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How can I follow-up my failed 3 phase upgrade?

  • 16 February 2022
  • 14 replies
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We have been waiting since October 2021 to get our single phase meter upgraded to 3 phase. Multiple delays from Ovo. Engineer attended site yesterday, but hadn't been told it was a 3 phase meter install, so had to leave site. Please can OVO help, we have been waiting 4 months now.

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Best answer by Jess_OVO 17 February 2022, 12:18

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Updated on 07/03/23 by Emmanuelle_OVO

 

Do OVO offer 3 phase smart meters?

 

3 phase (aka polyphase) installations in domestic properties are few and far between, so it's a minority of meter engineers across the country that have the skills required to complete these installations. There are also some technical challenges in making sure your job is allocated to an engineer with these skills but we are just as keen as you are to have Smart available for these sites ASAP, so if you would like to take part in this beta stage release, please consider the steps below:


From the start of May 2023, if you have a single rate 3 phase meter (i.e. not Economy 7 / 2-rate etc.) we would encourage you to book a smart meter appointment as normal online or over the phone on 0330 303 5063. (Please do not attempt to book sooner than May unless you have been contacted.)


This will then go through to a specialist team who will validate that it is single rate job and that an 3 phase engineer is available in your region. If this is the case, they will re-book your appointment with the right engineer. (So please bear in mind your appointment date/time will likely change, but we'll try to keep it the same where possible.)


Unfortunately, if you have a 2-rate meter or are not in an area covered by our current crop of 3 phase skilled engineers, you will need to continue with your heritage meter. We know this will be frustrating, so we are sorry about that, we are working to expand our coverage and by you flagging your interest to us, you are helping us shape where and when that coverage develops. - thank you!

 

 

I’m so sorry to hear of the difficulty you’ve had when arranging the upgrade of your supply@Helen Leeson .

 

As a three phase meter installation requires a specialised engineer, it’s disappointing to hear the engineer who attended wasn’t able to complete the job. If you’d previously had the appointment confirmed, you may be eligible for a £30 compensation payment. The next best step would be to contact our Support Team to report the failed appointment and arrange a follow-up visit.

 

As you mention such a long wait to get this installation scheduled, you may wish to raise this as a formal complaint which would allow us to fully investigate and resolve any short-falls in service which might’ve occurred. 

 

I’m hoping this information is helpful in getting things sorted. 

Hello Jess, Thank you for the reply. We contacted your support team, the earliest appointment you could offer was the 16th of March. This is clearly very disappointing for a service we have been waiting since October to have installed. We are also concerned that we may get a repeat with the engineer not being able to complete the works when they arrive. Are you able to assist in escalating, we were not able to get any escalation from the support team? Regards, Helen.

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If memory serves, should the engineer miss the next appointment despite you being in and doesn’t notify you ahead of time, you might qualify for at least another £30 compensation via the Guaranteed Standards of Service. I think it’s payable after each missed appointment and can stack up as well.

Jess can’t really escalate cases on your behalf I’m afraid, but if you use the Complaints Process, it will definitely be reviewed by the complaints team.

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Has anyone actually had one fitted yet on a 3 phase supply?

We're having serious issues getting OVO to fit one, we have our 4th date scheduled now, between cancellations and guys turning up with single phase smart meters it's been a bit of a joke, but after reading a few topics on this forum about 3 phase smart meters, I'm seeing the word trialling thrown around a lot.

Are they still in the trial process?

If so, is this the reason I'm getting so much bother trying to get one fitted?

 

Also does anyone have the physical dimensions or a link to a datasheet for one that ovo are supplying? 

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Hi @Daiash ,

I think this question is probably one that @Tim_OVO or @Jess_OVO is best placed to answer, as I’ve not been keeping track of the trials progress.

However, my understanding is that OVO is testing out the Aclara SGM1430 Series meters, which can all be found at https://www.aclara.com/products-and-services/smart-meters/sgm-residential/sgm1430B_polyphase/ .

Datasheets are available from the resources section of that site here.

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@Blastoise186 this is a great response, I can Check it's location now that I have the dimensions, to make sure the new 3 phase board will fit where it ideally needs to go. 👍🏻 

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Just to clarify things slightly here, @Daiash.

 

Any 3 phase upgrades arranged at the moment would be to install a traditional 3 phase meter. We’re still carrying out trials of 3 phase smart meter installations at selected sites (which are geographically limited), I’ll be sure to post an update as soon as these are more widely available.

 

The ongoing trials won’t have an impact on the standard 3 phase appointments, so it’s disappointing to hear that you’ve had several failed installs. We’d recommend raising this directly to our Support Team who can investigate the cause and get a new visit arranged.

 

I hope this information helps.

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Hi, my wife's been dealing with them, they keep rebooking the 3 phase smart meter, but like I said, after reading a few topics on here and seeing the word trial being thrown around a lot, it's raised a few concerns that our next visit maybe a failure again...... We'd probably appreciate it more if they just said it won't be a smart meter and be done with it.

I don't care what meter we have, I just need it done as its holding up my electrician, and my massive 3 phase solar project.

If the meters are available for use, and the company fitting them has them in stock, then I can't see any other reasons to not have a smart meter fitted. 🤷🏻‍♂️ 

Can anyone tell me how I should get a 3 phase CT meter fitted? I paid Ovo in October but am still waiting 5 months on after 3 abortive appointments. It’s been with customer complaints for over a month but SMS still have not received the 2 forms they need from Ovo. SMS will not book another appointment until they get the forms. I’m at my wits end as I needed it for our new house back in January.

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Hi @Slackstead and thanks for posting this. 

 

I’m sorry to hear about your experience so far getting a 3 phase meter booking. My understanding is that there currently doesn’t exist a smart solution for a CT 3 phase supply. OVO can arrange a non-smart CT 3 phase meter exchange at a cost of £325

 

I can’t comment on this delay specifically as I’m unaware of the context or cause of the delays and I can see you’ve mentioned this being an open complaint. You should have a dedicated complaint handler at this point, or it hasn’t been escalated to the Complaints team. If not, you can request this via our Support team

Hi. I paid the £325 in October. It is with the complaint team. But no progress. 

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Have you got the contact detail of the complaints team so you can get an update, @Slackstead?

Of course. They’re just not capable of arranging for the submission of the 2 forms SMS have requested. They won’t let me elevate it and speak to anyone else.

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I can appreciate that must be frustrating, @Slackstead - sorry to hear this. I don’t know of any context but I know that you can request a deadlock letter that will let you escalate this to the Energy Ombudsmen. If the complaint is less than 8 weeks old, OVO has the chance to resolve it first. If it’s been longer than 8 weeks, you don’t even need the deadlock letter - you can approach the Ombudsmen directly. 


See OVO’s complaint process here which includes the details of the Ombudsmen.

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