In your discussion on SMETS1 vs SMETS2 you indicate that SMETS1 meters will be made DCC compliant by end 2019 but you do not make it clear if this will be a hardware fix done by an engineer at the house or a remotely activated software download. (I mean in respect of the meters you are currently installing).
Best answer by Nancy_OVO
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Updated on 123/06/23 by Emmanuelle_OVO
The Smart Data Communications Company (DDC) upgrade of S1 meters is carried out remotely. The info below was taken from this topic guide we made to explain this process of upgrading S1 smart meters:
When you switch suppliers with S1 meters, we can't always communicate with your meters. Take a look at S1 meters we can communicate with for more information.
What is this update?
It's a nationwide update to S1 meters to make them automatically send readings if they had stopped communicating due to a change of supplier. The process it goes through is Enrollment & Adoption (E&A), the output of this means both S1 and S2 meters are controlled/managed by the DCC.
Why do these smart meters need to be updated?
To get the full benefits of smart meters, the government has decided that there should be one new unified smart meter data network. This makes smart meters work more effectively with all energy suppliers, improving the efficiency of the grid and helping us all to cut carbon emissions.
Once your S1 smart meter has been updated to this single network, you’ll also be able to switch suppliers without your meter losing its smart features. Smart meters automatically send meter readings to your energy supplier. This means your bills are more accurate, and you can see how much energy you’re using your online account or OVO app (download for Android or iOS) – It’s also shown on your In-Home Display (IHD).
Until your meters have fully gone through the E&A process, they will become dormant. Therefore, you’ll need to provide readings to make sure you receive accurate bills.
What timescales to expect for my meters to be enrolled?
This table shows the expected delivery date depending on the Meter Manufacturer.
| Meter Manufacturer | MSN format | Fuel | Expected migration to Smart |
| Secure | YYP | Electric | Started January 2021. Expected to complete by March 2022. |
| G4P | Gas | ||
| Elster | YYK | Electric | Already started. Planned completion October 2021. |
| G4K | Gas | ||
| Aclara | YYM | Electric | Already started. Planned completion October 2021. |
| G4F | Gas | ||
| Itron | YYS | Electric | Already started. Planned completion October 2021. |
| G4 | Gas | ||
| L+G | YYL | Electric | Started May 2021. Expected completion September 2022. |
| ZYYQ | Electric | ||
| ZYYN | Electric | ||
| E6S | Gas |
How can I easily identify if the meter is Secure?
Secure Electric Meter Serial Numbers will start with XXP (eg 18P) and Gas Meter Serial Numbers will start with G4P.
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Hi again,
I have noticed that the ‘Estimated Usage’ has reset and is now reading very low £ on the IHD. Does this mean that I have now been migrated onto SMETS2 (or SMETS1+) and the meter should be acceptable to all suppliers?
Welcome back,
Interesting to hear that the ‘Estimated Usage’ figure has reset. There’s a number of reasons why this might have happened, you might have started a new plan or had a unit rate change if you’re on a variable plan. It could also be due to your meter going through the remote upgrade.
This remote change won’t be noticeable on your online account and won’t make a difference whilst you are still with OVO. If you’re planning a switch and want to confirm that your meters have updated before you do, it’s worth reaching out to our Support Team, or sending us a PM on here (including your full name, OVO account number and full address) and we can take a look. 
+1
The one thing to be aware of is that it’s impossible for an S1 meter to ever be upgraded to a true S2 (which OVO’s Smart Meter Friend helpfully reminded me about recently). That’s because it’s ultimately still S1 hardware and the firmware updates mainly just do some magic tricks that allow the meter to be managed via DCC, but is still S1 firmware.
That’s why I like to call these meters SMETS1+, or S1+ for short. Because erm… What else can we call them? But yes, they can run like an S2 to an extent - especially the ability to switch supplier and keep using the same meters with smart features remaining enabled.
If they’re no longer pure S1 and they’re not proper S2, then it kinda make sense to consider them S1+. I got the idea for the name from railway level crossings, but it’s never been made an official term in the spec. Not yet at least anyway…
The only way to get pure and true S2 is to swap out the hardware for full S2 across everything. There can be edge cases where this becomes necessary - such as if every possible attempt to get an S1 to do the firmware upgrade and then get it working with DCC as S1+ completely fails - but these are the exception rather than the norm. It’s less disruptive to try to the remote firmware updates and remotely migrate the existing meters to DCC than it is to physically replace all of them.
Since these things don’t last forever anyway, the number of S1 meters in service will eventually begin to drop off over time as they get replaced for any reason - such as faulty meters or re-certification stuff. In actual fact, some of the earliest S1 meters are probably approaching somewhere around halfway through their service life as well...
I do appreciate that. However, is there any difference I will see in operation?
+1
No worries.
For the most part, you won’t see many differences in how an S1+ meter operates compared to an S1 meter. The biggest difference will be the fact that an S1+ is connected to the supplier via DCC and can therefore be operated with any supplier, even those that didn’t use the same meter brand (or the same networks) in the S1 days. All S1 meters will eventually be S1+ but there’s very little that you can see happening yourself as it’s all in the background.
Until then, regular S1 meters will only work with suppliers that have the same meter brand and use the same network as the supplier who originally installed the meter. Other than that, there’s not really much that will change. Your meters will still record your usage and submit it to your supplier in pretty much exactly the same way as before (albeit via a slightly different route) and your IHD will continue to work in exactly the same way it does now.
Hey
Having a quick word with someone in the Adoption and Enrolment team, they have informed me that they are indeed looking to start switching a selection of S1 customers onto the DCC systems quite soon (this will be exclusive to PayM customers). Initially this won't be huge numbers and we will not be informing these individuals straight away as their experience will not change in anyway (this is due to it being a test of the systems). The theory is they don't want to inform and potentially confuse customers as they will see no change.
Once the customer benefits start to be developed, like better more accurate consumption data, better security, then we will start to inform those that have been integrated.
Really good question regarding consumer access devices. We are currently pairing these CAD's at customers properties so we can have a good infrastructure in place for our S2 customers. These CAD devises are part of the IHD which are specifically mean to be paired with S2 comms hubs.
Now OVO did do some testing for S1 CAD devises a few years back and it never got off the ground, so there is defiantly scope for us to have these for our S1 customers going forward.
I guess a lot will depend of now our S2 customers take to the new devices and the benefits they offer. Personally I would like to see it and I'll be pushing for it.
Cheers,
B.
this upgrade has been a big bluff no honest facts justbluff
Hello,
My neighbour has a Smets 1 Smart Meter which was upgraded to a Smets 2. Since then it has been having problems like not taking off the daily standing charge. The engineer said trying to upgrade old teqnology is useless and has ordered a meter swap to a Smets 2. He said there will be no charge is this true as the fault only occured since the upgrade which failed first time then was completed. She is anxious she will have to pay for a new meter which is not her fault. It's a PAYG Smart meter.
Thanks
+5
Hi
Hello,
Thanks for your reply. That's just it. Her Smets 1 Smart meter was supposed to have been successfully upgraded she got a text saying it had failed and they would try again. The second time it was successful but since then when they changed the prices on 1st April, it is not taking the daily standing charge. It has the decimal point int the wrong place on the standing charge price. The engineer tried to fix it on live chat but they were not understanding him. He has arranged a meter exchange to a Smets 2 and said there won't be a charge as it not her fault it's a botch up on their side and it's not being fixed but she worried in case there is a charge for meter replacement because they said the upgrade was successfull.
+1
These are the only circumstances which you’d normally get charged to replace a meter:
There’s a couple of others as well, but they’re edge cases which most people won’t realistically encounter
Hello,
Thank You for replying. The engineer said if it failed the first time and was successful the second time, it probably wasn't and it was useless trying to upgrade old teqnology, so she will still get a new Smets 2 meter fitted without charge. I only ask because she is anxious as I read they charge for a new meter swap even if faulty which doesn't seem right as it's not the customers fault. My sister's Smart meter stopped sending readings to British Gas last year. She didn't realise they never informed her. The meter was about 10 years old and was replaced free.
+1
Yeah, I’ve seen this situation before. Getting it replaced is free as it’s considered a faulty meter - and most importantly - the root cause has been determined to be something that’s beyond your control.
If you smashed it up with a baseball bat however… Then you would be liable to cough up the cash as that would be vandalism.
Thanks,
My neighbour will be relieved to hear that.
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