RTS switch off - is the Landis + Gyr 5246C meter affected by the turn off?

Just to add that that particular type of meter has a certification period of 20 years, so there’s plenty of life in the old dog yet:

Schedule 4: UK nationally approved electricity meters 

Interesting.

However I wonder if those sending the letters know that it's a 20 years cert, or are just assuming (like I did) that “over 10 years old so needs a new one”

It could also - in some cases - be that there’s too many of a particular meter model that fails In-Service Testing* and/or Meter Accuracy Tests. Those can be grounds to pull ALL meters of that same model off the wall on the basis of losing confidence in the accuracy.

*A random sample of those that come off the wall for any reason get selected for accuracy testing back in the lab. If they all pass, they’re good for a bit longer. If too many fail, it can lead to all of them being yanked from the field.

Hey ​@gb holland, 

Have you had the chance to review the advice above? We’d be interested to hear why you’re against having a smart meter fitted! 

If you’d like someone to check your account for RTS also you can reach out to our Support Team. They’ll be able to run a check on your account for you. 

Let us know if you have any further questions.

The reason the OP may not be interested in a smart meter, is the same reason as myself [I also have a Ampy/L+G5246C] This meter has as service life of 20 years according to the Government register: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/690b6bd17a88fd270a95fe1c/register-of-approved-electricity-meters-251106.pdf 

We have an all electric house, equipped with electric heating, solar panels and a storage battery. How exactly would a smart meter work correctly given that all my heating [and I suspect the OP] are on a separate circuit that only switches the heating on at low off peak times and is separate from my normal electric circuit? From what I’ve been told there are not any dual circuit swtiching smart meters, so how exactly would my heating be controlled? 

The other points always made about smart meters are a bit pointless, in that I can easily read my existing meter and send in readings every month [takes all of a minute to read and submit on-line] and I don’t need a smart meter to show my enrgy usage as my solar set up shows both energy being generated and my usage in real time anyway.

The other point about smart meters that concerns me, it all seems to be about getting as many meters installed as possible to meet Government targets [and the energy companies having the incentive to stop getting fines for missing targets] but after meters are replaced, if they ever go wrong and for instance stop transmitting data, so that the householder has to go back to reading the meter manually, there is no compulsion on the energy supplier to replace faulty smart meters in any specific time frame, or even at all, as they are all more interested in getting smart meters installed at locations that do not currently have them, in order to meet their targets.  

Hi ​@Our Friends Electric and thanks for your reply here.

A smart meter installation should be possible with the two separate circuits. I’ve updated your Forum profile to display you have solar panels and a battery.

Thanks for the reply but a few points it’s not exactly reassuring to read ‘A smart meter installation should be possible’ The thing being, apart from the fact a smart meter is no actual benefit to me [the customer] in my case, as I’ve already pointed out submitting a meter reading takes minutes, plus with my set-up, I can already see in real time both my energy production and useage, I have been informed that I would actually have to pay for any extra installation of switching equipment/wiring etc above/beyond what would be a standard smart meter fit as Smart meters do not do switching between different circuits.

The other thing that does concern me, is that people I know who have have smart meters, that have failed [in that they no longer send out readings either because hey are early generation meters or even more modern ones that have failed] have not had them replaced, as in my previous post the energy companies [and I’m not singling out OVO here, I’m talking about various different suppliers] do not seem interested in fitting replacement meters, if it is just the data transmission part that has failed with the customers being told to just read their own meter and submit readings. The companies are more interested in new installs, to meet Government fitting targets. 

As JFK said in 1961, “Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country”. The benefits for ‘the country’ of as many customers as possible having smart meters are numerous. I’m sure you could find out about them if you looked.
  

I wonder who (mis-)informed you. As ​@Ben_OVO mentioned, smart meters have always been capable of switching, both between peak and offpeak tariffs and offpeak circuits on and off.  

Depending on the current wiring arrangements, it could well be that some modifications are required to ensure that a new meter works properly. A common one is having to exchange an existing water immersion heater timer for one that plays well with a smart-meter switched-circuit arrangement.
  

Energy companies are not responsible for the communications part of a smart meter installation. That is the responsibility of the DCC, so it’s unreasonable to penalize energy suppliers for DCC’s possible failings. Replacing a meter is unlikely to correct a communications fault, so there will rarely be any good reason for doing it.   

I didn’t actually say that Smart meters were not a benefit to the UK as a whole, I actually stated for my particular case, they don’t have any tangible benefit. As for ‘doing my bit’ for the country, I think I’m already there, changing to an all electric house back in 2011 [so no gas boiler emissions] having max insulation both in the loft and cavity walls. Having solar panels installed back in 2011, with a battery storage system added at a later date.

With regard to a smart meter install it was SSE that informed me, that as my meter was the same as featured in the OP [Landis+Gyr 5246C] with it’s own built in contactor to switch on my heating/hot water at off peak times, if I had a smart meter fitted it would require an extra separate timers/contactors and wiring changes and for that there would be a cost to me, so I would be paying to replace a meter that works with another meter [that should work] just so the electricty company can get instant readings.

​@Our Friends Electric as it stands, smart meters aren’t mandatory, so you can by all means leave your current meter in situ, if that’s what you’d prefer. 

At some point, as you’ve outlined in your initial post, your current meter will reach the end of its lifespan, and will need to be replaced by a smart meter. If you ever decide to have one fitted earlier than this, by all means send some photos on the Forum showing your metering setup, and we’ll be able to see what extra work m ay need doing before the installation is possible.