THTC meter - Removal Request

​@monster9 Just an FYI that I removed the feedback section and the link provided from your comment as this wasn’t meant for general consumer feedback. 

Thanks,

I should have thought that consumers in danger of having their supply turned off were those holding the biggest stake in this game. Charities and consumer groups will no doubt wring their hands as usual, but Ofgem would certainly benefit from real-life feedback from those likely to be affected by their proposals.

I responded.
Time has run out.

Emailed this to Ovo on 12 Feb 2025…
Sadly, but predictably, I’ve had no response.
Can anyone here advise when/if these meters are available yet?

Inquiry About 4G Smart Meter Availability

Ovo

I am writing to inquire about the availability of 4G smart meters in my area. I understand that 4G-enabled smart meters are being rolled out to replace older meter types, including RTS meters like mine, and I want to ensure I am prepared before the Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS) is switched off in June 2025.

Could you please let me know when 4G smart meters will be available for installation at my property?

Thank you for your assistance. I look forward to your response.

I'm afraid that your ‘understanding’ is not correct. You appear to be conflating two different things.

Nobody is ‘rolling out’ 4G connections to replace RTS meters in the North of England and Scotland

2G/3G is used for smart metering South of a line roughly through Manchester and that is in the process of being updated to 4G as 3G and then 2G will switch off.

North of Manchester it's a long wave radio signal that is used for smart metering - but a different one than the old RTS used.

RTS meters will stop working the same as they used to when the radio signal that they use stops being transmitted - either when switched off or when the last custom (4-foot tall) radio valve, which is now in use, fails so the RTS signals can no longer be broadcast.

There are no current plans to roll out 4G conected smart meters to Scotland or Northern England (the organisation that runs all smart metering doesn't want to do that) - so do not base your plans on that happening ‘specially’ for you.

It might also be worth mentioning that for questions like this one, you may be able to get a faster answer if you swing by the Forum first as we’re pretty clued up. While we can’t do account specific stuff like “When is X meter type able to be installed at my Y property on Z postcode”, we can give general answers that give you a rough idea. That also frees up OVO’s agents to handle other queries as that email inbox gets absolutely thrashed all the time.

The latest info I have is that OVO has been exploring deploying 4G Comms Hubs on a limited basis for the purposes of testing them out ahead of a wider launch. Couple of Super Important Gotchas though:

• This trial is only available for CSP Central/South aka the Southern Territory (everything north of Manchester is CSP North and doesn’t require this stuff anyway)
• The 4G Comms Hub Trial is NOT being used to install 4G Comms Hubs during RTS → Smart Meter upgrades at this time
• This trial is only being done for customers who already have fully working - and fully communicating - SMETS2 Smart Meters that currently run the 2G/3G Comms Hubs
• This trial is only available to those who are specifically invited by OVO to take part - if you’re with another supplier, please ask them about what their plans are
  • Please don’t switch to OVO purely to get on this trial - I cannot make any promises whatsoever that you’ll be invited
• The OVO Forum doesn’t currently know when 4G Comms Hubs will become widely available as we’ve not had that information come through at this time

If you don’t meet all of the above criteria, you won’t be able to take part right now.

Thanks for the additional detail ​@Blastoise186 

As a Scottish RTS customer who sits outside the SM-WAN (but within the 4G mobile phone network) it crossed my mind that this may be a solution - looks like it won’t be.

I expect I’ll be offered a Smart Meter operating in “Traditional Mode”.

Whether I’ll be offered it in time for the switch-off is anybody’s guess. 😶
Any word on what will happen to customers who don’t get a smart meter in time for the switch-off???

We’re still waiting on that one at the moment. Latest I have is that OVO has asked me to be cautious about how I approach things at the moment so I don’t accidentally throw you off a mountain. Not one of those “you’re in trouble and you’ve gotta change track” things, more just a mutual agreement about the general strategy we’re using here combined with my preference to help manage expectations carefully.

Once we know more, we’ll update the Forum. All I can say is that we can’t promise your RTS setup will continue to work as it does now beyond September 2025.

Thanks ​@Blastoise186 

Do you think it’ll be possible to have a Smart Meter working in Traditional Mode pre-programmed for an EV Charging Tariff?

Holy Moly

Just spoken to Ovo asking for an update, given I live in a no-WAN area.
Apparently, I’ll likely be given a reconditioned clockwork meter configured for E10.

No smart functionality at all.

And here was me thinking this was the 21st Century.

Basically all EV Tariffs (and add-on type stuff like Charge Anytime) across the entire market all require fully communicating Smart Meters, sorry.