Email saying Aclara SMETS2 will stop working properly on 1st June 2026 and needs replacing?

Where did you get that information from?

 Thanks, Firedog.  Readiing the message from Ovo I see that it says we need an essential upgrade to your smart meter, not the meter itself being replaced, but also says your current smart meter model is now being removed from the wider smart network. That sounds like the whole meter.  I’ll go ahead and book the update and hope  that it works with our nearby 4G.  The 4g signal is often down for a few days and I haven't yet checked how it affects the meter readings.

Woodstok - it was an email from Ovo, which said:

We’re getting in touch because we need to make an essential upgrade to your smart meter. We understand this will be an inconvenience and we’re very sorry.
 
Why your meter needs another upgrade
 
We previously replaced your meter to make sure your heating and hot water would continue to work. This was because the signal used by your old meter was being switched off.
 
Unfortunately, your current smart meter model is now being removed from the wider smart network on 1 June 2026. For your meter to keep its smart features, we need to upgrade it before then.
 
We’re sorry for the inconvenience of a second visit. It was essential to carry out the first replacement to protect your heating and hot water supply. That isn’t affected this time, but this second upgrade will make sure your meter keeps its smart features for years to come.
 
How this might affect you
 
If your meter isn’t upgraded before 1 June:
 
  Your meter won’t send automatic meter readings. This means you’ll need to send them manually. If you don’t, we’ll have to send you an estimated bill based on your average energy use
 
  You'll miss out on Beyond extras
         
  You won’t be able to track your energy use and costs in the app

Well that wasn’t much fun.  The email said I should follow a link to arrange the work. When I did it told me to phone 03450729466. I got passed from the first person to another, which cut off the line making me start over again.  After 20 minutes of dreadful music I got a third person who tried to help. Eventually he found how to arrange an appointment, but said they dont have any available, and I should phone again in a few weeks time to see if any appointments are free.  I told him that I’m going to all this trouble to suit the energy industry, not myself, and why can't they contact me when they have appointments to offer. But that didn't work, so I'll try to get  through another day when I have plenty of time to spare. If that doesn’t work either I’ll maybe not bother to have the meter upgraded - it’s perpetually set to Economy 10 and I can email a reading each month like I used to.

Hey ​@dutyhog,

I'm really sorry to hear there weren't any available appointments when you called! 

As the advisor suggested, it might be a great idea to give them a call early next week to see if any openings pop up. I completely understand how busy things can get, especially with the upgrades to meters like yours and the unexpected emergencies our engineers handle. They truly do their best to fit in as many jobs as they can. 

I definitely recommend following up in the future so you can get the work done—it can really make a difference, based on my experience!