How much need I do in terms of providing access before a smart meter can be fitted?

It’s a good job you asked, because the engineer coming to exchange your meter would probably not be able to do anything at all with the arrangement you’ve described.

You are clearly not allergic to modern technology since you managed to post your question; does your expertise stretch to being able to take photos with a smart phone? If so, a few photos of the meter’s location in relation to everything else nearby (including the floor) would be very helpful. Some sort of scale in the pictures, e.g. a rule propped up on the work-top reaching to the meter cupboard, would make them even more useful. You can post them in your reply here, after which we should be able to work out how best to get them to where they’ll be needed. 

The day of the appointment, it would be best to make sure there’s nothing nearby that would be in the meter engineer’s way. Otherwise, I think all you’ll need to prepare is quantities of tea and biscuits.

Are both of your meters, gas and electricity,? in this same cupboard? How do you read your meters to send your readings at the moment?

Is there someone who could come to help you move your cooker and then put it back in place?

If both meters are going to be replaced with smart meters (that would make sense), you will not have to worry about sending readings for either of them ever again!

Energy supply companies have an obligation to replace meters that are out of certification.

Hey, I would love to see some photos if you can also =]

Hey ​@old_rog, 

Luke, one of our fantastic head engineers, would love to take a peek at your setup before we send someone out. This way, we can offer you the best advice and make sure the job card is updated. We're excited to help you out and can’t wait to hear back from you! 

Sorry - can’t seem to make the font smaller

Thanks for the replies – much appreciated. Photos are attached. (Bendog – it’s just the electricity meter and I can read it by standing on tiptoe

All the following measurements are approximate.

It’s a very small kitchen, about 2.5 m square by 2.5m high.  The worktop is 92cm high and approx 65 cm square. (This means that anyone taller than 1.60m standing on the worktop would be brushing their head on the ceiling). It is supported on 30 mm square battens screwed to the brick wall on two sides and an upright pillar supports the diagonally opposite corner.   I don’t know how much load it will take, but it’s definitely not designed for long-term standing on.

The cupboard is 97cm W x 48cm H x 28cm D. The bottom of the cupboard is 2.03 m above floor level.  It has a vertical piece if wood that the doors close against.  This is not removable, except by sawing it off. It will be difficult to get photos of the inside of the cupboard.  My 15-year old phone has a rubbish camera with no flash so I would have to stand on a stepladder with the camera in one hand and a flashlight in the other – not wise for someone who has a heart problem and frequent dizzy spells!.  Maybe my wife could do it…🙂

Moving the cooker out would be necessary. This will leave a gap 53cm wide for the engineer to work in. The biggest problem is that I don’t think my wrists are strong enough to undo the sprung-loaded bayonet fitting that connects the cooker to the gas supply.

Let me know if you need any more information.  We’re both worrying thinking what could happen, for example being left with no power at all if things go wrong.  Can OVO send out an engineer’s mate when the engineer calls to take care of the physical side?  We’d pay if necessary.  Can we get OVO to actually come and survey the site first, rather than rely on our description?

Hey, 

This does look doable from the photos but I absolutely can send someone around to have a look and ensure before we do anything?

We do fit smart as standard and unlikely to get a heritage fitted at this point. I dont want to speak for all suppliers but I imagine this to be the same across the board. If you are worried about the little screen which tells you your usage you can absolutely turn it off and put it in the drawer, we dont rely on it for meter readings.

Let me know if youd like to get this booked in for a survey!

Thank you

Thanks so much for the pictures - they speak thousands of words!

Now that you have Luke on your case, you’re in the best of hands. My only remark would be that a couple of scaffolding boards spanning the two visible worktops across the cooker hob (with the pots and pans cleared away!) might make enough of a stable platform for the engineer to stand on, if his knees fit between the wall and the grill. Otherwise, with the cooker out of the way, the engineer could probably use a magic step-ladder with different leg lengths like they do on staircases. 

There is no reason not to be happy about getting a smart meter; if you mentioned your misgivings, I’m sure we could refute them and set your mind at rest.

If OVO is also your gas supplier, it would be normal to exchange the gas meter as well at the same time, so the two meters can talk to each other and to OVO to save you the trouble. Something to think about and for Luke’s site surveyor to investigate. 

Firedog - excellent point about the scaffold boards, but he would gave to bring them. Best solution sounds like move the cooker out of the way and use the magic step-ladder.  Aren’t they wonderful!  Take your point about gas, but we’re with British Gas.

Luke - that would be absolutely wonderful and give us great peace of mind.  Please go ahead and arrange it.  Stupid question - how will you get my details for the site surveyor to find us. We don’t do social mmedia and I’m very reluctant to post name, address, phone number etc in plain text on any message board, even the OVO one.  And seeing as we haven’t yet booked a date for the meter replacement we can’t give you a job number or anything.

Have no worries at all about having a smart meter - sounds an excellent idea.  It just the logistics and mechanics of the actual changeover that worries us. 

Thanks again, guys.

Apolofies Luke - think I’ve found it.  If I click on your avatar I get an option to send you a private message.  Is that the way to go?

Rog*, I think Luke can find you with no problem. He may want you to send him your Meter Serial Number, which - as well as being printed on the front of the meter - should be on all your electricity bills. Put that in a private message to him, along with your postcode.

One thing I forgot to mention in my first reply: us old geezers are well advised to have a look at OVO’s  Priority Services Register, if you’re not already on it. Apart from the benefits mentioned in that article, you get much better service if you have to contact Support.
 

*[Off-topic]

While waiting for the kettle to boil, I ran over a few words in my head:

Bog
Cog
Dog
Fog
Gog (and Magog)
Hog
Jog
Log
Mog (as in pussycat)
Nog (Egg-)
Pog ( I had to look that up before posting ...)
Rog
Sog (≈ bog in mangelwurzelland)
Tog (as in duvet)
Wog (originally, I think, ‘Westernized Oriental Gentleman’)
Zog (a well-known Russian athlete)

Spot the odd one out?

​@old_rog through mystical forum details ive already got your account deets.... I shall get my colleague to give you a call monday, his name is Jo and dont worry if you miss his initial call :-)

That is fantastic, Luke - many thanks!

Firedog - IYou have a pronounced eye for odd thongs <lol>

I meant “things” Firedog -- oops

Just to mention…

I can speak about what other suppliers are doing regarding Traditional (Non-Smart) Meters. Pretty much all of them are taking the same stance as OVO in that they no longer fit them by default and they’re deliberately burning down their stocks to zero. None have been made for UK use in over a decade now so I can’t make any promises whatsoever that you’ll find a supplier willing to fit one - and those that do will charge for a Non-Standard Install which isn’t cheap.

As for Luke? The guy is a legend as you’ve noticed. From being able to magic up keys to blocks of flats, diagnosing meters from photos and various other tricks… You’ve got one of OVO’s top engineers helping you out - it’s exactly why we love working with him!

Hope that helps!

Hey ​@old_rog 

I’m really glad to see you’ve had a great amount of support here on this and you’ll hopefully get a little further forward following the call. Thanks ​@Lukepeniket_OVO! 

Do let us know how you get on with this.😊