Can I install a smart meter aerial myself? I'm having smart meter communication issues but need this for my Solar PV installation

Hey @Sean T , welcome!

Sorry to hear of the trouble. I’ve got some good and bad news for you.

First, the bad news. I’m afraid you can’t get hold of any aerials yourself, nor install one on your own. All Comms Hubs and Aerials for Smart Meters have to be supplied via approved channels - which are managed by DCC - and can only be installed by authorised engineers, such as those from OVO. You’d never be able to get one on your own legitimately and attempting to install anything on your meter/comms hub would trigger the anti-tamper. Which might also result in your supply disconnecting as a result. This type is a locally triggered disconnection and is intended to help curb energy theft, but you really don’t want to have to deal with that - especially having to get someone out to restore your supply manually.

If you’re not getting much luck with the regular Support Team and feel this needs looking into further, there is good news. Hopefully there should be engineers available sooner or later, but OVO’s Complaints Process can help to flag up cases like this. It might result in something being figured out a bit sooner than it would otherwise.

Hope this helps! We’re here if you need a hand with anything else.

Hi Blastoise 186, thank you for your reply. I’ll give a complaints process a try. Thanks. 

Hi Tim, that’s very helpful thank you. I’m going the whole hog and getting 2 Tesla batteries and an ashp as well as a 12kw array in order to get rid of the oil boiler. ROI isn’t my priority but hopefully I will have these commissioned before the current RHI ends. 

No worries. Once you get Smart Meters installed, you’ll be all sorted for the future and it might be possible to link the export meter to the Comms Hub after the fact in some cases.

That sounds like a very overpowered setup you’re planning on there, I like overpowered and overengineered solutions. Just make sure not to blow any fuses with it!

That’s too long to be awaiting an aerial @Sean T 

The Aerial and the Communications Hub to which it connects are the property of the Data Communications Company (DCC). They are supplied to OVO for installation.

The ones which can take an external aerial are type SKU2 and are required for only a few percent of properties. The more common SKU1 has no SMA port for an aerial lead.

The decision as to which type of Comms Hub you require is taken by consulting the National Coverage Map prior to the job being given to the engineer.

I am therefore at a loss to understand how your installer could’ve arrived on site with an SKU2 but no aerial to connect to it!

I suggest you follow the earlier advice from @Blastoise186 and use the Complaints Process.

As you’ve also now mentioned the imminent arrival of an Air Sourced Heat Pump, can I recommend that you read

and this tutorial about insulation too:

Please feel free to post relevant comments or questions on either of those topics.

Wow @Sean T - Solar, ASHP, storage. You’re the second new forum member is as many days to tell me they’re getting a green-tech stack like this. 

As Transparent called out, we have lots of resources and members with first hand experience of this tech, ready for you to get help when needed. I may also reach out to you directly about getting something posted about your experience during (and after!) the installation. It’s good to get early adopters writing about this stuff so that we build up a log of first hand experiences ready for others to read. 

I hope you get this smart meter communication issue sorted quickly once you re-raise this with the Support team! 

Another topic which @Sean T should be aware of before installation commences is the one where we are discussing the differences between grid-connected and off-grid storage/inverters.

Hi, I feel that my hands are being tied at the moment waiting for my smart meter communication issues to be resolved. Once I have my Solar PV, Batteries and ASHP installed I want to change to a TOU tariff so I can take advantage of the batteries in the winter to ensure my ASHP costs are kept to a minimum by topping up via the cheaper overnight rate. Without my smart meter working this will not be possible and cause me to have higher energy costs as a consequence. Very Frustrating that my smart meter was installed by OVO with no functionality and no resolution to the issue for a period of 10 months!  My existing contract ends in January. If I switch to another supplier will they short the communication issue any quicker or do i continue to wait for OVO?

Thanks for the update @Sean T 

As for wanting to switch to a ToU tariff - that’s currently not possible.

a: Only Octopus has ever offered one, and they’ve suspended allowing new users to join at the moment due to the massive increases in the price of gas… which in turn is used to generate electricity.

b: OVO/Kaluza are well behind schedule in releasing their own ToU tariff. I have flagged this subject for discussion with a senior manager at an open video-forum call on 7th December. You can join the call and listen to the answer if you want!

Leaving OVO to move to an alternative Energy Supplier whilst you have a Smart Meter malfunctioning is fraught with potential problems.

The switch-process is handled entirely by the Receiving Supplier. However your meter records are accessed in order to verify their status and consumption history. Those records are held by the two national meter databases: ECOES for electricity and Xoserve for gas.

None of us can predict what might happen if those databases don’t contain the necessary details because of long-term technical issues.

Your most certain route is to pursue the Complaints Procedure, which I assume you have now opened with OVO.