Smart meters and EV chargers - no CT clamp with fitted

Thanks for that and I have replaced it

For anyone reading this, we would always recommend seeking professional advice from an electrician for anything related to your home’s electrics. 

@M.isterW you seem to know your stuff, can I ask: what is the difference between a current transformer (CT) meter and a CT clamp?

Definition of CT meter:  CT (Current Transformer) meters are installed on any connections with a load greater than 100 Amps. They measure a fraction of the amps (current) passing through the connection and a multiplier is applied to this reading to reflect the actual amps.

Thanks Tim and that’s very helpful. Much more helpful than the complaints resolution team who failed to properly address my problems at the time or recognised that the fitter had failed to refit my CT clamp.  

A CT clamp is a current transformer that clamps round a cable. They use the current flowing in the cable to generate a small current that is sent to whatever device they're connected to (car charger, solar battery etc). The device uses the current to determine how many amps are flowing in the cable. A car charger will use this measurement to make sure it isn't drawing too much current.

CT clamps are safe to fit yourself because they just go round the cable. They don't require you to do anything to the cable (cutting it or making any electrical connections).

I’ve just had a Smart meter fitted and we are experiencing some issues. We have gas for our heating and top up hot water when the sun isnt out. We have a 3kw solar panel system and an iboost that heats the water when needed and when the solar panels are working. If we need more water we can ‘boost’ through the immersion or heat on the gas. 

Our Smart meter was fitted two days ago and initially we noticed and increase in water temperature. We thought all was well as the iboost kicked in during the day without electric charges - as expected.

We then notice that the iboost kicked in after dark and the display showed that we were heating off solar? But the Smart meter showed we were being charged?

We have consumption of gas supply to date but no costs showing?

We have now received an email requesting a meter reading when we thought that the general idea was that we would no longer have to provide that.

Something isnt right … ? it feels as if there is a fault when the meters were changed and that the solar meter wasnt been linked in properly.

Where do I start? I’ve had so called experts assess the system in the past but they tend to either have no knowledge of solar installations or are solar speciailyts with little knowledge of the domestic supply.

Please can someone help before we rack up a huge bill (or it may well work in our favour the other way?)  

I would check that the CT Clamp for your iboost is fitted correctly. It is likely to have been removed while the new meter was fitted and might not have been put back correctly. That could be causing the iboost to come on at odd times.

The meter will take some time to be registered properly on the system. I think it can take up to 6 weeks so until it's all working properly you will have to provide manual readings.

That makes sense. I never thought to check that but my meter shows no costs during the day when the sun is up. I'll go and check that straight away. Meanwhile... I'm trying to get advice from ovo. Thank you

well thanks for that and I thought you had cracked it but the CT clamp looks properly connected with the arrow pointing toward the new meter (consumer unit).

I’ve been in touch with OVO who suggest that its down to me to find a private engineer. I find this a bit outrageous as everything was working fine before they messed with it (and OVO kept pressuring me for a Smart meter - not me)

So if I cant resolve where should I start looking to find and engineer who knows all about solar, iboosts and domestic electric supplies? I seem to only find ‘experts’ on solar or ‘experts’ on domestic and not a person capable of working across the two.

I accept that meters may take 5 - 6 weeks to communicate properly and thats not my main problem but being charged for electric water heating water heating at night when it says its working on solar doesnt take and expert to work out that that cant be correct lol  

Hi @nigel dermott

I am definitely no expert on these setups. 

If you are at all concerned the smart meter installation caused the issues, then i would suggest putting in a complaint along with anything else you do with an independent engineer once you find one. It may just be a coincidence of course. 

All the details on the complaint process is here. It doesn’t seem unreasonable to ask OVO to send someone to look at the meter install in the circumstances even if ultimately turns out to be unconnected, but that is obviously just my personal opinion. 

https://www.ovoenergy.com/feedback

OVO then have 8 weeks to resolve or issue a deadlock letter. Then the Energy Ombudsman can get involved.