Energy Suppliers

[Smartbear]

When I begin to worry about things left on standby, that will be the time I stop driving around in a 3.0 petrol engined vehicle :lol:

Sky box has to be on standby to allow it to record things. Phone has to be plugged in to allow land-line calls. Internet hub, fridge etc, all the same.

Smart meters have to be plugged in to allow them to send usage data through to your supplier, so you're actually using up electric for a slightly easier life.

It’s not the smart meter that sends the data, it’s the meter outside your house that has the comms box inside that does that and that’s not plugged into my home
Rob

 

[Smartbear]

I do exactly the same. Take a pic and then input the details.
I have had discussions with the suppliers trying to get a smart meter fitted and saying I dont want one.
They say that having one could lower your electrical usage and I say how, I only switch on what I need so how will something that uses electricity save me money. Its not like you can switch the freezer off for a few days to save money.

Electrical items left on standby can increase your bills over long periods :?
Rob

Do you mean the smart meter increasing your bills?
As that's what I think happens. It might not be much but it is still plugged in.

Not the smart meter, but electrical items like a tv on standby etc
Rob

 

[ben g]

When I begin to worry about things left on standby, that will be the time I stop driving around in a 3.0 petrol engined vehicle :lol:

Sky box has to be on standby to allow it to record things. Phone has to be plugged in to allow land-line calls. Internet hub, fridge etc, all the same.

Smart meters have to be plugged in to allow them to send usage data through to your supplier, so you're actually using up electric for a slightly easier life.

It’s not the smart meter that sends the data, it’s the meter outside your house that has the comms box inside that does that and that’s not plugged into my home
Rob

Are you talking about the v1 or v2 meters?

I read that the v2 have wifi and send the data to your supplier, so no need for any engineers to come out and mess around with your meters.

 

[Nictrix]

Electrical items left on standby can increase your bills over long periods :?
Rob

Do you mean the smart meter increasing your bills?
As that's what I think happens. It might not be much but it is still plugged in.

Not the smart meter, but electrical items like a tv on standby etc
Rob

The smart meter is plugged in and using electricity just the same.
I wonder how many people have smart meters to monitor their electricity usage but have their car constantly on a trickle charger :lol:

 

[Smartbear]

When I begin to worry about things left on standby, that will be the time I stop driving around in a 3.0 petrol engined vehicle :lol:

Sky box has to be on standby to allow it to record things. Phone has to be plugged in to allow land-line calls. Internet hub, fridge etc, all the same.

Smart meters have to be plugged in to allow them to send usage data through to your supplier, so you're actually using up electric for a slightly easier life.

It’s not the smart meter that sends the data, it’s the meter outside your house that has the comms box inside that does that and that’s not plugged into my home
Rob

Are you talking about the v1 or v2 meters?

I read that the v2 have wifi and send the data to your supplier, so no need for any engineers to come out and mess around with your meters.

The v2 meters, it’s just the display that’s indoors-the box that does the comms works on mobile data & isn’t connected to my wifi.
Rob

 

[Smartbear]

Do you mean the smart meter increasing your bills?
As that's what I think happens. It might not be much but it is still plugged in.

Not the smart meter, but electrical items like a tv on standby etc
Rob

The smart meter is plugged in and using electricity just the same.
I wonder how many people have smart meters to monitor their electricity usage but have their car constantly on a trickle charger :lol:

It’s large items like smart tv’s that use more electricity, the smart meter display is pretty tiny & wouldn't consume much at all
Rob

 

[ronk]

My smart TV uses 0,1/0,5w on stand by

 

[NickDE]

Ecotricity. Green power and a Which? recommended supplier.

 

[ben g]

My smart TV uses 0,1/0,5w on stand by

How do you find this info? Mine only had a sticker on it saying what the wattage was whilst in use (99 watts).

My previous plasma used 350 watts :lol:

 

[ben g]

Ecotricity. Green power and a Which? recommended supplier.

The problem I find with 'green' suppliers is that you aren't actually purchasing green power. You're buying whatever is in the national grid.

Some people actually believe they have green electric coming through their sockets 8) my sister in law is one of them.

 

[ronk]

My smart TV uses 0,1/0,5w on stand by

How do you find this info? Mine only had a sticker on it saying what the wattage was whilst in use (99 watts).

My previous plasma used 350 watts :lol:

It was in the tech blurb/data sheet
150watts in Standard mode
401watts in Vivid mode

 

[NickDE]

Ecotricity. Green power and a Which? recommended supplier.

The problem I find with 'green' suppliers is that you aren't actually purchasing green power. You're buying whatever is in the national grid.

Some people actually believe they have green electric coming through their sockets 8) my sister in law is one of them.

Green suppliers only buy power off green sources. Yes, it all gets mixed up with dirty electricity in the grid. But if we all choose a 100% green tariff no energy suppliers will be buying power off coal stations etc and they will disappear. Every choice for a cheap, dirty rate is a choice for more climate change.

 

[TitanTim]

Reason I went for a smart meter was simply because it was free so why not, I really couldn't be faffed sending meter readings when it's fit and forget and it's done for you.

Re leaving things on standby, that's one of the biggest causes of house fires, things like fridges etc can't be helped but left on, but TVs and other electrical stuff I switch off completely, except my smart meter . A neighbour a few doors from me used to leave his TV in the kitchen on standby and it went up in flames at 2am gutting the kitchen and smoke damaging the rest of the house that took a year to sort out, he was lucky to get out alive.

I recently bought a new washing machine and had to use a different wall socket behind the machine as the mains cable was too short which meant leaving it on at the wall socket. I got so paranoid that I got a wifi plug so it now cuts the power to the machine completely. Parts can still overheat even with a low current going into it whether a TV or whatever. Chances are low but the risk is present.

Tim.

 

[ben g]

Reason I went for a smart meter was simply because it was free so why not, I really couldn't be faffed sending meter readings when it's fit and forget and it's done for you.

Re leaving things on standby, that's one of the biggest causes of house fires, things like fridges etc can't be helped but left on, but TVs and other electrical stuff I switch off completely, except my smart meter . A neighbour a few doors from me used to leave his TV in the kitchen on standby and it went up in flames at 2am gutting the kitchen and smoke damaging the rest of the house that took a year to sort out, he was lucky to get out alive.

I recently bought a new washing machine and had to use a different wall socket behind the machine as the mains cable was too short which meant leaving it on at the wall socket. I got so paranoid that I got a wifi plug so it now cuts the power to the machine completely. Parts can still overheat even with a low current going into it whether a TV or whatever. Chances are low but the risk is present.

Tim.

Thats actually a very good point you've made there my father in law switches everything off at night as he used to be a fireman and saw the damage caused by electrical items

I'm just too lazy to be going around switching everything off and on :lol:

 

[TitanTim]

Reason I went for a smart meter was simply because it was free so why not, I really couldn't be faffed sending meter readings when it's fit and forget and it's done for you.

Re leaving things on standby, that's one of the biggest causes of house fires, things like fridges etc can't be helped but left on, but TVs and other electrical stuff I switch off completely, except my smart meter . A neighbour a few doors from me used to leave his TV in the kitchen on standby and it went up in flames at 2am gutting the kitchen and smoke damaging the rest of the house that took a year to sort out, he was lucky to get out alive.

I recently bought a new washing machine and had to use a different wall socket behind the machine as the mains cable was too short which meant leaving it on at the wall socket. I got so paranoid that I got a wifi plug so it now cuts the power to the machine completely. Parts can still overheat even with a low current going into it whether a TV or whatever. Chances are low but the risk is present.

Tim.

Thats actually a very good point you've made there my father in law switches everything off at night as he used to be a fireman and saw the damage caused by electrical items

I'm just too lazy to be going around switching everything off and on :lol:

I just tell Alexa to switch everything off

Tim.

 

[ronk]

I hear what’s said about standby - but we are happy to leave a car battery on charge for several months along with 60l of energetic material in a tank.

 

[TitanTim]

I hear what’s said about standby - but we are happy to leave a car battery on charge for several months along with 60l of energetic material in a tank.

I'm the same Ron, battery charger on 24/7 all year round, I think it's just minimising the risks, ie the things that could be switched off then turn them off. I would probably have more faith in a battery charger being left on than a TV. Having said that a good percentage of fires are unattended phone chargers.

Tim.