Do OVO offer 3 phase smart meters?

3 phase (aka polyphase) installations in domestic properties are few and far between, so it's a minority of meter engineers across the country that have the skills required to complete these installations. There are also some technical challenges in making sure your job is allocated to an engineer with these skills but we are just as keen as you are to have Smart available for these sites ASAP, so if you would like to take part in this beta stage release, please consider the steps below:

From the start of May 2023, if you have a single rate 3 phase meter (i.e. not Economy 7 / 2-rate etc.) we would encourage you to book a smart meter appointment as normal online or over the phone on 0330 303 5063. (Please do not attempt to book sooner than May unless you have been contacted.)

This will then go through to a specialist team who will validate that it is single rate job and that an 3 phase engineer is available in your region. If this is the case, they will re-book your appointment with the right engineer. (So please bear in mind your appointment date/time will likely change, but we'll try to keep it the same where possible.)

Unfortunately, if you have a 2-rate meter or are not in an area covered by our current crop of 3 phase skilled engineers, you will need to continue with your heritage meter. We know this will be frustrating, so we are sorry about that, we are working to expand our coverage and by you flagging your interest to us, you are helping us shape where and when that coverage develops. - thank you!

Is this still the case? Your 8-legged competitor now fit 3-phase smart meters.

I too would be interested in the answer @phproxy .

There was a Government Consultation (BEIS) on energy matters in January where we were being asked to comment on a number of ideas, including Part-L of the Building Regs.

There is serious consideration of a requirement for all new-build homes to have 3-phase supplies. This will reduce losses due to phase-imbalance at sub-stations, more easily facilitate EV charger installation for 2-car households, and increase the installed base of energy-storage technology.

8-legs aren’t actually installing 3-phase Smart Meters yet AFAIK. There are none yet shown on the Approved List.

In any case, OVO’s next priority is likely to be SMETS2 Meters with a 5th terminal for time-related devices (storage radiators etc). Rival Suppliers have been able to install these for many months already.

I spotted it on their forum, posted by staff.

And I spotted this on their main website, @phproxy 

I’d suggest it’s imminent, but they can’t actually install them without DCC Approval.

And I spotted this on their main website, @phproxy 

I’d suggest it’s imminent, but they can’t actually install them without DCC Approval.

They’re installing them now but it’s location specific/not yet nationwide. So hopefully you’re right and they’re imminent for nationwide availability..

The process is unchanged currently, @phproxy, but as @Transparent, mentioned it is something we’re hoping to be able to do soon. 

Thanks! 

I should perhaps point out that having 3-phase domestic supplies is a very different scenario than industry.

Industrial use of 3-phase power is pretty well balanced. Either it’s actually driving 3-phase machinery, or else the building will have been wired so as to spread the load across the phases.

In a domestic situation there is likely to be significant imbalance. Most houses will have only one or two power-rings, a separate feed for an electric cooker, another one for a shower etc. Even if these are divided across the phases, the usage on one phase will have no correlation to the other two.

In households with two EVs, the chargers themselves will most likely each be single-phase.

Grid-connected generation will also be connected to a single phase. If both EVs have V2G chargers, and a Solar PV array is connected to the third phase, these will still be exporting at different times.

This results in a much more complex set of data to be retrieved from a 3-phase Smart Meter.

Two phases might be in demand, whilst the third is exporting back to the grid. The Billing system must be able to correctly account for that.

As for the customers… how would you feel if you’re generating solar electricity on one phase, but still being billed full rate for charging an EV on a different phase?

There’s a lot to discuss here.

I do have some solutions to propose, but let’s see what others think first.

There’s a detailed Q&A topic on SMETS2 smart meter installs with 3 phase supplies, check it out here

OK - I’m new here so please be gentle with me - especially if I am posting in the wrong place.

We have a three phase supply to our house (been in a year now) but only two of the phases are connected. We have three old-style meters as one of the phases also has a low tariff meter for a few storage heaters (which we don’t use). We’re going to install  12 kW or so of solar panels and we’d like the ability to export power.

So should we wait for three phase meters to be available? Or install two smart meters (one on each of the working phase)s? Going down to one phase would limit what we could export. Or is there an even cleverer option?

Thanks for any advice.

K

Hi @Uncle K thanks for posting and a big ol welcome to the community!

This looks like the right place to ask your question, nice work finding the same topic of the same question!

Now then, to your answer. The info above outlines how to get your 3-phase supply downgraded to allow a smart install. I’m not sure of your set up (although to be fair, it doesn’t take a lot before I become unsure of electrical supply technicals), so let’s wait to hear from some of our better informed volunteers. 

One thing to note: you don’t NEED a smart meter to export. I know that for customer’s of a ‘feed in tariff’, without a smart meter, they can get paid for half of their generation meter recorded usage, as if it was exported. For some, that works out as a better deal then measuring the export exactly (which is possible with a smart meter). 

However, smart meters are very much recommended. So let’s see what we hear from the likes of @Transparent. Please be advised, Unckle K, we’re all busy folks leaving busy lives, so a reply from other volunteer might not be instant. :) 

Keen to hear from you about this solar fitting though - fancy posting a topic about this when they go in. @Uncle K ?