Hi fellow customers
can anyone please provide advice and information on OVO fitting the new 2nd generation meters.
we are being pestered to change but cautious due to all of the bad press..
positive and negative experiences appreciated
thanks
Solved
advice on current smart meter performance
Best answer by Firedog
Geoffandtom wrote:
experience of reliability and accuracy issues plus any installation issues
I’ve had a SMETS2 smart meter for almost two years, when it was installed to replace a SMETS1 device that had been in place since 2017. It has been 100% reliable, doing its job of measuring how much electricity I use all day every day without fail. It has also been reliably transmitting data about my usage and meter readings to OVO, so they can prepare accurate bills for me.
Electricity meters are precision instruments, built to fine tolerances. I have no reason to doubt that mine is at least as accurate as any other similar device. Not every meter is tested for precision, but samples of meters produced are regularly subjected to rigorous testing by independent laboratories as required by the official certification process. In many years following this and other forums, I don’t remember coming across a single instance of a SMETS2 meter having questionable accuracy.
Installation is carried out by trained meter engineers, both ‘own brand’ and contractors. My installations have been flawless, swift (< 2 hours) and carried out efficiently by personable technicians. There were a couple of minor software problems which came to light after the latest installation, but they were quickly rectified remotely after I’d made OVO aware of them.
Geoffandtom wrote:
lots of bad press and recent information suggests that up to 11 % are not operating correctly.
Newspaper headilnes don’t often tell the full story. ‘Not operating correctly’ can mean many different things, but - as I said - there can be very few SMETS2 meters installed that fail to do their real job properly - to measure. I think the main causes for complaint behind that figure were about meters’ ability to communicate, either with the supplier or with the In-Home Display that is a helpful aide for most customers. Non-smart meters can’t communicate, either, but that doesn’t mean to say they’re not operating correctly.
There are now more than 22 million SMETS2 meters installed in Britain. The great majority of them are working as intended. You have nothing to fear in my opinion.
+1- Plan Zero Hero
- 7961 replies
Hi
What information in particular were you interested in? Your question is quite massive so it would be good to know if you were after anything specific to narrow the scope
Thanks for reaching out
experience of reliability and accuracy issues plus any installation issues
lots of bad press and recent information suggests that up to 11 % are not operating correctly.
wanted first hand knowledge/ experience before proceeding
thanks
+1- Plan Zero Hero
- 7961 replies
Thanks. Please bear with me for a bit as I’ll need to dig some resources.
You OK if I park this for a couple of hours? I’ll swing by again once I’ve found what I need.
Hey
Many community members have newer generation meters, so you're not alone in asking this! I've found some articles that you might find helpful – check them out below
- Plan Zero Hero
- 1978 replies
- Answer
Geoffandtom wrote:
experience of reliability and accuracy issues plus any installation issues
I’ve had a SMETS2 smart meter for almost two years, when it was installed to replace a SMETS1 device that had been in place since 2017. It has been 100% reliable, doing its job of measuring how much electricity I use all day every day without fail. It has also been reliably transmitting data about my usage and meter readings to OVO, so they can prepare accurate bills for me.
Electricity meters are precision instruments, built to fine tolerances. I have no reason to doubt that mine is at least as accurate as any other similar device. Not every meter is tested for precision, but samples of meters produced are regularly subjected to rigorous testing by independent laboratories as required by the official certification process. In many years following this and other forums, I don’t remember coming across a single instance of a SMETS2 meter having questionable accuracy.
Installation is carried out by trained meter engineers, both ‘own brand’ and contractors. My installations have been flawless, swift (< 2 hours) and carried out efficiently by personable technicians. There were a couple of minor software problems which came to light after the latest installation, but they were quickly rectified remotely after I’d made OVO aware of them.
Geoffandtom wrote:
lots of bad press and recent information suggests that up to 11 % are not operating correctly.
Newspaper headilnes don’t often tell the full story. ‘Not operating correctly’ can mean many different things, but - as I said - there can be very few SMETS2 meters installed that fail to do their real job properly - to measure. I think the main causes for complaint behind that figure were about meters’ ability to communicate, either with the supplier or with the In-Home Display that is a helpful aide for most customers. Non-smart meters can’t communicate, either, but that doesn’t mean to say they’re not operating correctly.
There are now more than 22 million SMETS2 meters installed in Britain. The great majority of them are working as intended. You have nothing to fear in my opinion.
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 | It may look as if I know what I’m talking about, but don’t let that fool you. |
- Plan Zero Hero
- 734 replies
To start with I have both Electricity and Gas smart meters. Both operate just how I want them to now, although I did need to phone and get some settings ‘tweaked’ for the gas meter after it was installed.
Personally I can see some merit in the media stories, but it's exaggerated as usual to make a ‘better’ headline.
As Firedog says all meters, smart or not, are very reliable at metering usage. They have to be by law.
However smart meters are also supposed to go the extra mile and give you the customer more details of what energy you are using.
That “extra” is what can be a problem for some - if the communications aren't working as they should. Say in a high-rise block, or a rural location. (Or even something metal blocking the radio signal that they need to communicate).
The meter is “working” as it should to measure your usage - but not “communicating” quite as well as it should do.
These communication problems are being worked on and solutions rolled out as and when they are ready.
In the end a smart meter always does the metering job just as well as an old non-smart meter, but the ‘extra’ information may not always be doing as well as it should do (yet).
It's cold outside. Are Friends Electric?
+1- Plan Zero Hero
- 7961 replies
Ok, I’m back - took me absolutely forever to cut through some of the noise I was seeing in a few sources…
Anyway, as for myself…
I originally had an S1 installed by SSE back in 2018, which I later swapped for an S2 fitted by OVO in 2021 after a beta test related to Enrolment & Adoption into DCC messed up the S1 unit (it was inevitable - I did offer it up for beta testing after all!).
Ever since the S2 went in, I’ve basically had absolutely no trouble with it at all. Commissioning took just two weeks before the first readings started coming in and I’ve found it to be 100% reliable ever since.
Securing energy by zapping security bugs... For that is The Blastoise Way! Remember, I'm just like you - AI Powered Evil Geniuses aren't Staff!
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