A North Yorkshire Councillor has told the authority's executive member for I.T there's a north-south divide on smart meters.
Southern smart meters operate on the 3G network, while those in the north rely on a longwave radio signal at 860 megahertz.
The company responsible for the longwave network has fulfilled its contractual obligations by meeting the required coverage percentage. This means they are unlikely to invest in further improvements, leaving residents in areas with poor signal without a reliable smart meter connection.
Here's Councillor David Staveley:
Councillor David Chance and Scarborough and Whitby MP Alison Hume have also expressed concerns about the use of smart meters in the county.
Councillor Chance stated that the mobile phone network, which smart meters rely on, is "not up to scratch" in his area.
He refuses to have a smart meter installed in his own home due to poor signal strength in his village. This issue, he emphasizes, impacts not just the Esk Valley but his entire constituency.
Alison Hume has echoed these concerns, highlighting the inadequacy of the long-range radio network used by smart meters in the north of England. This network, managed by Arqiva and the DCC, has proven ineffective in hilly areas like the Esk Valley. She has raised this issue with Ed Milliband, emphasising the distress and financial burden faced by constituents due to repeated, unsuccessful installations.
The MP attributes the problem to a 2013 decision to use long-range radio in the north while providing a superior cellular data solution in the south. She sees the upcoming contract renewal in 2024 as an opportunity to "level up" and secure a more reliable network for the north.
Councillor Greg White agrees there's a problem and says he'll be taking it to the highest office:
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