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J
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Jimmy76ab
Rank 1
September 29, 2018
Solved

My gas smart meter is displaying "valve open fail" - what should I do?

  • September 29, 2018
  • 26 replies
  • 35571 views

I have an old smart meter, I have had no gas to any appliances since Friday evening and the meter is displaying open valve fail. It sounds like a battery fail. How can i get an emergency repair? Can't get through to OVO helpline until Monday??

Best answer by Nancy_OVO

Updated on 16/04/26 by Abby_OVO

 

So sorry to hear of the issues you’ve been having with your gas smart meter which have also affected your gas supply over the weekend.

 

Great work on checking the meter screen for this error message. It sounds like your meter is experiencing a fault either due to low battery (which operates the valve on some smart meters), or a mechanical issue preventing that valve from opening/closing. 

 

All gas meters (smart and traditional) have an internal battery that powers them. This is designed to last for up to 20 years, with a meter recertification (exchanging the meter to replace it with a new one) scheduled every 10 years, so it’s unusual for this issue to crop up so soon.

 

 

If your gas smart meter is making a beeping sound, it indicates that the battery is low and the meter will need replacing. If the battery fails this can affect the supply, as in your case, so it’s important to reach out to our Support Team if you do ever notice that your meter is beeping.

 

It’s really distressing to hear that this happened out-of-hours and you were unable to give us a call. If your gas supply is off out of hours we recommend calling the National Gas Emergency helpline on 105.

 

 

Our emergency info and contact details can be found here:

 

 

 

OVO customer but not got a smart meter yet? - Book today!
Interested but not yet an OVO member? - Check out our plans!

26 replies

Nancy_OVO
Retired Moderator
Nancy_OVOSolved
Retired Moderator
October 2, 2018

Updated on 16/04/26 by Abby_OVO

 

So sorry to hear of the issues you’ve been having with your gas smart meter which have also affected your gas supply over the weekend.

 

Great work on checking the meter screen for this error message. It sounds like your meter is experiencing a fault either due to low battery (which operates the valve on some smart meters), or a mechanical issue preventing that valve from opening/closing. 

 

All gas meters (smart and traditional) have an internal battery that powers them. This is designed to last for up to 20 years, with a meter recertification (exchanging the meter to replace it with a new one) scheduled every 10 years, so it’s unusual for this issue to crop up so soon.

 

 

If your gas smart meter is making a beeping sound, it indicates that the battery is low and the meter will need replacing. If the battery fails this can affect the supply, as in your case, so it’s important to reach out to our Support Team if you do ever notice that your meter is beeping.

 

It’s really distressing to hear that this happened out-of-hours and you were unable to give us a call. If your gas supply is off out of hours we recommend calling the National Gas Emergency helpline on 105.

 

 

Our emergency info and contact details can be found here:

 

 

 

OVO customer but not got a smart meter yet? - Book today!
Interested but not yet an OVO member? - Check out our plans!

Your guiding light(bulb)
    J
    Rank 1
    Jimmy76abAuthor
    Rank 1
    October 2, 2018
    Yes, customer service on monday was very helpful and engineer arrived within 2 hours. But not happy that there was no emergency helpline over the weekend. my family managed but if there was a baby or disabled adult innthe house it would have been grim.
    Nancy_OVO
    Retired Moderator
    Nancy_OVO
    Retired Moderator
    October 3, 2018
    We appreciate your honest feedback, @Jimmy76ab. I'll make sure this is passed on. Glad everything's sorted now.
    Your guiding light(bulb)
    G
    Newcomer
    geeeezer
    Newcomer
    December 2, 2018
    Hi Nancy,

    Can I ask, does the valve close if the battery goes flat on a gas smart meter? Also is there any warning locally or remotely of a low battery?
    Transparent
    Rank 20
    Transparent
    Rank 20
    December 2, 2018
    Yes @geeeezer , both Smart Electricity and Smart Gas meters are required to "fail safe" in the event of the control electronics ceasing to operate. That means - no energy flows.

    There should be a low-battery beep issued by a gas meter. See this discussed here.

    I'm unsure if this warning is also transmitted to your In-Home Display. I don't (yet) have one.

    If you had no warning, then it may be more than just a flat battery. They are designed to last 10 years.

    I agree that there needs to be some sort of 7-day emergency call-out for this issue. There are a substantial number of elderly and vulnerable consumers who would not be able to survive without gas or electricity over a weekend. I'm surprised that such a requirement isn't built in to the Ofgem Regulations.

    What's OVO's stance on this @Nancy_OVO ?

    If the Energy Suppliers aren't providing 7-day cover for their PSR customers as a basic minimum, then it's the sort of issue I'd be raising with my MP. I don't know who yours is, but mine is excellent at demanding such stuff gets sorted out by the relevant officials.

    And if it needs a change of law, then so be it. That's what MPs are for!
    Save energy... recycle electrons!
      G
      Newcomer
      geeeezer
      Newcomer
      December 2, 2018
      Many thanks for your reply. Is it Ofgem that requires this fail safe mode?
      In fact it is actually unlawful under Ofgem regulations to cut pensioners and other vulnerable people , utilities from 1st October to 31st March. The big six have signed up to protect a much bigger group of vulnerable people and all year round. The fail safe mode would directly undermine this legislation with indiscriminate disconnection of gas supply’s at any time, in fact more often on colder winter days as batteries are much more likely to fail with a temperature drop.
      I am currently in dialog with Ofgem on this matter but they have stated the gas supply remains on in the event of a battery failure. This is very interesting news and I also will be very interested to see OVO’s official response.

      Ofgem Legislation :
      www.ofgem.gov.uk/consumers/household-gas-and-electricity-guide/who-contact-if-its-difficult-paying-energy-bills/energy-supply-disconnection-and-prepayment-meter-rules
      Transparent
      Rank 20
      Transparent
      Rank 20
      December 2, 2018
      I agree with what you write, @geeeezer.

      We may have stumbled upon an anomaly in the SMETS protocols.

      From a technical viewpoint, I can't see how a gas meter can keep the valve open in the event of a battery failure. By definition, there is no power to open it, nor control circuit to issue the "open valve" command.

      Nor do I believe that the valve is "normally open" unless it gets powered shut. This would give rise to widespread theft of gas!

      By the way, I'm aware that @Jimmy76ab 's original message was probably not a flat battery... because otherwise there would've been no power to tell him that the valve-open command had failed!

      But the general point remains the same... we're agreed that there must be a regulatory and practical system in place which prevents customers being left without energy over a weekend, particularly if they're on the PSR! I can think of several ways to achieve this, depending on the reason for the failure.

      I'm still thinking of writing to my MP. He's a renewable-energy enthusiast, and will quickly grasp the implications of a Smart Meter failure. Should I wait 'til you've heard anything from Ofgem?
      Save energy... recycle electrons!
      G
      Newcomer
      geeeezer
      Newcomer
      December 2, 2018
      A smart meter uses a latching solenoid valve or a motorized valve as a valve that required power to stay open would drain the battery very fast. As such an affirmative instruction is required to change the state of the valve from open to closed. This is a deliberate action to cut the gas supply and not caused by a fault. Power is not required to keep the valve in a particular state.
      Transparent
      Rank 20
      Transparent
      Rank 20
      December 2, 2018
      I agree with your statement from a technical viewpoint. I have several such mechanisms in my own house, such as the valves or my underfloor heating.

      However, if the battery fails whilst the valve is open, I'd still expect the valve to close rather than stay in its last position. From a safety viewpoint, there has to be mechanism which allows the valve to stay open whilst consuming minimal power.
      Save energy... recycle electrons!
      G
      Newcomer
      geeeezer
      Newcomer
      December 6, 2018
      Any comments from OVO at all?
      Show more replies
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