It also really doesn't help that some of the power companies have started sending letters/emails to their customers saying "your meter has reached the end of it

It also really doesn't help that some of the power companies have started sending letters/emails to their customers saying "your meter has reached the end of its life, we have a legal obligation to replace it, please arrange an appointment to fit a smart meter". They're lying to try to force you to allow them to install a smart meter, and they're only doing that because so many people have said that they don't want one.