Energex Unilaterally Replaced My Meter without telling me

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energex

• 

  wretchd on 12/02/2015 - 21:01

  +4

  Maxi, both meters were/are Energex property. As they belong to Energex, they can replace them when they feel they need to.

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    [Deactivated] on 10/08/2017 - 16:19

    I see these posts are old. I am from QLD and our electric companies are replacing the accumulation metres with smart/digital metres. Problem is it is not compulsory to have these smart metres but they tell the homeowner that they need to upgrade their old one. These smart metres have caused an uproar in Victoria because they are wireless and are two way which means that the power company has constant feedback via smart metres that tells them what appliance you are using what time you used it and for how long. They send out pulsating radioactive waves as in microwave or to that effect. In QLD homeowners do not have to switch their old accumulation metres for smart metres but an elderly neighbour had a power company change his without his permission. Do yourself a favor and Google smart metres and make up your mind if you want one and then research your rights as a consumer.

    • 

      cwongtech on 10/08/2017 - 22:45

      radioactive waves as in microwave or to that effect

      That would be highly inefficient..

      Radioactive?! Easy with the scare campaign!

      There's smart meters being installed for all greenfields for water usage, they're battery powered and the main benefit so far is to identify small leaks in the water system.

      No way a small watch battery could produce radioactive waves.

      • 

        [Deactivated] on 14/08/2017 - 15:41

        Sorry folks it wasn't radioactive (no intention to scare anyone didn't change the auto correct) but radio frequency radiation (wireless). These devices (smart metres) do send out EMR(Electromagnetic radiation). From what I have read and not getting into the conspiracy theories out there, these metres being attached to your home and every home in the neighborhood does beg the question how much exposure for how long is safe?

      • 

        cwongtech on 14/08/2017 - 15:43

        @beu:
        It pulses a few numbers every now and then.. Might need to shut down all wifi and cell towers in the vicinity if concerned.
        Im sure taking a mobile phone call gives you much more exposure than a smart meter

• 

  Lequ83 on 12/02/2015 - 21:04

  Well they do own the meter so I assume they can do what they want with it.
  Bit rude not letting you know though.
  Probably best to just ask them directly what will happen with your billing now.

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  Mad Max on 12/02/2015 - 22:44

  True. They own the meter.
  But how am I going to verify the next read since I do not know the last read on the old meter they removed? Have to trust them???
  And the new meter is not so easy to understand with all the different display codes.

• 

  [Deactivated] on 13/02/2015 - 00:21

  I'm astonished that Energex are still replacing meters at this point. The old meters here were replaced with (different model) digital meters - close to three years ago.

  You are meant to receive prior notice in the mail before it happens.

  I remember the sub-contracted sparky turning up here very early one morning. He neglected to mention anything about the notice that should have arrived a fortnight prior. Argument ensued. He got flustered and left.

  Proceeded to ascertain the depth of Energex incompetence.
  No coordination. No mail-outs done up to that point. The 'notice' finally arrived a fortnight after the meters were replaced.

  Sparky had about 100 old meters stacked in the back of his van, all destined for landfill - his responsibility.
  "No recycling process in place of some sort, even for the steel cases?", I asked.
  ''Nah…''

  Queensland.

  • 

    [Deactivated] on 13/02/2015 - 01:17

    I should have added…

    On same tariffs as you, but both meters replaced.
    From memory - subsequent electricity bills remained horrendous, but as expected.

    Digital meters do give suppliers the ability to dynamically alter supply and tariff parameters.
    Just how much skullduggery is at play now in some places - or will be in the future, is hard to know. I do believe that the suppliers want it that way.

  • 

    c64 on 13/02/2015 - 09:35

    i've still got two old meters

    i also think the digital meters let readings be taken wirelessly from the street or possibly even remotely?

    • 

      [Deactivated] on 13/02/2015 - 13:07

      I think the meters are intended to be 'future proof', with multiple features currently unimplemented.

      No indication of any remote reading, and wholesale sacking of meter readers would certainly see a union in uproar…

      The ones here (sheepish admission: had a look first thing this morning - same EM1000 meters as OP's, albeit w/o the extra 'E') are read at the meter box, but likely via the electronic interface to save any punching-in of numbers.
      Same guy that I've seen on a few occasions - including prior to the meter swap. Pretty hard to forget the bloke as he wouldn't look out of place in a Nick Cave video clip!

• 

  retiredfeline on 13/02/2015 - 01:34

  You should have the options now of single rate tariff or time dependent tariff which might work in your favour if you adjust your behaviour, e.g. use the heavy appliances off-peak. I wouldn't mind having a smart meter, I can only get single rate here.

  As for the meter reading, I would assume that the final reading on the old meter was taken and the consumptions measured by the two meters will be presented in your next bill. If the bill is more or less what you expect then they are not trying to shaft you. You do have to trust them to some degree, e.g. how can you independently verify what you have consumed even with the old meter?

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  c64 on 13/02/2015 - 09:37

  This meter seem to have the capacity to measure time of usage. Am I going to be billed by time of usage now?

  no. you are on tariff 11.

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  JimB on 13/02/2015 - 09:47

  Everyone in Melbourne (Victoria?) had theirs replaced with a smart meter years ago.

  They wrote to us that it was going to be replaced, but you had no option (if you still want electricity from the grid).

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  SirFlibbled on 13/02/2015 - 12:20

  My meter was replaced like that. But they never switched my plans but I had the choice to change to a time based plans. Did the maths and it worked out a little more expensive to do so, so I stayed on the plan I was on.

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  Mad Max on 13/02/2015 - 12:27

  Thanks to everyone that replied
  I think they call this one EM1000E smart meter, but it does not really have wireless capability. they cannot read it remotely. it does have a connection to download the reading and all the other data it collects and stores.
  It actually has different screens you can flick through that record usage at different times of the day. They all add up to the usage shown on screen 1 which is the main screen. So I suppose being on tariff 11 they will only use the total data on screen 1. I will check if more economical to change to TOU. Origin has different charges for TOU, but the daily service charge is higher on TOU.
  Does anyone know what all the different screens are? There are about 15 different screens with data (time, date, KWH consumed at different times, power factor, voltage and lots more). it would be good to have a manual or details on the programming of it.

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  ihbh on 11/08/2017 - 09:31

  I wish this would occur in NSW. It would provide users with the right incentives to minimise electricity usage.