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Why can't the engineer test the signal strength before fitting smart meter?

  • 22 March 2018
  • 1 reply
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I was very disappointed with OVO when I had a smart meter installed and that they did not test the strength of the wireless signal it uses.

When I complained that as its not working and after trying various proccedures etc etc still nothing.

When I asked the meter be removed I was told once its in its in! I Decided I was Not accepting that as the signal clearly was the issue.

I contacted my local MP and after explaining what had happened my MP acted very quickly and arranged directly with OVO’s High Level Customer Complaints Team to get someone out to test and do their checks and then 2 weeks after I complained the Smart Meter was changed for a non smart meter and since then I have had no more wireless or mobile signal problems. Even when another part of the OVO family sent me a letter saying that they couldn't see my smart meter, again I had to call them and asked them to read my notes and complained. They finally admitted defeat and apologised for the inconvenience.

So if OVO say they cannot remove the smart meters and you are having signal problems complain to your MP and you will be surprised how quickly the meter will be changed?!

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Best answer by Lucy_OVO 28 March 2018, 14:42

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Updated on 21/07/23 by Emmanuelle_OVO

 

I’m so sorry to hear of your smart meter experience, both the communication issues you faced and the difficulty in requesting a traditional meter replacement.

 

In terms of your initial question, we do carry out some checks on the signal in your area and won’t allow an appointment to be booked in places where the Distribution Network Operator (DNO) has let us know there’s not currently Wide-Area-Network (WAN) coverage. Despite these initial checks,  we’re not able to guarantee the meters will always be able to communicate with us when they’re installed. 

 

The way your smart meter will communicate with us depends on where you live. If the signal is patchy we can sometimes install an aerial to boost this and ensure that we receive the readings from your meter. Check the way your meter will communicate and the compatibility of an aerial on this table -

 

 

North

(MPANs 15, 16, 17, 18, 23)

South
(MPANs 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 19, 20, 21, 22)

Comms hub appearance

Two lights (WAN and HAN)

Five lights (2nd is WAN and 4th is HAN)

Signal

Uses radio signal - does not depend on mobile signal strength

Uses mobile signal

Aerials

Aerials cannot be installed on North comms hubs which are neither SKU1 or SKU2

SKU1 hubs are fitted if an engineer thinks an aerial is not required
T1 and T2 aerials can be fitted onto SKU2 hubs. Members will see "SKU2 Cellular + Mesh" on the top-right of SKU2 hubs

 

If you’ve already had the meter installed and are experiencing signal issue, we’d recommend carrying out a smart meter health check for your meter type below and contacting our Support Team with the results:


Secure S1 smart meter health check

Aclara S2 smart meter health check

 

We can sometimes carry out remote processes or schedule in another engineer’s visit to resolve the communication issues. In the meantime it’s worth noting that communication issues won’t affect the meters ability to track your usage and you can still take a reading from the meters  - find out how on this relevant topic. Once you’ve taken a reading you can submit this easily on your online account or OVO app (Download for Android or iOS). 

 

We wouldn’t usually advise removing the smart meter completely as the signal in your area may improve, at which point it will re-gain the smart functionality. You can read more about the improvements to the network on this great Smart installation guide. There’s also future plans to use a ‘mesh’ network - which will allow smart meters to bounce the signal between themselves.

 

However if you’re really not happy reading the smart meter manually until we’re able to get back in communication, this is worth raising as a formal complaint with our Support Team. We take all complaints seriously no matter how they are raised and will do our best to reach a fair resolution - you can find out more about our Complaints procedure here.

 

I hope this information is helpful to others who may be experiencing similar issues with their smart meters - despite a few teething issues, there are some great benefits to going smart. 

 

OVO member but not got a smart meter yet? - Book today!

 

Interested but not yet an OVO member? - Check out our plans!

 

 

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