THTC / Separate Radio Teleswitch and Meter- Can I get a smart meter?

That depends on the other suppliers. OVO plans to continue THTC support, but absolutely 0% guarantee that anyone else will.

Additionally, if you are in a Load Managed Area (ask your DNO to check!), you cannot leave THTC even with Smart Meters unless you do away with ALL Storage Heaters and Immersion Heaters. Even if you left OVO, if you’re in a LMA you’d have to stay on THTC.

If you want someone to blame for this… Blame whoever came up with the idea for THTC in the first place. It was conceived over 30 years prior to OVO being founded. Chances are Stephen Fitzpatrick wasn’t even thinking about founding an energy supplier back then!

One thing is certain. He definitely didn’t have the (now legendary) kitchen table back then. :D

@Blastoise186 

😂 there's no load balancing going on with me, it's off at the consumer unit.... I'm not paying £0.27 per unit to help balance the grid!!!!

Well @Blastoise186 the live bot chat went well, it wants me to have my supply cut off!!!!

Eh? I think you messed up a bit there. Use the keyword “Agent” without the quotes to bypass the bot

Just looking for the head banging emoji.…

OVO agent saying it's the DNO that's stopping removal of THTC meters......DNO says OVO just need to do a 'logical meter disconnection of related meters' !!!!!

Have you checked to see if you’re in a Load Managed Area though?

There is no head banging emoji here I’m afraid. Helps prevent spam

@Blastoise186 

The question was asked at the DNO....the reply was a 'ehh???? , OVO just need to do a logical meter disconnection of one meter!'

Pretty sure it's not a load managed area, I know of others pre OVO who have done exactly what I'm trying to do. Previously SSE said if we had the wiring changes made in the house we could then request a meter change, OVO don't appear to be as accommodating and don't seem to want ad-hoc requests to change meters, the only meter changes they'll entertain are the ones they're planning as part of their roll out project.

At mentioned earlier the plan is to remove the storage heaters and replace with an air 2 air heat pump. There's a case study on the home energy Scotland website where someone was trying to do what I'm trying to do with SSE in 2016, he ended up getting compensation through Ofgem due to delays with SSE changing out his meters. As mentioned I'm not after any compensation, I just want to establish whether my request is a reasonable request and for OVO to make a process available to request a meter change.

If you can keep us posted @Infiltrator, your advice might be helpful for Community Members in a similar position. 

At the end of January 2021 my teleswitch broke. I have a 3-phase domestic storage heater load that was on THTC. I was without off-peak heat for weeks (with two small children). The first engineer that turned up didn’t have a ticket to deal with a 3-phase supply, the second engineer didn’t have the right bits with him. The third engineer fitted a smart meter for the off-peak/THTC loading, and left the existing on-peak meter in place.

Happy that it was working, we got more and more frustrated that the billing hadn’t been updated to reflect our new meter. After an Ombudsman complaint, they finally added the off-peak meter onto our bills but in the process deleted our on-peak meter and put us on the Simpler Energy tariff (without any explanation).

The last engineer that came to replace the smart meter (with another smart meter) said that it was actually attached to the system, but not fully commissioned, and then wrote us a note to say that our deleted on-peak meter was “off settlement”, and that we should rewire our THTC installation to make it more compatible with one of the storage heater Economy tariffs.  He also suggested that by moving the meter tails from the output of the distributor's fuses to a block from the output of the smart meter might be a way to take the dumb meter out of service, and feed the whole system off one meter.

I am worried that having all the previously low-rated heaters/shower/hot water will add a lot to our bill. I would rather return to a THTC tariff (or specific replacement equivalent). The engineers have all been lovely, but I have had a lot off difficulty explaining our installation to the Customer Service representatives, and have heard nothing back from the metering team after being referred to them.

I live in Shetland, so we are heavily dependent on our electric heating.

What’s the best way to resolve this in a way that will be satisfactory? Why can’t I go back onto a THTC tariff in the meantime? Is there someone specific at Ovo that I could speak to that would be able to help?

Many thanks for any responses.