Issues getting a replacement THTC Meter in Scottish Highlands

Keep us posted ​@miss_foxtotum!

SSEN have replied that OVO must raise a request to ‘amend their asset’ via a Data Flow.  Customers should not be involved in this process.

So I tried to call OVO, but apparently they close at 4.50pm on a Friday.  And aren’t available at weekends for Pay Monthly customers.  That is going to make this process even more difficult than it already is,

We’ve spoken to our engineer friend Luke this week. Hang in there for now - he’s told us a MUCH better solution for you is just around the corner, especially since it won’t cost you anything.

I was going to try and contact OVO again today, but should I wait until Luke reveals this solution so I know what to ask for?

We’ll try to let you know once we know more about the upcoming solution. All I know at the moment is that it’s in development/testing but no details have been released publicly.

hello all, remote RTS, yes a solution is in the works just heading for final sign off. Once done all remote RTS customers will be contacted if they've already had an abort for it. 

​@miss_foxtotum once the workaround is signed off I will ask you for account numbers and we can go ahead and get booked in

I can see the note on your account is there and present. Remote RTS. Leave with us and as soon as its available ill get you booked in

​@Lukepeniket_OVO many thanks for the update, much appreciated.

​@Lukepeniket_OVO - Thank you for your response.  I will wait to hear from you rather than contact Support.

OVO Support phoned last Friday wanting to arrange a visit for the meter swap.  I asked whether they had seen the notes on the account about the separation between the meters and the RTS and they replied that it was all fine.  So, we have an engineer coming out this Thursday.  Does anyone know if the solution described by ​@Lukepeniket_OVO has been implemented yet?

We opted for Economy 10, and Support quoted different off-peak times for GMT and BST.  That sounds to me like they aren’t expecting the meter to be able to receive updates, so should we expect any smart capability from the new meter?

I’m not confident that they will actually attempt a swap out on Thursday as this will be the first time an engineer sees the setup in person, but time will tell.

Most Smart Meters don’t change their clocks between GMT/BST so the Peak/Off-Peak times do change twice a year. This makes it sound like you’re getting one.

​@miss_foxtotum that does sound positive, and I can echo what ​@Blastoise186 has advised about the meter not changing times with the clocks. You can find out more about this in this previous Forum post:

Please let us know how the appointment goes, we’d appreciate it! Fingers crossed for a good result on the day!

Thank you for the responses about the E10 timings, but that is not the main issue.

Can anyone confirm that there is a working solution for the meters and the RTS being in different locations?  If not, the engineer is going to have a wasted visit.

​@miss_foxtotum please could you confirm if your appointment is tomorrow or next week? 

​@Lukepeniket_OVO has confirmed that the remote RTS solution has been finalised and is to be launched w/c 11/08.

​@Ben_OVO, my appointment is tomorrow afternoon, Thursday 7th August.  Should I reschedule?

Might be a good idea, that way you can snag the new solution

​@miss_foxtotum I’ve sent you a private message, please get back to me when you can, thanks.

​@miss_foxtotum I’ve been speaking to ​@Lukepeniket_OVO behind the scenes and he’s confirmed that we should go ahead with the appointment tomorrow. 

Best case scenario - the installation is successful. Worst case is that the engineer will be able to accurately record everything that’s needed to be done second time round for a successful installation. To confirm, the appointment on thursday will not cost you anything, even if it turns out that a re-visit is required. We want to do everything we can to get solutions in place for all our RTS customers - if that means a re-visit is necessary then we will swallow that cost.

I hope this helps!

Thank you ​@Ben_OVO and ​@Lukepeniket_OVO for your help with this.

We shall see what happens!

Why can’t I get a smart meter? The response from the booking process is not very informative. How can I find out what makes my account ineligible. My understanding is that it’s a requirement that Ovo make smart meters available.

Hi ​@nrg ,

Please ask OVO Support for this one!

If you could show us your current meters for now, that would help a ton.

Thanks

Thanks for your response ​@Blastoise186 . Here are some pictures of the existing meter.

I’ve spoken to customer support. The responses have not been very helpful. I live in the Scottish Highlands and that was given as the reason. I’ve asked what the rollout plan is but just received obfuscation and nonsense, including being told that the distance from the meter to the router may be an issue.

Updated: After quite a lot of pressing Ovo are going to take some practical steps to see if we can get a smart meter, but still can’t say what the timescales are if we can’t have one now.

Hey ​@nrg, 

If you live in the highlands, then you could be affected by the RTS shutdown. When you spoke with the support team, did they mention this while on the call? I've left some articles below with more information, which could be helpful:

The distance from your meter to the router could be an issue, as they need to be able to communicate with each other. We've a process that's currently being rolled out called an Alt-Han bridge, and one of our members ​, @Biohazardx9, who was in this position, wrote a handy guide on what this looks like below:

We'll soon be able to install a smart meter for you, so please keep us updated on your progress! 

I see another possible issue there that may be preventing a smart meter being fitted. 

That second black cable from the supply that goes into the wall rather than a DNO fuse, where is it going to?

Could this be one of those cases where one (or 2) adjacent properties are on the different phases of a 3-phase supply?