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New IHD showing high levels of usage - is this right?

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B
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Mine is now just showing gas, the electricity is completely gone from the IHD. It still is reporting to OVO just not the IHD.
Just hoping it fixes itself, people are saying it takes a month, so hopefully in 2 more weeks it should be working. 🤞
Eva_OVO
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If the meters communicating with us, @boydy, your IHD should be showing the electric usage.

Send us a message on Facebook or Twitter so we can look into this! 🙂
My friend told me how electricity is measured and I was like Watt!
M
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Had a smart meter installed yesterday and the home display is saying that were using £20 a day. Surely this can't be right?
Amy_OVO
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I've popped your post here, @Mick85, there's lots of handy info above!

Cheers!
OVO-Joyed to help!
M
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Really surprising this isn't proactively explained to people having new installations, the amount of traffic on here would go down thats for sure and it would alleviate the worry some people may feel.

Update on the behaviour of my IHD is the displayed gas £usage is incredibly low and displayed electricity £usage is still incredibly high. When I look at the IHD sometimes it says waiting for data, sometimes it doesn't. The explanation of the IHD needing 4-6 weeks to sync will hopefully resolve it.
M
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Hi All,

A few days ago my IHD stopped showing live electricity usage or historic usage. This is replicated in my electricity usage data on My OVO, which hasn’t updated since 13th June. Gas usage is still being displayed.

I’ve tried turning it off multiple times and left it off overnight last night. Still nothing.

My smart meter (SMETS2) is showing all lights green (flashing every few seconds, as they should). Meter is showing a connection to the IHD and cellular signal is very good (-99dBm).

Has anyone else been experiencing this, or suggest what can be done to resolve?

Cheers,


Matt
Amy_OVO
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I've moved your post here, @Mleeson, you'll find more info near the top of thread.

Thanks!
OVO-Joyed to help!
M
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Userlevel 1
Same thing happened on mine a week ago @Mleeson, it first showed electric only, then both electric and gas (electric much too high cost and gas much too low cost) but now is only showing gas. Like you the lights on the meter look fine, but electric readings are not shown as being given to OVO in my Ovo account online. Given up looking at it all🙄
M
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I've moved your post here, @Mleeson, you'll find more info near the top of thread.

Thanks!

Hi Amy.

I’m not sure this thread answers the main part of my query, which is related to my IHD suddenly not showing my live usage or historic usage and smart meter not updating my daily usage onto MyOVO. Basically, the IHD is now completely useless for electricity usage, as I can’t see what I’m using or what I’ve already used.

I also have the same irritating glitch whereby the IHD showing ridiculous costs for electricity, but that’s not the main issue I need assistance with. Could my query please be moved back to its own separate topic?

Cheers,


Matt
M
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Same thing happened on mine a week ago @Mleeson, it first showed electric only, then both electric and gas (electric much too high cost and gas much too low cost) but now is only showing gas. Like you the lights on the meter look fine, but electric readings are not shown as being given to OVO in my Ovo account online. Given up looking at it all🙄

That’s exactly the same time mine started playing up. Sounds as though it’s probably part of a wider system issue.
Eva_OVO
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There's a known issue which is affecting IHD's connecting with SMETS2 meters, @Mleeson, there may also be an issue with the communication between us and your electric meter. We need to look into this further can you send us a message on Facebook, Twitter or webchat through the Help Centre with your name, DoB and account number please? 

My friend told me how electricity is measured and I was like Watt!
Transparent
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May I just jump in and clarify what @Eva_OVO has written?

@Mick85, @Mleeson and @Mja - the issue with erroneous readings on the Chameleon IHDs has been clarified by OVO yesterday. The software bug is in the Communications Hub which sits on top of your SMETS2 Electricity Meter, rather than the IHD itself. See what I posted here on this other Topic yesterday, and the following message from @Darran_OVO where he explains why he edited what I'd just posted.

This is actually somewhat of a relief. Unlike the IHDs, the Comms Hubs can have their software upgraded remotely without a site visit. So when OVO have finished testing the new code, it will be uploaded directly.

Dealing now solely with the points made by @Mleeson and @Mja , do I understand correctly that you both have gas meter readings showing on your IHD, but not electricity?

Do you see the same when you log in to your My OVO account page?

If so, could you please fill out your Forum Profile pages? I'm looking for details like the area of the country you live in, and whether you have PV solar panels etc.

Thanks.
Save energy... recycle electrons!
M
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Userlevel 1
@Transparent , my meter install was May 24th, initially only electric showed on the IHD, gas came along after a couple of days, engineer said this would be the case. However, the usage cost displays were clearly incorrect, electricity too high, gas too low.

IHD is now only showing Gas and has been that way for a couple of weeks, which makes sense in that June 5th is last Electricity reading in MyOvo account. I will update my forum profile as suggested.

@Eva_OVO I see that you have advised @Mleeson to contact Ovo to report problems. I was advised to do the same when I came to the forum to discuss the cost display issues, the response was the same as the reponse we got on here, issues that would resolve after 4-6 week sync. Should I contact Ovo again now that I have the additional issue of the electricity not being displayed? The confusing thing is the initial advise that the IHDs has a fault (the cost display) but @Transparent‘s post is pointing at bugs in the meter comms hub.

Obvious question is this all one issue or are there separate issues with the IHD and Comms Hub?
Transparent
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Thanks @Mja.

Fortuitously I was at OVO's Bristol HQ on Monday. So although I'm just a fellow customer like you, I was able to speak with members of the SMETS2 Team. I'm gradually piecing together some background information on a number of faults and quirks with recent Smart Meter installations.

Yes, you should definitely make contact with OVO directly about the loss of your electricity data. This is a completely separate issue to the "IHD erroneous readings" problem. 

I know of one other person with a SMETS2 meter installation which has lost electricity data whilst gas data is still active. However, what you've just written in your Profile tells me that you have different symptoms.

Can you have a look at the message I wrote on this other Topic where I put diagrams of the flashing LEDs on the Toshiba Communications Hub?

What LEDs are flashing at what rates on your Comms Hub?

If you're still unclear on any of this, please ask again.

Save energy... recycle electrons!
M
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@Transparent mine is the toshiba hub and all LEDs are flashing other than mesh, uniformly every couple of seconds.
Darran_OVO
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Thanks @Mja great to get this feedback, I have forwarded it onto Ben who's leading on the SMET2 testing. We run continuous testing even after rollout, as this is still very new technology so impossible to iron out all the kinks before go live, but we hope to react as quickly as we can to get them resolved.

And thanks to @Somerpark for sharing the Bulb experience, good to know its a wider challenge than just some of the issues we are seeing. You can read about Bulb's issues here.

Ben has been actively reading all the posts relating to SMET2 so is finding all this feedback super useful. Keep it coming and we will ensure we remain focused on getting any issues resolved as quickly as we can.

Darran
Did a reply solve your question? Then mark it as the correct answer!
Transparent
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Thanks for that update @Mja. The LED flash sequence is what I expected... unfortunately.

From my viewpoint, it's a pity there isn't an LED indicator which specifically reports the status of communication with the SMETS2 Electricity Meter below the Communications Hub. I can understand why it's omitted because the two units are physically interconnected via the ICHI (Intimate Communications Hub Interface).

It's going to be even more tricky to diagnose problems with SMETS2 meters in the Northern territory. Those Comms Hubs have only two LED indicators, either of which can flash green or red. I'll try and build a similar "Customer Guide" for those too.
Save energy... recycle electrons!
T
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Hi @Transparent

Where are you getting your info on parts like the ICHI (Intimate Communications Hub Interface)? You seem to have so much more knowledge than all of OVO combined ;-)
Although I just Googled it, and now realise that the info from the DCC is the first hit. However, I presume you do have to know it's exact name to get that instant hit.

Tony
Transparent
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Hah, @tony1tf Do you want me to divulge all my sources?! 🙊

Yes, DCC's own website is an absolute treasure trove of useful documents. But you do need to be careful that you're reading those that are currently "live" as opposed to Proposals or Position Statements whilst the Smart Meter system was being developed.

There's a whole page of documents about Communication Hubs, and a link on the right hand side which takes you to information about the ICHI in particular. The level of detail is excellent:



Fortuitously, I can speed-read technical documents. So, yes, I have actually read all of DCC's library of "live" documents about SMETS2 meters and Comms Hubs!

Beware too, that just because a feature is specified in a "Final" document, doesn't mean that it is an available function at the moment. It's possible that the current iteration of the software leaves it inactive until a future firmware upgrade. As we learned on Monday when we met at OVO's HQ, that seems to be the reason why you don't get data from your SMETS2 electricity meter.

I'm sure I don't know more than OVO. They have whole teams working on SMETS2. But of course, each team member concentrates on particular aspects of the work.
Save energy... recycle electrons!
M
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May I just jump in and clarify what @Eva_OVO has written?

 @Mick85, @Mleeson and @Mja - the issue with erroneous readings on the Chameleon IHDs

has been clarified by OVO

yesterday. The software bug is in the Communications Hub

which sits on top of your SMETS2 Electricity Meter

, rather than the IHD

itself. See what I posted here on this other Topic yesterday, and the following message from @Darran_OVO where he explains why he edited what I'd just posted.

This is actually somewhat of a relief. Unlike the IHDs
, the Comms Hubs

can have their software upgraded remotely without a site visit. So when OVO

have finished testing the new code, it will be uploaded directly.

Dealing now solely with the points made by @Mleeson and @Mja , do I understand correctly that you both have gas meter readings showing on your IHD

, but not electricity?

Do you see the same when you log in to your My OVO account page?

If so, could you please fill out your Forum Profile pages? I'm looking for details like the area of the country you live in, and whether you have PV solar panels
etc.

Thanks.

 


Hi @Transparent,

Apologies for the delay in my reply and thanks for your help! I have now also updated my profile and can confirm that you are correct in that my IHD is showing my gas readings, but not electricity. I also haven't had electricity meter readings registered on MyOVO since 14th July.

I can also confirm that similarly to @Mja my Comms Hub is a Toshiba variant and all lights except 'mesh' are flashing green every few seconds.

I hope this information is of some use?

 @Darran_OVO In relation to the lack of electricity meter readings being submitted to OVO and the 'mesh' issue with my Comma Hub, can you confirm whether it would be best to query this via Facebook/Twitter. I receive the online account management discount, so do not want to jeopardise this!

Thanks,


Matt

 

Transparent
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Thanks for the update @Mleeson

Firstly, you don't have a "mesh problem"!

88% of Comms Hubs in the Southern & Central Territories don't have any need for a Mesh network. Your Comms Hub is operating just fine with the modified 3G network operated by Telefonica. That's why the WAN indicator is flashing.

Secondly, you should definitely message the team on webchat via the Help Centre to report the loss of SMETS2 electricity readings. Try to give as clear a set of symptoms as possible so that @Darran_OVO can also alert Ben for further investigation.

When was the SMETS2 installation date?

Have you made any changes to your energy requirements on or around 13th July, such as installing PV panels, or a heat pump on Economy-7?

Save energy... recycle electrons!
T
Rank
All these problems boil down to the fact Ovo engineers do not commission the meters on site.
The meters are installed but the commissioning is done at a later date remotely, so there will be delays in the meters working properly, and until commissioned they are not showing correct usage, tariffs, etc
Really to stop all this confusion and aggravation Ovo should be looking at commissioning on site.
T
Rank
Really surprising this isn't proactively explained to people having new installations, the amount of traffic on here would go down thats for sure and it would alleviate the worry some people may feel.

Update on the behaviour of my IHD is the displayed gas £usage is incredibly low and displayed electricity £usage is still incredibly high. When I look at the IHD sometimes it says waiting for data, sometimes it doesn't. The explanation of the IHD needing 4-6 weeks to sync will hopefully resolve it.

Just a few small steps and ovo could really improve customer experience when having smart meters installed, it appears to me they are rushing the process.
T
Rank
Hi @Transparent

Where are you getting your info on parts like the ICHI (Intimate Communications Hub Interface)? You seem to have so much more knowledge than all of OVO combined ;-)
Although I just Googled it, and now realise that the info from the DCC is the first hit. However, I presume you do have to know it's exact name to get that instant hit.

Tony
Sounds like a meter fitter to me, spy in the camp 😉
Transparent
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Userlevel 7
Badge +2
I'm afraid that's not possible @Tufty71. The Installation work on site does as much of the commissioning as can be achieved at that time. The four devices (or three if gas isn't used) are paired with each other, and checks are made to ensure that there is a viable link between the Communications Hub and OVO's SMETS2 team.

This link is not direct, but first via the WAN provider (Arqiva or Telefonica) and thence through DCC. At that stage the signals are using a bare minimum of encryption.

Once OVO have verified that the link is operational, DCC take over the next stage of the Commissioning Process. They, and not OVO, own the Comms Hub.

Only in the final stages of the process will DCC send the necessary ID numbers to OVO which allow them to start running and configuring the SMETS2 meter components themselves. This includes downloading the customer's tariff info and changing the data stream to match the input required by their in-house billing system.

This procedure has taken years to establish and agree contracts across all parties. It is enshrined in the regulatory framework and has been verified by GCHQ to ensure that it is secure. It should never be possible for someone to arrive on-site and fully commission a meter onto the National Smart Meter Network.
Save energy... recycle electrons!

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