year ago
Reply to  huxleypiggles

Ok I tried to give people the benefit of the doubt when I said they don’t always have the “time or the inclination to investigate things”. ——They probably could find the time if they were so inclined. But probably most think TV news is doing the investigating for them. —–Sadly it isn’t. Infact most TV news is simply climate activism———-I don’t expect everyone to investigate to the extent I do on this issue but if they don’t wake up soon their freedom and prosperity is going to vanish in a sea of wind, sun and misinformation.

18
0
EppingBlogger
EppingBlogger
1 year ago

On another site a thoughtful reader has suggested electricity users will have to do washing and ironing at night if energy costs are high at other times. Presumably the juice would come from solar farms ??!!

And if the wind is not blowing, or blowing too hard, and if BESS energy is not available the system falls.

I have been resisting a “Smart” (sic) meter for months. Lat time EON called me the agent said, at the end, well that’s all right then so they have no reson to call again. He saod non-smart meters were no longer made – I wonder if they have tried to buy them as they re readily available through most of the world.

55
-1
Miss Dolly
Miss Dolly
1 year ago
Reply to  EppingBlogger

The non-wealthy in California already do this. It’s common to have a main meal at noon when the electricity is cheaper and a cold evening meal of sandwiches or salad.

And people use solar lamps indoors.

23
-1
varmint
varmint
1 year ago
Reply to  Miss Dolly

Yes and they import a great deal of electricity from outside of California. It must give them a nice warm glow inside to pretend they are saving the planet by letting other States do the dirty work for them, and they can sit in their little castles on top of the moral high ground.

50
0
TheGreenAcres
TheGreenAcres
1 year ago

Darn it, i’ve no conspiracy theories left – they’ve all come true!

91
0
stewart
stewart
1 year ago
Reply to  TheGreenAcres

Don’t worry, there’ll be new ones coming. These people don’t stop.

53
0
StickyWicket
StickyWicket
1 year ago

It’s even worse than variable tariffs though. The recent Energy Act gave powers to Government to use Smart Meters to take control of smart appliances like EV’s, your heating, fridge, battery, dishwasher etc to turn it off at times of high demand.

https://davidturver.substack.com/p/criminalising-net-zero-disobedience

Energy-Act-Para-239-Control-Smart-Appliances
14
-1
clivelittle
clivelittle
1 year ago

This has always been the plan – power ration pricing. Much cheaper than building more capacity, and I don’t mean Don Quixote windmills with limited life span.

6
0

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