Smart metering opportunities

[midge]

With a government commitment to install smart gas and electrical meters into every British home before 2020 I believe there will be good work opportunities for Gas Safe registered installers.

For someone with CCN1 and MET1 (or4) it is relatively easy to gain the necessary electrical qualification to exchange electric meters, (Remember that both meters will be exchanged on the same visit as well as installing the 'hub' and customer display).

For an existing electrical only installer, with no gas experience, it will be a challenge for them to gain CCN1, MET1 and Gas Safe registration and therefore to save costs I would imagine they would be limited to flats and premises that are all electric.

Details of the roll-out of smart metering is still sketchy, the main employer will be British Gas and their contractors although they are unlikely to start actively taking on additional personnel until well into 2010. The logistics of both supply and the data infrastructure will be a massive initial problem. If the roll-out has a bad start where customers are disappointed with the operations or installations the whole project will get a bad name very quickly and make access difficult.

Personally, I don't think there is a hope of making the 2020 deadline but that is for the future. In the meantime, anyone involved with the project and with their own Gas Safe registration, there will be many opportunities of add-on work due to many customers not having had their appliances maintained for many years.

 

[Puddle]

More pointless government policy

Smart meters that only save families £28 a year - to cost £340 per household | Mail Online

Some say the real reason the meters need to be fitted,is so energy can be rationed in the future

 

[Meterman1]

Hi Midge:: Meterman1 here, Ive just been reading you thread on the Smart Meters,,

Yes you are right there is no way on earth it will be completed by 2020,, we are still pulling out Meters dated 1981,1989 ,these meter assets have beene in peoples houses 5+ years over the 20 year life span (revenue return) so I think we all know thats never going to happen , The Brains who thought of 2020 need a purge stack up their Behind,,even if it was done by road by road House by House , the only peple to make money would be the Supply Companies puppet contractors & their little bum chums (the recuitment companies) who have made a little ring fence around themselves, Not Naming any companies..Yet!!!!!
Not us the Smaller Service Providers Companies or Engineers who have been out doing the job on the LDZ for years are being pushed out for the 3 day im a gas man course Engineers!!

One Final Word springs to Mind,,,,,,,, Monoploy!!!!!!!!!!!

Come on OFGEM Get Some Balls & Stop this ASAP

Cheers

 

[Steve @ TheHeatingHub]

afaik these new meters have blue tooth on them so the meter readers can just scan them whilst driving up the street. I'm not sure if that is ideal gossip tho anyone can confirm this ?

 

[midge]

The British Gas ones aren't exactly bluetooth, but use similar low power Zigbee technology to communicate between the gas and electric meters and the customers display. They gather 30 minute readings and bundle them once a day securely to the control end via a Vodafone chip. No driving up the street required.

 

[tamz]

There is now a smart pulse block which fits onto most newish meters that can upload the data via (any) mobile network.
Meter installers are not required as anyone can plug these in.

 

[kirkgas]

the only people who can be trained on smart meters must be linked to a utility company either as a direct employee or direct subby as the training has an element of work based visits, not 100% sure how it will work if it needs to be work based for portfolio etc

 

[tamz]

the only people who can be trained on smart meters must be linked to a utility company either as a direct employee or direct subby as the training has an element of work based visits, not 100% sure how it will work if it needs to be work based for portfolio etc

See above Kirk. The technology is evolving rapidly. It is the meter reader who will stick a pulse block on with a pair of pliars so no gas trained guys are required.
Check out uksmg as an example.

 

[kirkgas]

See above Kirk. The technology is evolving rapidly. It is the meter reader who will stick a pulse block on with a pair of pliars so no gas trained guys are required.
Check out uksmg as an example.

i meant for the install of them all, there isnt a direct training module for you too come to paisley and be trained in my centre, although i have the training info/course requirement from bpec lying on my desk ( i mean locked in the safe!!!!!!!!!)
one of the negatives of the whole thing is that a high % of the meter readers will get bumped as the few that remain will batter round reading them from the back of a motorbike, then the readings will get pumped down the phone line and they will all get bumped but thats evolution for you

 

[tamz]

I think they used to call it progress lol.

 

[AWheating]

i have a few mates who do gas meter changing and are currently being trained to change electric meters on in-house training courses. The same company has also trained there electrcial meter guys to be able to change gas meters. The worring thing is that the electrical guys dont have any appliance training and a very limited amount of experience. Im guessing visual checks when relighting and purging will not be done?

 

[leelister6]

So, back to these smart meters. Say for instance, someone happened to have a spare gas meter that they maybe happened to hypothetically swap every now and again with the official meter, would the smart meter still send the data even though it's not connected to the gas supply? I'm just asking for a mate of mine!

 

[tamz]

I don't think it could tell if it was in the meter box or at the back of the cupboard but it would know if it stopped turning every other weekend or in the middle of winter!