Does OVO have plans to offer a 3 Phase smart meter for supplies larger than "100A per phase” connections (CT-type meters), and “vector sum” compliant?

Excellent - I am available for installation, trial, test, experiment or other. Any chance of a photo so that I can see how it's installed - I don’t want it messing up my straight lines 😀

Wow @P50WKB you have a wind turbine local generation. We don’t have a badge for that. How is it? Would you be happy to post about it and the very complex looking electronics around the meter? For example I’d love to know how it compares in generation to solar and what’s involved in getting one set up...

As for polyphase smart meters, as Luke says, we’re really close. I was hoping to update all topics related to this but I’ve needed to prioritise the new activity we’re seeing here. It’s very busy this week and last.

The update is:

"As of August 2022, we're currently in a pilot, and will be contacting pilot-eligible customers (OVO customers on single rate tariffs) over the next few weeks and months. We are working with a select number of trained engineers around the country therefore we unfortunately can't install to just any willing participant (as much as we wish we could). Our advice is to make sure your contact details are up to date in your OVO account so that our teams can reach you."

Well… It looks as if Tim’s found his biggest fan yet! 😛

I’m afraid we don’t really have many photos of Three-Phase Smart Meters of either SMETS1 or SMETS2 on the OVO Forum unfortunately, so I can’t really show you any. We’ve never had threads that people post any in that I can recall!

However, from the photo you’ve provided, I think there should be enough space on your backboard for both the meter and a Comms Hub to fit. They won’t be much wider than your existing electric meter and are only a bit taller by around 20-30cm with the Comms Hub included. It might just be a case of moving the new meter down a little bit, but it should work just fine.

Oh god yeah plenty of room on there (they aren't much bigger than existing heritage meters) and the cables look nice and up to date aswell.

After being pestered for an appointment I relented - under the “Other Information Box” I wrote that a 100A polyphase meter to accommodate split phase supply for a wind turbine and G59 facility was required. I haven’t heard back so it will be interesting to see what or who turns up !

Nice one!

As long as the job notes are set up correctly, that should all be arranged. I think a scheduler will see that job note and make sure the right engineer shows up.

I admire your confidence 😄 I’ll let you know the outcome - with pictures !!
Just curious - does the Chameleon IHD6 or whatever version is supplied, have a centre zero so that it can clearly indicate generation / consumption behaviour ?

I can’t say for sure. It should figure out when you’re exporting though. Most likely you’ll get a Chameleon IHD7-CAD-PPMID now.

Not long now until Meter Day😀…….I have also just received my new OVO FIT Energy account number (not the same account number as my OVO Energy Account) but how do I log into the FIT account as it just defaults to the “domestic” account ?

Hey @P50WKB ,

Nice one! I’m afraid you can’t use online services for a FiT Account with OVO. You’ll be notified when the readings are next due though.

Ah, that’s a shame - someone’s missing the reduced🤓 paperwork trick 😂😂.

I asked about it myself a few months back.

The official reason is because there’s not enough FiT/SEG Customers too justify building the system out for it. But it’s still paperless - you get an email when readings are due with a link to the form.

Well, that was a massive anticlimax !
There I was at 8 bells of the Afternoon Watch, in freshly laundered Stokers whites, non- conductive spirit level at the ready, waiting for the Smart Meter Tech to turn to………………….between 12 noon and 16:00 the card said………..by 18:00 I gave up and had a brew. No phone call to say sorry I’m running late, off sick, no Polyphase parts available, broken a finger nail – nothing. Worse still, there wasn’t much wind to make stopping the turbine expensive. So nothing else to moan about! Very disappointing indeed.

I tried phoning the recommended 0330 303 5063 and several others, but, as everyone knows, that’s a waste of (even more) time. I did manage to get on OVO Chat and have a relatively fruitless conversation with a chatBot and then with Paulina who was very obliging but couldn’t really add anything to the conversation – she clearly didn’t have any booking information available to her; but fair dues, she promised to raise a case for £30 to be credited to my account as the engineer failed to show.
Tomorrow she will email an update about a new booking…………….

As I said a month ago Blastoise I admired your confidence in a successful outcome but unfortunately the OVO system has let both of us down👎🙄

Very frustrating @P50WKB. Usually this would happen if there was an issue sending the appointment information initially. In other words the engineering team never got it. If they had you’d been contacted one way or another. 

Please let us know if this isn’t re-booked this week so we can help. 

More a waste of time and money for everyone than frustrating. After the initial booking email (27/09), the appointment confirmation email (05/10), a reminder email (23/11) and then an actual Royal Mail posted card (28/11) to reconfirm day and time segment I think it is unlikely that someone didn’t know of the appointment……is there not an internal confirmation system ?…….Perhaps “under the “Other Information Box” I wrote that a 100A polyphase meter to accommodate split phase supply for a wind turbine and G59 facility was required” caught the engineering team out. It would have been nice to have had some indication of intent even if it was “sorry, too difficult”.
But thanks for your response anyway.

Happy New 2023 to all!!

So what’s the latest news with polyphase / 3-phase metering in OVO land then?!

Best wishes. Sean 

Hi @SeanS, I’ve recently been asked the same question over on this topic. In short, there’s no change:

Polyphase meters are being fitted for OVO customers on a small but growing scale. Are you on OVO’s variable plan, Simpler? As most suppliers are priced the same these days you might consider getting a quote from a supplier that can book in a polyphase smart meter today. 

Thanks for your message and update Tim. This is precisely the exercise I’m going through currently; being with OVO on a previous property, but moved back to my own property with another energy supplier - this is fitted with a 100A 3-phase supply with an AMR type meter which is getting rather expensive recently with the additional read etc. fees I’m being levied.

I was hoping in the intervening 2+ year period we first discussed this topic, matters might have advanced a bit more rapidly with SMETS2 polyphase meter rollout.

But appears not quite there yet. I’ll keep making enquiries. Thanks again for your time. 

I was on this pilot but had to cancel the appointment and now there’s no way to rebook it that I can find out - any idea what I could do?

Hi, I’ve been waiting for the introduction of 3 phase economy 7 SMETS2 meters for a long time. I’m told they aren’t yet available, at least for economy 7. But recently my fixed tariff ended and I have moved onto the variable tariff. I did the sums and economy seven, which was always marginal, is now not cost effective. After some badgering, I have succeeded in getting OVO to move me onto their single rate tariff. Originally they told be the single rate would be the same as the E7 day rate !!

Anyway, I’m now on a single rate tariff and I see from this thread that 3 phase smart meters are available for single rate tariffs, so I ask the question again, “Can I get a 3 phase smart meter installed”?

FYI, I have already tried by calling OVO, a 3 phase smart meter was promised, and even after I questioned again,

“are you really sure you can fit a 3 phase smart meter?”.

Yes was the response. Sadly though the engineer turned up this morning without said 3 phase meter. He also told me they don't have 3 phase qualified engineers in his team.

Happy to be on a pilot, test rollout or whatever.

Many thanks in advance for your help

Welcome @mks56 !

I’ll ask @Tim_OVO to add you to the list of interested forum members. Please bear with me.

Once it’s possible to get one, you’ll be notified.

Blastoise186, thank you, BTW I don’t need more than 100 amps per phase.

No worries. Amps are pulled so if you only need 50 Amps/Phase, you’ll only pull 50 Amps/Phase even on a 300 Amp 3-Phase Supply. :)

Blaistose186, Just pointing out that I don’t need more than 100amps per phase in case that required an uprated meter, which might be in shorter supply