Hi there @reubs007 ,

I’m Blastoise186, one of the forum volunteers here. :)

I’m told that OVO is now capable of installing Dual-Band Comms Hubs, but one of the easiest ways to verify this is actually to use my Phone A Friend lifeline. And I choose @Lukepeniket_OVO . :D

I’m just not sure how you can get hold of one, such as whether all engineers have a stock of them in the van all the time.

In theory, a DBCH should work but every property is different so I can’t make any promises. However, based on what you’ve described, I fail to see how a Single-Band Comms Hub is going to have any chance but I’d be a lot more confident about a DBCH.

Either way, as long as the O2 signal is good, the chances of being able to at least upgrade the electric meter are extremely good, since the Comms Hub lives above the electric meter and will always be able to connect to it.

Hi @reubs007 and @Blastoise186!!!

I love love love my dual band assets and with the 3 floors to pass through it stands a good chance of actually working!! But of course the only way to tell would be to book in for a smart exchange so the engineer can check on the day.

I mean all of my dual band assets have been install at double and triple the distance of single band assets.

Haha Luke, you never fail to impress me! XD

And as it just so happens, thanks to some SMETS2 Installer training materials that another supplier erm… “Gave me”… I also now know that as part of the install process, the engineer will always try to commission the gas meter next to the position of the existing gas meter before swapping them over. If commissioning succeeds, the install goes ahead as planned. If commissioning fails, the gas meter upgrade is usually aborted.

And given how the new Flonidan UniFlo meters work with the more fancy commissioning behaviour… Your chances are amazingly good! We’re talking at least 50m of open air range after all!

Hi @Blastoise186 and @Lukepeniket_OVO-and thanks for the advice! I was expecting the answer to be a simple no so this is promising!

Do OVO smart energy engineers always have these dual-band hubs in the van or is the stock variable? Also I see you can add notes about the property when you book a smart meter installation, is there something particular I should write?

Cheers

Well, for any install that Luke does, the chances of having a DBCH available in the van is basically 100% because I know Luke too well and he’s that type of person. I would imagine that most engineers keep a stock of them handy as well, just in case.

You can try to write this in as a note during the booking process, but OVO’s Support Team can definitely drop this as a job note after you book in the request. I’d recommend doing it that way as well, since they can also make sure it’s definitely added correctly. If it’s already there, they’ll be able to see it as well.

I’d say to drop a note that says something like:

I have a large property and the forum volunteers on the OVO Forum believe that I’ll probably need a Dual-Band Comms Hub

I’ve also known about OVO being almost ready to do DBCH installs for a few months now. It’s one of the perks of being a forum volunteer here. I just wasn’t sure exactly where they were up to. :)

Goood morning!! Just up with my 12 week old on his morning feed.

Yes we all should carry sufficient stock as we have had them available now for quite some time.

Because its your gas in basement amd esme on the second floor i would say you stand a very good chance of getting them both in.

How is the little fella Luke? He must be growing up pretty fast!

@Lukepeniket_OVO @Blastoise186 Thanks again for your help and advice. I will go ahead and book an install and share my experiences on here!

hi all, what type of smets2 gas meters have DBHC comms?I have a new flat and the G470-672 does not communicate with the E470-5424.There is WAN but no gas led.I guess I will need different meters or at least a new gas meter and DBHC hub for the gas to be SMART.Looks like the G470-682 does have the 868Mhz capability.Being a new build I suppose the installation should not have been signed off.My neighbour has the same problem,she has called EON to send an engineer out(good luck).There must be foil insulation in the walls,  the meters, while one is outside and one inside are only 12 meters apart.

thanks

Hi @ROCKFACE2004 

I can see you’ve also posted a separate topic about this here: 

I’ll get a good answer for you in that topic.