Inspire Magazine - Spring 2017
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Smartmetersare coming!<br />
Smart metersare being installed in homes acrossthe UK, replacing traditional meters<br />
(including prepay meters) at no extracost. They arecalled “smart”metersbecause<br />
they automatically sharehow much energy you’re using with your energy supplier.<br />
We’veprovided alittle moreinformation on what it might mean foryou.<br />
An endtoestimated bills<br />
Smart metersmean your bills will be<br />
accurate, not estimated. You will no<br />
longer need to have manual meter<br />
readings, or be faced with trying to work<br />
out your bill from your ownreadings.<br />
Once you have asmart meter,you’ll get<br />
accuratebills from your energy supplier,<br />
just as you do with your telephone bill.<br />
Smart meterscan help save<br />
youmoney<br />
With every smart meter you areoffered an<br />
in-home display.This digital device shows<br />
exactly howmuch energy you’re using<br />
and tells you exactly what it’s costing<br />
you. This means you can work out which<br />
appliances areguzzling the most energy<br />
and makechanges.<br />
Asmarter future<br />
Smart metersare paving the way for a<br />
moreenergy-efficient futureand area<br />
crucial step towards the development<br />
of the smart grid, awhole newway of<br />
running the energy network. This means<br />
energy supplierswill be betterable to<br />
plan and manage the UK’selectricity<br />
and gas.<br />
Do Ihavetopay extrafor an<br />
in-home display?<br />
No.The in-home display will be issued<br />
at no extracost when the smart meter is<br />
installed. You will be shown the functions<br />
of the in-home display when your meter is<br />
installed. If you move into ahouse that has<br />
asmart meter,but no display,you should<br />
contact the energy supplier who will issue<br />
one for free.Ifthe display breaks within<br />
12 months, the supplier will replace it<br />
for free.<br />
What should Iexpect during<br />
my smartmeter installation?<br />
Installerswill remove the existing meter<br />
and replace it with the newsmart meter<br />
in the same place as the old meter.Ifthe<br />
newsmart meter won’tfitinthat location,<br />
and needs to be installed elsewhere, the<br />
installer will ask you first. The installer will<br />
also check that the gas appliances in your<br />
home aresafeifyou arehaving agas smart<br />
meter installed.<br />
Will IneedOne<br />
Manchester’s permission?<br />
If you areaOne Manchester customer,<br />
you do not need our permission to have a<br />
smart meter installed if you areresponsible<br />
for paying the energy bill (although you<br />
should inform us).<br />
HowdoIget asmart meter?<br />
You can contact your energy supplier<br />
and will be told when an installation<br />
appointment will be made,orthat your<br />
details will be added to awaiting list.<br />
Who can accessmysmart meter data<br />
and howisitused?<br />
Only your supplier and they won’tshareany of it without your<br />
permission, for example,with relevant thirdparties. The meter<br />
will keep your data secure. Dependingonhowoften you’ve<br />
agreed to shareitwith your supplier,yoursmart meter will send<br />
half-hourly,daily or monthly meter readings (your usage data).<br />
You can change your preference for howoften you sharethis<br />
information at anypoint by getting in contact with your supplier<br />
directly.Your energy supplier may also use this information<br />
to provide tailored energy-efficiency advice and improve the<br />
service they provide for you, including the accuracy of your<br />
billing if you have given them permission to do so.You can find<br />
out morebywatching the educational films online:<br />
youtube.com/smartenergyGBAbout smart<br />
6<br />
@onemcr
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