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Generation meter does not have a visible serial number?

We have had solar panels for nearly 15 years now, and they still work fine, generation levels have barely moved in that time. And we have had the same electrical installation throughout, import export meter and separate generation meter. And nearly all the time with SSE.

Now of course with OVO, and I am now getting letters asking for a picture of the generation meter-read with the serial number visible. Except there has never been a serial number visible on the generation meter, as loads of SSE engineers have confirmed over the years.

I’ve emailed OVO with pictures, written old style letters, and never get a response. And now they are threatening to stop payments.

First question is: has anyone else experienced this?

Second question: if the current generation meter is no longer compliant, for example if the government now wants proof of the generation with a specific meter serial number (which I can understand being a valid ask to prevent fraud), then I can also accept that OVO are stuck in the middle (which does not justify their dreadful customer service in response to the issue).

But if a meter change has to happen, who is responsble for the cost of installing a compliant meter? And how does that get arranged?

It would be nice if OVO would respond without having to use this forum, but maybe this way I’ll get an answer since they seem to monitor it…...

 

 

 

 

23 replies

Blastoise186
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Good evening @johnhspicer ,

Please note that this response was written by a Forum Volunteer who does not work for OVO.

This sounds like a pretty rare situation to me - and it’s the first time I’ve ever seen it mentioned here on the Forum. To add context, the OVO Forum launched in around February 2017 and I’ve been here since around November 2020 so I’ve seen and read almost everything except for the really, really old stuff from the very early days. Chances are I’m pretty sure I’d remember if this had come up previously, but I can’t recall ever seeing anything similar on here.

So firstly, this is a long winded way of saying thanks for the unique question! We love these unique ones. :)

It does sound to me like OVO and yourself are both stuck between a rock and a hard place here. I can’t understand why you even had a Generation Meter installed without it having a Meter Serial Number in the first place - that’s supposed to be pretty much impossible as EVERY electric and gas meter in the UK is required to have one. I’m a bit surprised you’ve even lasted this long with it, let alone managed to get FiT Payments!

If memory serves, ALL meters - including Import, Generation and Export Meters - are owned by the Supplier and the Supplier is responsible for maintaining them as well as replacing them as and when required. The same applies to covering the cost of procurement, installation and replacement - that’s for the Supplier to do unless you require a “Non-Standard Install” which isn’t usually the case when setting up FiT/SEG.

I don’t know the process for this one, but I know someone who does. Please bear with me - I’ll flag this backstage on the Forum and someone will swing by again soon.

Securing energy by zapping security bugs... For that is The Blastoise Way!
J
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Thanks for taking a look, hopefully this will help get a resolution.

More than happy for OVO to fit a new meter that meets the requirements, just can’t understand why they didn’t say previously that that is what is needed. Or even tell me I had to pay to get it done (although I would have then checked where the responsibility really lay!).

Blastoise186
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These are… Complicated matters I’m afraid - and they’re not well documented (this isn’t strictly OVO’s fault either!). I think it’s just such a rare edge case that hardly anyone has thought of it, hence a possible reason why the agents you spoke to are struggling. But as far as I see things, you should never have been given that particular meter in the first place.

Securing energy by zapping security bugs... For that is The Blastoise Way!
BPLightlog
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Hi @johnhspicer , as Blastoise mentioned, it is rather strange to have any sort of meter without a serial number as these are used to validate readings by all suppliers.

Can you add anything further in terms of what sort of meter it is? (that might help narrow down the options).

In this case, the generation meter is not the general suppliers responsibility as it is not a ‘necessary’ component - I realise it is for you but not everybody has solar yet. In fact the solar installer should have fitted all the equipment and registered your specification (including the meter serial number) with Ofgem who maintain the register of micro generation equipment.

I have had solar for around 12 years and also had an upgrade to the system recently. On both occasions the installer fitted the generation meter (firstly for FIT and lastly as a ‘NET’ meter to record both generation and battery).

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J
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The serial number is registered OK, it’s just not visible now the meter is attached. The meter is a Sangamo SPA 01.

Hopefully OVO will chip in to this, even it is just to say that I need to sort an alternative meter with a visible serial number and need to pay for it. Which based on what you say about it not being a necessary component seems possible.

 

BPLightlog
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So there’s something obscuring the bottom half of the front plate?

You may need someone with reasonable knowledge in the FIT/SEG department to help

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J
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Top part looks very similar. But part of the frame of the meter covers where the serial number is on my meter! Can’t see any way of getting to it therefore, but bet the number is also on the back….

Unfortunately the photo I have is in HEIC format, and this site won’t allow me to attach it.

 

Abby_OVO
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Hey @johnhspicer 

 

Tricky situation you’ve got on your hands, I’m sorry to hear this. 

 

I’d really like to see a photo of the meter so I can ask the best team for some help on this one. You can email the us photos at forum@ovoenergy.com, could you try sending the photo through that and hopefully we can help make some progress with this.

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J
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Thanks Abby.

Photo sent to that mail box. The photo is a few years old so meter read isn’t current, but that isn’t relevant for this discussion. 

 

 

Abby_OVO
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Thanks @johnhspicer 

 

Got it, and it does make a lot more sense now I’ve seen these cases before on the rare occasion. I’ve added a screenshot of your photo into this thread for the others to see what you mean by it being enclosed and unable to access the serial number to view it.

 

 

I’m going to check with the team on this and see what they’re best advice is, I’ll pop back here as soon as I’ve heard back from them.

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BPLightlog
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That bottom part of the window which is being obscured looks like it has been painted? (As does the top part)

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Firedog
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A bit of Blue Peter sticky-backed plastic, perhaps? I don’t imagine you could get that hammered effect by painting.

Noel | I have no official status; I'm just a volunteer who comes here to help other customers. My gear: Aclara SGM 1416-B Electricity-only E7 meter; Chameleon IHD3-PPMID-AAA
BPLightlog
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A bit of Blue Peter sticky-backed plastic, perhaps? I don’t imagine you could get that hammered effect by painting.

Hammer finish paint ? Looks to me like the centre section has been masked and the rest painted - hammer finish

 

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Abby_OVO
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Hey @johnhspicer 

 

I heard back from the team and they’d like to look at getting this sorted for you. 

 

I’m going to reach out to you via private message for your details so I can pass these directly to the team.

 

You should be able to see your PMs here: https://forum.ovoenergy.com/inbox/overview. 

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Nukecad
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From what has been said so far I’d say that was a powder coated pressed-steel or aluminium enclosure that the meter has been fitted into to protect it from damage/vandalism/tampering.

It’s probably removable, with tools - but consumers are rightly told not to mess with meters.

We used to have a similar finish applied to metal toolboxes and the like when I worked for a truck body manufacturer - about the same shade of blue crinkle finish too.
It’s failry easy to get such a hammered effect just from the paint/powder coat used, it ‘bubbles’ in the baking oven and sets like that.

Edit- looking again it may be an injection moulded palstic one, but a few little details still tend me towards metal.
If you zoom in on the ‘window’ you can see it’s been cut a bit roughly in the recessed section, look at the top-right corner for example. It was possibly even done on site to suit the meter display. If it had been cut to the full recess size you would probably be able to see the serial # below the ‘Made in Great Britain’.

 

Greener energy? The answer my friend is blowin in the wind, the answer is blowin in the wind.
J
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It feels like metal, and when tapped it sounds like very thin metal.

 

OVO via Abby have now picked this up, so I’ll update this thread once it is resolved/ if it cannot be resolved.

J
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I said I’d drop an update here when resolved..

My thanks to Abby who has worked with the OVO team to update their records and accept for a couple more years at least that there is no visible serial number on the generation meter. What happens after that we’ll see.

And my thanks to those who contributed to this thread and helped confirm that it wasn’t me going crazy but that there was a problem, a casing that was covering the serial number. 

One of those very odd things that sometimes come up…...

BPLightlog
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Good news @johnhspicer  .. thanks for giving us an update

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Shads_OVO
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Hi @johnhspicer,

 

It’s great to hear that this has been resolved for you!

 

 

P
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It seems I am in similar situation. This is the only meter I have since installation 6 years ago. Now I am being asked to provide serial number which is not there. This has been installed when feed in tariff was still on and export meter was not necessary. 

BPLightlog
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@Petergd , that meter type shows its serial number via the digital display. 


The manual shows how 

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P
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Thanks for the information. I was full of hope for a minute. I can see this meter can be set up to show the data but even after reading the manual I still dont know how to cycle display. By default it should cycle every 5s - not in my case though.

BPLightlog
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Thanks for the information. I was full of hope for a minute. I can see this meter can be set up to show the data but even after reading the manual I still dont know how to cycle display. By default it should cycle every 5s - not in my case though.

I’ve never operated one so can’t add I’m afraid. It looks like it may be a pre-set facility. There’s likely to be a s/n on the casing but as the unit is fitted, you can’t see that

Independent volunteer - Sitting in a Faraday cage, waiting for a signal

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