No longer, I think. The comms are needed for two-way communication, not just data transfer. 

Thanks Firedog, I’m sure looking at the gov.uk regs I saw it was a possibility, maybe it used to be so.

Was it on one of your long chats I saw some JSON files that you had gotten hold of ?

This is correct. SMETS1 used to have that functionality IIRC but it has since been blocked. SMETS2 has never allowed it at all. If memory serves, it used to annoy folks who moved into a property where the comms had been permanently disabled by the previous occupier yet they wanted the comms to work because they wanted to take advantage of the benefits. Something along those lines.

It’s important to also remember that the comms aren’t just used for meter readings. The DNO for your area also uses it to monitor for power cuts and gather half-hourly network health data which is considered important for their role. Your supplier doesn’t see that stuff because of the way the system is designed - only those with the right permissions can get to it.

There are limits under law about what DNOs can capture from smart meters. It is tighly controlled.

They can't read all your 30min data all the time and associate with your individual house due to GDPR.

For example they tend to get time limited access to 30min data for aggregated analysis. For example

https://www.current-news.co.uk/wpd-to-collect-residential-smart-meter-data-following-ofgem-approval/

Whether this is a good idea long term depends on your point of view about sharing data.

It does make it hard for DNOs as monitoring kit in substations is variable and obviously somewhat limited.

Yes, it was. But the SMETS2 system is much more powerful and complex than SMETS1. With greater complexity comes greater scope for faults, so meters now have better monitoring capabilities, with incident reports available to the supplier. Not only that, but the supplier can also push out bug fixes, tariff changes and software updates, e.g. to enhance security. There are all sorts of reasons why it’s a good idea to have constant contact between meter and supplier and so cut down on the need for engineer visits to fix malfunctioning meters.  

I’m beginning to wish I’d never mentioned them! There is of course a connection between the metering systems and the billing system, so that bills can be as accurate as possible. So some metering information is available to and through an account’s billing pages, shared behind the scenes and exposed to web pages by means of JSON data. It has helped us cast doubt on the configuration of some meters in a few specific circumstances; whether that doubt is justified remains to be seen. 

Many thanks Firedog, Knew I had seen them somewhere. I’m reluctant beginner with all this stuff, just getting my head around the systems employed before I’m pushed.

Am I right in thinking that these SMETS are zigbee based devices probably programmed in a C variant and that the output from the CAD is in .JSON format

They do run on ZigBee, but it’s locked down and you won’t be able to access it.

The data from the CAD is likewise generally inaccessible unless you have something like a Hildebrand Glow IHD or Glow Stick. It’s rarely output in JSON - it’s whatever format the device is designed to use.

OVO’s billing platform is the most likely place where the JSON data is generated and used.

Maybe a PUCK would help?

Nope. Unauthorised devices will never get access to the ZigBee HAN. Only the Comms Hub, ESME/GSME and approved IHD/CAD devices will ever be allowed access. With that being said, other types of meter can also be allowed access too - but they have to be compliant with the spec.

If anything else ever gets that ability, it’d be isolated and walled off from the meters.

Just kidding Blastoise, I really can't be bothered these days even though I’m NAMAS certfied