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Why do I get estimated readings in my bill when I have a smart meter?

  • 13 February 2017
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BPLightlog
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They are set automatically but sometimes get ‘stuck’. Here’s a similar thread 

 

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C
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OK, this is weird. The tariff on my IHD is higher on the IHD than the app, but the overall usage is showing lower on the IHD than the app. 

BPLightlog
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OK, this is weird. The tariff on my IHD is higher on the IHD than the app, but the overall usage is showing lower on the IHD than the app. 

In that case, I would check the actual meter readings on your account page to see if how that tallys.

https://account.ovoenergy.com/meter-readings

There is standing charge and vat to account for as well

Independent volunteer - Sitting in a Faraday cage, waiting for a signal
C
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OK, that explains it. “Your electricity smart meter hasn't sent us any readings lately. To keep your account up to date, you'll need to send us regular manual readings”. For some reason, the smart meter has gone offline. Great 😡

Thanks for your help in my understanding of this.

BPLightlog
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OK, that explains it. “Your electricity smart meter hasn't sent us any readings lately. To keep your account up to date, you'll need to send us regular manual readings”. For some reason, the smart meter has gone offline. Great 😡

Thanks for your help in my understanding of this.

I do check mine every so often so that I don’t get estimates. If it’s been out of sync for a while, you should be able to send a manual reading but if it stays ‘off-line’ then it’s worth reaching out to OVO to sort

Independent volunteer - Sitting in a Faraday cage, waiting for a signal
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Yes, I’ve just sent a manual reading. I also re-submitted the request to send data every half hour - maybe that will re-trigger the connection.

Overall, the smart meters are not exactly smart. This is our fourth meter.

Anyway, thanks again for your help.

Emmanuelle_OVO
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Hey @Chris Brummell,

 

If your smart meter’s lose communication with us please complete a smart meter health check:

 

 

Renewable Energy? Big Fan.
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My account is showing that I've used more gas in two weeks I've been away than when I'm at home. The flat is empty so nobody using the hob and I turned off the boiler completely so no usage there. Nothing else uses gas!  Any ideas?

Jeffus
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See if there are any non smart meter readings in that period 

https://account.ovoenergy.com/meter-readings/history/gas

 

D
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I am just trying find out why my gas usage has spiked so suddenly.

My use of gas for hot water and cooking has changed very little and was showing as 2.30 kWh of gas used on 8th November.

However, the next day this has shot up to 47.91 kWh and has been at that level ever since.

Although I have a combi gas boiler, I have not been using the central heating and the radiators are turned off as I have been using low energy electric heaters.

I have also been using an air fryer and microwave instead of the gas oven for cooking but the gas use is still showing at these levels.

Any ideas?

BPLightlog
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Where are you seeing that usage @DJH1971 ? If in your account, have you checked to see if they’re using actual readings or estimated. Otherwise, you might want to check the meter and pipework - first take a few readings a number of hours (or a day) apart. If that’s still high, there might be a leak .. you could use the lever to switch the gas off if that’s possible (and needed)

Independent volunteer - Sitting in a Faraday cage, waiting for a signal
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On my Ovo energy account under ‘usage’.

I certainly don’t smell any gas either, as this would happen in a leak.

Just so baffled.

BPLightlog
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On my Ovo energy account under ‘usage’.

 

Yes but it should also say Smart, manual or estimated alongside the daily readings

Independent volunteer - Sitting in a Faraday cage, waiting for a signal
D
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It is saying Smart but it still doesn’t seem right. I haven't had the smart meter plugged in as not sure it was a smart meter (I took over from my late Dad who passed away in July) as we were on an energy supplier that went pop (not sure what they were) and we were switched to Ovo.

The last meter reading was on 4th November, which was before the spike.

Firedog
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The last meter reading was on 4th November, which was before the spike.
 

That sounds very much as if the usage has been (over-)estimated in the absence of readings. You should be sure to take a manual reading on Friday morning 1 December (Thursday evening if that’s more convenient, but don’t submit it until Friday morning). That reading should be used to generate your November bill, negating all the spurious estimates. You can submit online on the app if you don’t see the option at the website.

The Usage charts are for convenience only; they have no bearing on how much you’re charged - that depends solely on meter readings.

  

I haven't had the smart meter plugged in ...
 

The smart meter is the box on the wall near where the main electricity cable comes into the house. The little device you haven’t plugged in is the In-Home Display, which you might find helpful especially if the meter itself isn’t communicating data to OVO properly. Does it work if you plug it in to a socket as close to the meter as you can get, then leave it for a couple of hours to settle in? 

 

Noel | I have no official status; I'm just a volunteer who comes here to help other customers. My gear: Aclara SGM 1416-B Electricity-only E7 meter; Chameleon IHD3-PPMID-AAA
Emmanuelle_OVO
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Hey @DJH1971,

 

Welcome to the OVO Online Community,

 

The first thing that occurs to me is that some of the readings might be estimated:

 

 

If the reads are all smart it may be that an appliance in the property, or your meter is faulty:

 

 

Renewable Energy? Big Fan.
Jeffus
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Hi @DJH1971 

Sorry to hear about your issues. I don't work for ovo, I am just a customer like you.

Some good advice above. See if this helps as well.

1. If you haven't already have a look at this page and make sure there is a daily reading with the word smart next to it for every day.

https://account.ovoenergy.com/meter-readings/history/gas

2. Can you take a picture of your smart meter and post it on the forum so we can see it

3. On the usage page do you see day month year tabs

4. If you look on the website not the app

https://account.ovoenergy.com/plan

You will see something called Future Annual Consumption. If you have a smart meter but it isn't communicating with ovo, then this will be used to estimate your consumption.

D
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It appears that my smart meter is not communicating properly as all the lights such as 'WAN' are flashing and I have reported this to Ovo.

 

I submitted a manual reading on the Ovo website and that now seems to show pretty much what I actually used 

Jeffus
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It appears that my smart meter is not communicating properly as all the lights such as 'WAN' are flashing and I have reported this to Ovo.

 

I submitted a manual reading on the Ovo website and that now seems to show pretty much what I actually used 

In case it helps

You can run this check to see if your meter is working in smart mode

https://smartmetercheck.citizensadvice.org.uk/

Ovo also have a tool they use to diagnose issues

https://smart-meter-help.ovoenergy.com/

Firedog
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… all the lights such as 'WAN' are flashing ...

 

On many types of communications hub (that’s the bit with the WAN, HAN etc. lights), they’re supposed to flash. The frequency of the flashes is in some cases a diagnostic tool. This is from a site I find very helpful:
  

What do the indicators mean on a SMETS 2 Comms Hub?
  

The comms hub sits on top of the SMETS (Smart Meter Equipment Technical Specifications) electrcity meter and has a series of LED indicators showing the functional status of the metering system. Each LED has a legend shown below:

  
SW

This shows the status of the hub's software. You should see a green light flashing every five seconds.

WAN

Shows your communication hub's ability to communicate with your supplier. If your meter is connected, you'll see a green light flashing every five seconds. This light may be off if your meter is using the MESH network to communicate.

MESH

This light may be on if your meter is connected and communicating through another network (this network has been built to allow more meters to communicate in areas with poor or no signal).

HAN

This light shows the connection status of your electricity meter, gas meter and/or IHD with your communications hub on the HAN (Home Area Network). If connected, you'll see a green light that flashes every five seconds.

GAS

This light tells you if a gas meter is connected; you should see a green light flashing every five seconds. If you don't have a gas meter installed, this light will be off.



Read more at: https://www.smartme.co.uk/home-area-network.html © SmartMe.co.uk

   

I submitted a manual reading on the Ovo website and that now seems to show pretty much what I actually used
 

So you’re all sorted now, with no more unexplained spikes?

 

Noel | I have no official status; I'm just a volunteer who comes here to help other customers. My gear: Aclara SGM 1416-B Electricity-only E7 meter; Chameleon IHD3-PPMID-AAA

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