Grid meter

Morning ​@ricardopelc, and a warm welcome to the OVO Forum.

Have you been told that you can’t get a smart meter ? It might be that you live in what we call a ‘no WAN area’, where there is either weak or no Wireless Area Network signal, which means that we won’t be able to commission the smart meter when it’s installed. If this is the case, then I’d be surprised if British Gas would be able to install one successfully.

Whereabouts exactly is it you’re located?

So much for technology! Mid Wales, Llangeitho *edited by moderator*.
Correct because there is no area signal! Then why cannot the meter
interact with the modem signal we have for broadband.
I suppose the only alternative is to buy a 20kw battery so we will
eventually be less reliant on the grid.
But personally energy companies need to get their act together 
to sort this problem out as it puts those living in rural areas at a
disadvantage.

Alternatively install the meter and allow householders to send reading quarterly or whenever
it’s not rocket science, as I give manual readings each month without a problem!

the ultimate reason Smart Meters can’t run over your broadband is security reasons. They have to run over private infrastructure because they’re otherwise more vulnerable to being hacked or tampered with.

Well a simple reading from the meter would obviously suffice, would it not from the existing meter.

Well why can’t you install a meter and let me give a manual reading, like EDF AND British Gas do!
The only solution would be for me to leave Ovo and move to either of them.

They all use the same WAN connection via DCC. If OVO detects there’s no signal, then chances are no-one will get one regardless of who you ask.

SEG requires either a working Smart Meter or a suitable Export Meter. There’s no exceptions that I know about.

Engineers are also pretty overloaded right now, you could be waiting a while either way.

Battery backup is the only alternative then, oh well at least the energy companies will be happy that we will not be so reliable on their energy grid.

It’s unlikely that one customer going off-grid will do much to the wider grid or any supplier to be honest. But I do have to advise that if you permanently disconnect your grid supply, it will be expensive to get connected again later - only do so if you’re absolutely sure you can sustain yourself without it.

However if you do get a battery you’ll make use of so much more of your solar generation. 

Yes, after weighing up all scenarios, a battery has to be the only viable option.

I have no intention of going off grid! As I had mentioned previously if the energy companies will not install a export meter then an alternative will have to be found like a back up battery so I can make full use of all the solar energy generated.
Any suggestions on make of battery, probably something in the region of 20kw storage.

I have a GivEnergy All-In-One which is 13.5 kW, also a GivEnergy Gateway (which I think is included as part of the package) so if there is a power cut the house switches to battery in a matter of microseconds, assuming there is some charge in it of course.

I was quite expensive but I think it will pay for itself eventually. 

There are a number of options available for battery storage but you need to check the compatibility with your inverter.

I use Pylontech which are modular and so the total capacity can be increased but the GivEnergy solution especially with the gateway is a good option 

We just have single phase Solax 3.6 kW not hybrid inverter so will have to change that for a start as it does not charge batteries. Yes I have been looking at GiveEnergy products, nicely priced as well.