Smart meters again

[AE-NMidlands]

https://www.theguardian.com/business/20 ... r-benefits saying

UK ministers ‘have failed to convince public of smart meter benefits’
Rollout of devices across households has been lacklustre, says the public accounts committee in a report
The delayed smart energy meter rollout has failed to meet its targets because ministers have not done enough to convince households of their benefits, according to the public accounts committee (PAC).
The government watchdog called on ministers to set out how they plan to convince the public to take up a smart meter after a “troubled” rollout that began in 2011.

The committee has also urged the government to disclose the costs of the programme, which are ultimately paid for through energy bills, in a report to parliament every year.
The government has pushed back the date by which it hoped that all homes and businesses would have a smart meter three times since it first proposed a deadline of 2019. It currently hopes to reach about 75% of homes and 70% of small businesses by 2025.
Meg Hillier, the Labour MP who is chair of the committee, said: “Some 15 years later and four years after that missed target, and its vision of access and support for every household to control their energy efficiency remains a distant one.”

“On top of this, smart meters have serious reputational obstacles to overcome with the public,” Hillier said, citing reports of people being forced on to prepayment meters.
Late last year it emerged that firms had been remotely switching customers on to pay-as-you-go tariffs through their smart meters. Separately, energy firms have been temporarily banned from physically fitting prepayment meters under warrant.

The committee found that the public has not been convinced by smart meters during a rollout which has left millions of homes with faulty meters.
About 3 million smart meters, almost 10% of those installed, were not working as they should have been by March 2023, according to the report. In addition millions more could be affected when the 2G and 3G mobile communication networks close, it added.

I just do not believe that the general public will save energy simply because they can see the hourly consumption, and if they go onto economy 7 tarrifs they will be tempted to run washing machines etc overnight, which seriously increases the consequences of the fire risk.

[AGT]

What data is there to prove that washing machines like to catch fire at night rather than during the day?

[sharpener]

https://www.theguardian.com/business/20 ... r-benefits saying

I just do not believe that the general public will save energy simply because they can see the hourly consumption, and if they go onto economy 7 tarrifs they will be tempted to run washing machines etc overnight, which seriously increases the consequences of the fire risk.

In the '90s I worked in the part of the DTI responsible for domestic appliances and there was no evidence this was a serious problem. Most incidents involving them were the result of stupidity on the part of the user e.g. failing to keep the fluff filter even remotely clean.

We have run the w/m/c and dishwasher on E7 without any issues for decades and I would not do it if I thought it a serious fire risk.

I sometimes wonder about piping gas into nearly every home in the country and igniting it automatically in boilers while the house is unoccupied, but the safety record is remarkably good, most gas explosions are due to tampering e.g. trying to bypass the meter.

Edit: and that is despite rather than because of the skill of the installers, who it seems cannot fit boilers in accordance with the mfr's instructions or configure them to run in condensing mode.

[AE-NMidlands]

What data is there to prove that washing machines like to catch fire at night rather than during the day?

None, probably, which is why I wrote "The consequences" of the fire risk. I am sure I have seen safety advisories saying don't do it overnight as you are likely to a) be asleep and b) not realise what is happening until the situation has developed and c) be isolated upstairs.

[John_S]

Provided one has a working smoke/heat alarm, it is probably safer to run appliances at night instead of during the day and being out of the house.

[Joeboy]

Glad to say I've never seen or heard of a washing machine fire. +1 for fire/smoke alarms.

[AE-NMidlands]

first Google hit: "Sadly we attend many fires – some of them fatal – caused by faulty electrical appliances. So here's what you need to know to know to stay safe while you use these vital time savers. " from the London fire brigade

Second, Dorset and Wiltshire: "Our advice is to never use tumble dryers and washing machines overnight; there is a risk of fire if these appliances develop a fault, and if this happens when people are sleeping, the risk to life is far greater. [goes on to say]

Whirlpool washing machines
In December 2019, the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) committed to supporting Whirlpool with their recall campaign to ensure that as many people as possible are made safe from the fire risk relating to affected models of Hotpoint and Indesit washing machines.
More than half a million washing machines will be recalled, which is around 20% of the models sold from 2014. This translates as one in 60 homes potentially having a washing machine which may pose a fire risk. NFCC is aware of 79 fires caused by affected machines.

Third is Devon fire brigade, then
https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/55 ... OqG8F1789g
Nearly five months on from Whirlpool recalling more than half-a-million dangerous washing machines, the manufacturer has today admitted that there's a further 55,000 machines which could pose a fire-risk to owners, bringing the total up to 579,000.

Whirlpool says these 55,000 recalled washing machines are made up of 21 different models of Hotpoint machines manufactured between October 2014 and February 2018. Hotpoint is owned by Whirlpool.

And this is in addition to the 45 dangerous Hotpoint and Indesit machines that have already been recalled. Whirlpool branded machines aren't part of the recall.

[nowty]

The Grenfell Tower fire was caused by a loose crimp connector in a fridge freezer and they run at night whether you like it or not.

Another +1 for smoke alarms.

https://news.sky.com/story/grenfell-tow ... er%20block.

[AE-NMidlands]

Nobody is saying don't bother with a smoke alarm - we have 2.
Just if the fire services say they have seen a pattern of risks it seems silly to ignore them. I suppose things that have to run have to run, but there's no point adding risk from things which don't need to run.

[Joeboy]

Nobody is saying don't bother with a smoke alarm - we have 2.
Just if the fire services say they have seen a pattern of risks it seems silly to ignore them. I suppose things that have to run have to run, but there's no point adding risk from things which don't need to run.

I would be interested in knowing washing machine v's tumbledryer v's dishwashers cookers etc fires. I know about tumble dryers maintenance/lint fires. Increased knowledge.