Smart Meter install woes

  • 7 November 2023
  • 15 replies
  • 395 views
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Switched to an E7 Smart meter in mid-August (electric only, no gas), readings started being recorded almost immediately, no upto 6 week wait for me I thought however billing ignored them!
I assumed this was  because final readings from the previous meter had not been posted for some reason.
Eventually after a few contacts with Customer Support and raising a complaint, I got this fixed in mid-October (8+ weeks after install) in under 2 hours when the right person got on the case, so I was happy.


Relaxed too soon as within a few days my meter went dark - all the correct lights were on, blinking at the correct rate and the home monitor was working fine but readings were not reaching the OVO billing systems.
Found the link on the Forum to the OVO web page to report this issue, filled in the details and got a response that I would be contacted in upto 45 days !

Meanwhile started giving manual readings so as not to get any crazy estimates on usage.

Did some more digging on the forum and found the following link - https://smartmetercheck.citizensadvice.org.uk/ which reported that my MPAN was not registered at the DCC !
Why would it suddenly disappear after working fine for some considerable time or was it a false negative?

Have now received an email telling me that as OVO cannot "see my meter" then this will require an engineer visit to fix - I assume to re-register my meter at the DCC ?

My question is has anyone any idea why my MPAN registration would go AWOL from the DCC ?

15 replies

Tim_OVO
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Userlevel 7

Hi @grumpy235 and thanks for sharing this. 

 

There’s a lot of things happening behind the scenes with a smart meter connecting to the Data and Communications Company (DCC) and then to the supplier. I wouldn’t want to comment on what might have happened. 

 

But I’ve asked the opinion of some very smart colleagues. Plus perhaps @Blastoise186 has come across similar examples...

Carbon neutral - we need a community to get there! My green tech: Aclara SGM 1411-B smart meter, Chameleon IHD6
Blastoise186
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I’ve never seen this before so unfortunately I don’t think I can say much on this one.

Securing energy by zapping security bugs... For that is The Blastoise Way!
Jeffus
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Hi @grumpy235 

Did you ever see the MPAN registered with

https://smartmetercheck.citizensadvice.org.uk/

Or is it you checked for the first time and it wasn't registered

Tim_OVO
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Userlevel 7

I’m told that it’s possible that a meter could be working just fine and then drop off the HAN or WAN for one reason or another. This wouldn't impact its status with DCC though, unless someone has sent a request to do so...

Carbon neutral - we need a community to get there! My green tech: Aclara SGM 1411-B smart meter, Chameleon IHD6
Firedog
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https://smartmetercheck.citizensadvice.org.uk/ … reported that my MPAN was not registered at the DCC !

 

 

I think that tool is flawed. I tried it again just now, six weeks after having a shiny new SMETS2 meter installed and a few weeks since OVO reliably started receiving data from it. The CA tool reported Your electricity meter isn’t working in smart mode | You have a first generation (SMETS1) electricity meter. | Your supplier can't support it in smart mode yet.

What was the precise result of using the tool in your case?

 

Noel | I have no official status; I'm just a volunteer who comes here to help other customers. My gear: Aclara SGM 1416-B Electricity-only E7 meter; Chameleon IHD3-PPMID-AAA
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Thanks all for the replies.

Unfortunately I did not check with smartmetercheck when my meter was working but the response now with my details removed is

We can’t find your meter

MPAN: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Postcode: xxxxxxx

This could be because:

  • there was something wrong with your details - try entering them again.
  • your meter isn’t on the smart meter data network, which connects your smart meter to energy suppliers
  • you don’t have a smart meter - ask your supplier if you’re not sure

 

I have double checked my details and they are fine so perhaps it is flawed.

Have now got an engineer booked for mid-December (only 5 weeks wait), hope he can fix the issue and perhaps give me an insight as to what I can do (if anything) should it happen again.

Jeffus
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Thanks all for the replies.

Unfortunately I did not check with smartmetercheck when my meter was working but the response now with my details removed is

We can’t find your meter

MPAN: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Postcode: xxxxxxx

This could be because:

  • there was something wrong with your details - try entering them again.
  • your meter isn’t on the smart meter data network, which connects your smart meter to energy suppliers
  • you don’t have a smart meter - ask your supplier if you’re not sure

 

I have double checked my details and they are fine so perhaps it is flawed.

Have now got an engineer booked for mid-December (only 5 weeks wait), hope he can fix the issue and perhaps give me an insight as to what I can do (if anything) should it happen again.

Hi @grumpy235 

I am pretty sure it won't work from what you have already tried, but you could try one of the 3rd party apps while you are waiting for your visit in December. For example 

https://hugoenergyapp.co.uk/

G
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Just an update on my continuing woes.

Thought I had an engineer booked for last week some 5 weeks after I first called. Checked the day before with Customer Care Chat and chat agent could find no trace of a booking which was strange as the agent who made the booking had spent a long time away from the phone sorting it all out. Engineer did not turn up.

Find it strange that the Customer Care agent apparently has to go to a separate system to make the engineer booking, surely in the 21st century all applications that agents have to use should be available from the screen in front of them !

Spoke to Customer Care again today to make another booking, the engineer booking system was so slow that she gave up in the end and as I was completely flexible on date/time, she will send the request through when it is not so slow and then phone/email me with the appontment details - we shall see. Looking through the forum, I think 9 missed engineer appointments is the record, hope I don’t make it 10😲

Even more frustrating is the fact that the engineer who fitted the meter lives within walking distance of me.

Emmanuelle_OVO
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Userlevel 7

Wow that’s so frustrating! I’m sorry to hear @grumpy235. I’ll ask Forum_Support to reach out, please keep an eye on your private messages. 

Renewable Energy? Big Fan.
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@Emmanuelle_OVO Thanks for picking this up. Lived in this property for over 30 years, Southern was first supplier before the market opened up. Back then suppliers were regional and they employed their own engineers and had far better control. Now I guess OVO and the other suppliers outsource their engineers and for all the supposed cash savings then perhaps Customer Satisfaction takes a hit and OFGEM takes an interest!

I had no issues for those 30 years, then my ancient SSE Flexiheat meter decided to break at Christmas 2022 (lost the RTS signal) eventually had a dumb E7 meter fitted after 7 days without heat. This then morphed into a 3 month billing issue on the E7. Once that was sorted took the plunge with a SMART E7 that led to initial billing issues as well and 2 months in then meter goes dark - although I guess OVO’s reported smart meter install count ticked up by one even though it is not working!

Not too impressed especially when in order to re-boot the comms hub from what I have read the engineer needs to reset the power to the meter by removing the master fuse.

“End of moan😁”

Blastoise186
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Not too impressed especially when in order to re-boot the comms hub from what I have read the engineer needs to reset the power to the meter by removing the master fuse.

 

That can actually be done remotely by DCC. Alternatively, a power cycle of the Comms Hub can be performed by removing it from the meter and re-attaching it - without shutting down the power to the property or pulling out any fuses. Please note that this must ONLY be done by an engineer though.

Securing energy by zapping security bugs... For that is The Blastoise Way!
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@Blastoise186 Thought there must be a simpler way. On thinking about it not sure it will fix my issue as all 3 of my lights are flashing at the required 5 sec interval which from what I understand means meter is communicating with DCC ?

Blastoise186
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Yup, that’s right :)

Securing energy by zapping security bugs... For that is The Blastoise Way!
G
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@Emmanuelle_OVO Thanks very much for your intervention, I replied to the private message and as if by magic smart readings were re-instated almost immediately and were used for the bill ending on 20th December.

Any idea what the problem was ?

My guess would be the new Kaluza platform and folks struggling to understand how it works ?

Emmanuelle_OVO
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Userlevel 7

I’m glad to hear your issue is resolved 😊

 

I don’t have access to your account so I am unable to answer that question, you’re best off asking the support team to confirm this. 

Renewable Energy? Big Fan.

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