OVO has let me know my meter needs replacing with a smart meter - Why?

Good afternoon @MrsH ,

I remember you’ve shown us photos of your meters previously and based on those, I can verify what OVO is telling you is correct. Your current meters are up for re-certification and are reaching the end of their service life. The only way to do a re-certification is to replace the meters with new ones. OVO knows about your meters being due based on data held in the national databases shared by all suppliers - ECOES for electric and Xoserve for gas. As for myself, I don’t have access to those systems but I can use photos you’ve posted on the forum previously to determine the manufacture date and do a rough calculation of remaining service life from there. If memory serves, your meters have already expired.

I don’t think you ever showed us your gas meter, but I calculate that your electric meter reached re-certification back in 2020, based on a 2010 manufacture date. I seem to recall that you were having false Reverse Energy Detected warnings as well due to your solar panels. Ideally, a replacement meter would be able to handle this and not trigger such warnings, because you do have a valid reason to be exporting to the grid.

The recommended upgrade path is to smart meters and it’s impossible to upgrade only the gas meter, since the Comms Hub for it relies on being powered by the electric meter and there’s currently no “standalone” Comms Hubs that I’m aware of to do gas only. The upgrade is free if you go down this route and have both meters replaced. I’d like to reassure you that having a smart meter or not won’t have any effect on your renewal options and that even with a smart meter, OVO can only charge you based on the agreed tariff and rates. The fact your meters are also due for replacement is unrelated to this, it’s just a coincidence at most. If the tariff you choose is a flat rate tariff, OVO will only ever charge you the same rates regardless of when you’re using energy.

Having had a smart meter for a while now myself, I also know they're just as accurate as any other meter, sometimes even more so. If you ever think that it’s gone out of sync though, we can help you run some tests to make sure. If it turns out your meters are inaccurate as a result of those tests, we’ll be able to advise you on the next steps from there.

However, I believe in playing fair anyway. You may still be able to opt-out of a smart meter yet and have one more run with traditional meters, but please be advised that if you choose this route, OVO may charge you for a Non-Standard Installation. I’ll ask @Jess_OVO just in case though.

If you need any more advice, please feel free to let us know.

Thank you @Blastoise186  for getting back to me. The photos I sent previously were of the solar panel system, my gas & electricity meters are on an external wall and I assume it is these that they are wanting to replace? There has been no mention of replacing anything to do with my solar panels although obviously they are linked. 

I appreciate that Ovo can only charge me within the terms of the agreed contract,my concern is possibly more long term regarding the ability for them to  implement a variable daily rate based on usage, but I realise we have very little control over this prospect.

 I will await @Jess_OVO response re the traditional meters.

Best regards 

You’re welcome.

That sounds to me like you’re describing a Time of Use Tariff. Only one supplier offers that right now and no-one else including OVO is likely to launch one until at least after the market returns to normal, which could be a while. To be on that kind of tariff, you’d also have to explicitly consent to it by signing up specifically to such a tariff. If you don’t do that, you’ll stay on flat-rate.

Personally, I doubt the Standard Variable Rate Tariffs will ever have any kind of Time of Use element attached to them, beyond the normal things like Economy 7 - and that would apply regardless of having a smart meter.

I don’t think your solar export meter needs to be replaced right now and even if it does, that would come at a later stage as a separate job from the import meters. If OVO is your current FiT Supplier, they’ll know about that export meter as well and will contact you at a later date, should an upgrade to that meter also be needed.

Good morning @Blastoise186 , I appreciate the information and your perspective. I feel better informed now.

Many thanks 

Do I have to have a smart meter or can I have a new dial meter to replace my old one

Hi @Barcrob5 There are very few of the ‘old style’ meters left now so it may have to be a smart version

Hi BPLightlog, thanks for replying will have to look into it further 

We have received an OVO letter saying that our electricity meter is approaching the end of its certification and needs to be replaced. I have two questions: a) Is there any way of not having a Smart meter installed as a replacement? (we really don’t want one); and b) if OVO insist that only a Smart meter will be installed, will this affect, in any way, our ability to have quarterly billing - we do not want to move to Direct Debit billing? Grateful for advice.

Hi @AB2023 ,

I can answer both for you.

1. Nope, sorry! The stocks of non-smart meters have all but run out and only smart meters get fitted now
2. No, your billing cycle won’t be affected, nor will your payment method. It just means the meter itself gets swapped but everything else remains the same