British Gas 'Real Time Electricity Monitor'

[Old Sparky]

Does anyone know if this device can be used where the electricity is supplied by a different supplier?  It basically consists of a transmitter equipped with a clamp  which fits around the incoming supply cable, and a monitoring display showing electricity usage, approx. cost, etc.  Nothing in the instruction booklet states that your supplier has to be British Gas.  It appears to be an 'add-on' form of Smart Meter.

[alanworland]

Hi, got one years ago when we were with BG, after we changed supplier we retained the device which works from the electrical supply (clamps round incoming cable)
Eventually it packed up - the display lost most of its characters!

Alan

[Refugee]

I have got an NOS one in my box of bits.
I bought it for a couple of quid to harvest the sensor several years ago.

[peter scott]

I too have one although not from British Gas but I'm pretty sure it won't know which supplier you use. I gave up using mine when the battery in the monitor clamp ran out.

Peter

[Terry]

The device you have will still work and allow you to monitor your consumption but, of course, your new supplier won't be using it for billing purposes so it will mean going back to sending in meter readings when requested (unless, of course, they still send meter readers round).

[Refugee]

Our meters have a little desktop unit that shows the billing information and can be switched to show real time usage.
It uses RF to link to the metering of both gas and electric.
The meters send the readings to the supplier via the mobile phone network and the billing figures are then calculated for display.

[Terry]

But aren't these smart meters supplier specific?

In which case, yes, the remote display will continue to reflect the billing details but, as the unit's owner, British Gas, is no longer the supplier, they will no longer be collecting the information from it!

I believe it is up to each supplier to decide whose smart meter to buy and fit but, unless I've been badly misinformed, there is no common communications protocol, which is rather stupid as it would make more obvious sense if there was!

[Old Sparky]

The British Gas device I have (which is in new condition - still has the protective film over the display, and is c/w it's instruction booklet, etc.) I bought for a few ££s from a local electrical firm who also have a table of donated items they sell to support a local charity pre-dates 'Smart Meters' as such. AFAIK it doesn't send any info. to BG, or any other Utility Firm, merely displaying usage & approx. cost to the householder. I may be wrong about this, but will only find out if, and when, I get around to fitting it!

[ppppenguin]

The new SMETS2 meters work with all suppliers and are meant to have been fitted from October last year. SMETS1 meters are still being fitted The whole business has been an expensive foul up IMO.

[Refugee]

Those old British Gas ones are stand alone.
The one we have got now was supplied with recently fitted new meters and will be of the type Jeffry has told us about.
There is a SIM card in the meter that sends the readings and gets the billing info back in return.