Can Smart meters in Scotland use the Mobile network yet?

It would be interesting to know where you are; the problems with Long-Range Radio  (LRR) connectivity are often very localized and not common over a large area.

To answer your question, yes, Communications Hubs (CHs) fitted with mobile network SIMs were approved for use in Scotland last year, but there was a bit of a delay in getting the newest 4G versions out to customers. Some customers had 2G/3G CHs fitted last year in advance of the RTS switch-off, and they are now being prioritized for upgrading from 2G/3G to 4G. It was not a large number (relatively speaking), so more customers should be offered the latest 4G CH before long if LRR doesn’t work for them. Have a word with Support, who may be able to book a replacement.

How we’re working to support customers to address non-communicating smart meters | Smart DCC

​@Firedog Thanks for your comments.

OVO have sent engineers in the past who didn’t know how the communication was achieved so couldn’t say if the one they were installing was Radio or Mobile and some even thought it might be using the house WiFi.

It’s only recently that I realised the options were different around the country.
I’ll try and see if Support have a clue 😊

Good luck with that! 

It’s obvious (if you know what you’re looking for) from the CH (usually on top of the meter) what sort of communication the meter uses. You can see pictures of the most common varieties here: Information and details on UK SMETS Smart Meter Comms Hubs. If it’s marked EDMI, it’s a LRR device. Cellular or WNC means it uses a 2G/3G system parallel to mobile phone networks, while 4G means it’s one of the latest 4G devices using a Vodafone network.

The ones using home Wi-Fi (the system known as VWAN) are still very much in the experimental stage and a year or three away from general availability - there are vital security considerations for the whole smart meter network to be taken into account.   

You didn’t say where you are - the first part of the postcode is usually enough to pin it down.