What is the BENEFIT to the customer in getting a smart meter?

I collated everything i could find on the extender option together with the distance I have (laser meter measured but take into consideration the drop-off through the wall/window)

 

You’re right that an Alt HAN repeater still needs to “see” your gas meter over 2.4 GHz Zig‑Bee – it simply carries that Zig‑Bee traffic over your mains wiring so that the hub can talk to it. If your closest power socket is ~4.6 m from the meter, here’s what to bear in mind:

• Typical Zig‑Bee range
  Real‑world indoor Zig‑Bee (2.4 GHz) links through walls tend to max out at 6–8 m; each solid obstruction (brick, metal‑lined glazing, etc.) chops that back sharply Home Assistant Community. Outdoors with clear line‑of‑sight you might see tens of metres (even up to ~100 m in ideal conditions) Reolink—but your gas meter sits just outside behind triple‑glazed glass, which can knock the signal down heavily.

• Where to put the Alt HAN
  If you plug the repeater into that socket by the window, its Zig‑Bee radio will need to pierce your triple‑glazed pane and cover ~4.6 m of outdoor space to reach the gas module. In many cases that’ll just about succeed, but it’s borderline—especially if the glass has a metal coating or you get heavy RF interference.

• What to do if it fails

  1. Trial it anyway – ask OVO to install the Alt HAN in your window‑socket and test the meter’s “join” success.

  2. Install a fused spur/outlet nearer the meter – having a socket within ~2–3 m of the gas unit is the most reliable way to guarantee the repeater’s Zig‑Bee can link.

  3. Consider hub relocation or dual‑band hub – though the hub must stay within 1 m of the electric meter, DCC is rolling out 868 MHz “dual‑band” hubs that penetrate obstacles better; your supplier may offer an upgrade.

In short: yes, OVO’s Alt HAN is the approved range‑extender – but to work reliably you’ll either need to place it where its Zig‑Bee radio is within a few metres (ideally line‑of‑sight, or at most through only the glazing) of your gas meter, or get a power point installed closer to the meter so the repeater can be sited there.

So its a TRIAL option only and IF the engineer agrees to do it?

Powerlines work only up to the consumer unit within my flat. this is fine for the coms unit to see the bridge. I was concerned about the 5m from the bridge/socket to the gas meter?

Do you have the BRAND of the bridge? Landis+Gyr Alt HAN Bridges? I can not shorted the 5m - and that was myself opening the window to laser measure to the ground level where the meter is. the window is triple glazed (sash window with double glazed unit behind it - the walls are solid brick, no cavity half meter thick walls, slate render with lead around the sash. meter within a standard external plastic box

as you can see from my CRUDE markup image - the GAS box is below behind that bush on the wall and the nearest socket is up in the middle of the sah windows - 5m distance to bottom of window, then 500mm to the other side of window to socket - 

At the end of the day if it DOES work then i will be over the moon! I wont have to jump up on the wall and through the brambles to get to the box to get a reading in all weathers! lol

I tried to do another measurement from the electric meter (comms) - I got 4.2M (through a 400mm solid wall) to the nearest socket in between the sash windows - then its through the windows OR wall (500mm solid brick & slate) to a 5m drop to the gas meter below) - im hoping the more information I give plus visual someone on here who has fit them or have something similar a more definite answer it has a chance of working.

Thank you to ALL who have given me information as it has allowed me to ask the right question via google/chat etc, especially with regards the actual equipment used and its protocols.

I have also read that there are channels the repeater etc extra to home 2.4ghz wifi with is refreshing to know.

IF this works then I WILL be happy…. even more happy if OVO do decide to adjust DD payments to the EXACT bill each month too! then I can see a bonus with the smart meter.

With that short distance… It’s more likely an engineer would set up a Dual-Band Comms Hub. They carry both options these days though and have test tools to determine what’s most appropriate for each property.

As for the DD, regular reads will indeed help make them more accurate. However, OVO does not offer Variable Direct Debit - only Fixed Direct Debit. You’ll still only pay for what you actually use but the monthly payments will be spread across the year in equal instalments. If you desire paying precisely the bill amount each month, you’ll have to switch to Simpler Energy Pay On-Demand which means you lose any fix deals and the additional penalty is that it has higher rates than Simpler Energy DD.

With roughly 5 m and about 500 mm of solid slate/brick between my gas box and the indoor socket, a repeater simply can’t pick up the gas meter’s low‑power (+8 dBm) Zig‑Bee bursts. A range‑extender doesn’t amplify a weak link—it splits one long, broken path into two shorter hops, so it must sit within ~1–3 m (and minimal obstruction) of the meter to work reliably. Even an 868 MHz dual‑band hub won’t help if the bridge never “hears” the meter in the first place. Without mains power next to the gas box or moving the hub/bridge much closer, I won’t get a stable HAN link.

As for Direct Debit, I know OVO only offer a fixed‑installment DD. My suggestion was simply that if they were more flexible—offering a variable DD that adjusted each month based on actual smart‑meter readings—it would deliver genuine customer benefits (no over‑payments, better budgeting) and be a stronger incentive for people to switch to smart meters.

That’s why the new engineer kit allows them to test things in the exact place of the intended install before doing anything else. Dual-Band Comms Hubs have ridiculously long ranges, don’t knock em til you try em!

OVO used to offer Variable DD in their early days. They were terminated in around 2018 and there are no plans to bring them back. Smart Meter or not, even Fixed DD means you only pay for what you actually use - the rest just stays in the account and can be refunded if it builds up too much. FDD arguably provides better budgeting from your bank account because it’s far more predictable.

Please tell me about this engineers kit? I hope it isnt like the tv detector van! As for the dd reply what a load of nonsense as im constantly calling ovo to stop increasing my dd when im always in credit - i even had to ask them to put a stop on the increase but they said it will still change on the next assessment - they have NEVER  got it right. I personally thought that going smart i would only pay what i used and this is not true. So a smart meter for a consumer is no different to keeping your old meter apart from the company getting rid of meter readers.  Prove me wrong! 

Morning ​@fznuk, I hope you’re well.

I can see a few other members have come through with some great replies here explaining the technicalities of smart meters and the alt han equipment. Hopefully an engineer will be able to get the gas installed. Please let us know if you do decide to go down the route of another appointment. Have you asked our Support Team to check the job report from when the electricity meter was installed? There’s a chance that our engineer may have specified whether they thought alt han was possible for the gas to be installed.

I just wanted to share my thoughts on smart meters and the effect they have on me personally. I like the fact that I don’t have to send manual readings, and I like having a live balance and accurate usage graphs on my online account / app that allow me to monitor things closely and ascertain which appliances may be causing my usage to spike. For me personally, I’ve been able to use this data to cut down on my usage and it’s saved me some money. I don’t personally use an IHD, as I find the online account and app sufficient for my needs.

Being honest, I didn’t get smart meters installed thinking that they’d make a huge difference to my life. I got them installed because I agree with the Industry-wide rollout of smart meters, in that the Industry will have a clearer idea of usage in the UK which will mean we’ll know how much energy to buy in advance. This keeps things greener and helps keep costs down as a whole. Granted, costs are huge compared to a few years ago, but there are many external factors that have led to this happening. 

All in all, having smart meters installed has made my life a little bit easier in that I don’t have to give reads, and it means I can make full use of OVO’s live billing platform and usage graphs. For me personally, I don’t have an issue with OVO’s Direct Debit structure, as I pay slightly more than my average usage because I like to build up a credit balance which will more than cover the winter. That said, I do understand people’s frustrations with the Direct Debit review procedure - we’re continuously trying to improve it, but it won’t ever suit anyone. Just to confirm, there are no plans for OVO to introduce a variable Direct Debit structure.

I hope this helps, and I hope you do manage to get the gas meter installed successfully. I’m not sure whether you’re in a fixed plan or not, but if you did decide to switch away to another supplier for the fact that they offer a variable Direct Debit then make sure to ask our Support Team for your annual electricity and gas usage figures, so that you can get an accurate quote.

The engineers kit I referred to is basically a signal tester kit consisting of three units. One simulates the Comms Hub/Electric Meter, the second for the Gas Meter and the third for the IHD. They’re placed wherever the respective equipment is intended to go.

The indicators on them tell the engineer what to fit based on the signal strengths between the units.

Thank you, and yes, some great replies and advice which helped me go out and obtain more information on the hardware.

Having two failed attempts regarding fitting the much needed GAS smart meter (the second attempt the engineer called me, asked me if there was any change with regards to the siting of my gas meter, I replied, none and mentioned the extenders but he replied, I dont fit them so with no change to the location of the gas meter I wont be coming.

I will still have to disagree with the smart meter rollout and still see it benefitting the utility companies. The viewing of my appliance was a novelty at first but being a PC and electrical repair engineer I kind of knew what my appliances used which was a lot for a short space of time while cooking and 500W a day working - Gas is low too. I usually knew when i was using a lot of electricity with the old meter when the wheel span quickly! lol

My ONLY issue is with the location of my GAS meter and 5 meters away through a half meter THICK brick wall & slate covering to the nearest socket in which the extender would have to sit. If you can speak to an engineer these factors to obtain a possibility it will work then I will definitely book another appointment. but I dont want to waste another half day waiting only to be told a no. I understand the booking operator will book it regardless of my circumstances so I could end up with a wasted day?

Shame about the variable DD payment as I dont want to build up amounts in a companies bank account, I can do that myself. And I dont want to always be on the phone arguing with an operator to reduce the amounts as they put it up regardless that im in credit. when you was SSE we had an understanding but not now its OVO for some reason?

Interesting! cheers for that. Good to know they DO have the test equipment before installation.

I wonder if they will still fit it if it's right on the ‘edge’ of the extender receiving the signal?

Dual-Band Comms Hubs include both 2.4GHz and 868MHz radios. Given the wall punching power of 868MHz is far stronger than 2.4GHz, it’d take more than the walls in your property to stop it.

but do OVO engineers carry them and fit them?

Yes. It’s standard kit in the van these days.

Its starting to look like another engineer visit may now be beneficial!  cheers for all the advice and information :)

Well! thats put a stop to that one!

 

That’ll be because you already have Smart Meters - the self-service tool isn’t designed for your use case as it’s for new installs only.

If you have a word with OVO, the Support Team can bypass that blocker and book whatever jobs need setting up. You can use Live Chat and reference this thread if you want. We’re totally cool with that (and you definitely have our permission!) as it’ll save you a lot of typing. Simply fling the link into the chat and ask the agent to review the thread, should be easy from there.

​@fznuk I can vouch for ​@Blastoise186’s info here - this may require one of our Support Team to ‘unblock’ the account so that an appointment can be booked. Let us know how you get on!

ALL BOOKED! and was nice and easy to do! 5/5 to OVO for the CHAT.

CHEERS to all the replies and help I got from here! I will definitely be back not only with the result of the extender/ or dual band but also for any other queries BEFORE I chat to OVO direct :) 

cheers Guys! :) 

​@fznuk brilliant news! I’m happy to hear that the Chat experience went well too.

If you could let us know how it all goes we’d appreciate it - fingers crossed for a good result 🤞.

Smart Meter Update:

After getting quite a few calls and emails with regards my Gas meter installation date and times the day arrived!

The Guy was an hour earlier than expected but that was fine as I rather them early than late :)

A FANTASTIC friendly installer!! -  after showing him around and the issues he faced, I went on to show him where the EXTENDER would plug in only to be told there was NO extender on the job sheet sh he didn't have one with him. all he had was the DUAL band coms.

Looking at the distance and the thickness of the brick walls etc he wasn't sure if it would come close to reaching…..but had a bash anyway and it worked….. not sure if its on the edge of signal...but its working so hats off to him going for it! :)

BUT it may be short lived once i place the real large and heavy double glazed unit back in for winter?? Then someone may need to come back to fit the extender?

So, just to recap, NO they dont just carry it all on the Van and NO they DON'T have TEST equipment… its all just TRY & Go!

I'm happy at the moment as i don't need to read the gas meter!  

The new viewer isn't worth it as it reads the gas use every 30 mins (I understand to save battery power) - the readout is the same as the old one. BUT at least i know its getting the data :)

Overall:

Happy with the communication, install & the engineer! 10/10

But 2/10 for whoever books it all as they didn't pass on all this information so at least he carried the extender! EVERY time there has been an issue it been with the operators that book the install.

​@fznuk Thank you for coming back with the details of the installation and hope it continues to work.

Peter

Hey ​@fznuk, 

I'm so glad to hear that your gas meter was installed earlier than expected and that everything is working perfectly! It really helps our engineers to have all the information about the installation, as it ensures they have everything they need to do a great job. We always share feedback like yours with our agents to make the booking process smoother for everyone.

Thanks for sharing your experience, it really makes a difference!

Its a real shame he didn't have both kit on the van as then it saves the embarrassment for the engineer who was fantastic i have to say and seem to have passion for what he was doing too!

Since it has been the error of the booking operator both times, you really need to make sure they do have all the information. After all the research I done, the images taken and the measurements taken for this post (also the great information given by others on here) it really was pointless when it came to the installation.

Maybe, when talking to a booking operator you can at least get them to ask if the customer would like to offer any helpful information that will assist the engineer.

My Neighbour booked Scottish Power to do hers and they cancelled twice! totally useless...so at least OVO  kept me informed (maybe just a little too much) of the installation and were prompt and courteous.  Obtaining the customer installation information and passing onto the engineer would then give OVO 10/10 in my opinion.