Will a 3 phase smart meter work for my 2-phase supply and dual-rates?

Hey @HexhamUser !

We can try to figure this out, but photos would definitely be handy if you can post some for us?

In theory though, a three phase meter might be able to handle it. Let me ask @Lukepeniket_OVO if he’s come across this before.

Here's a photo of the current meter. I can't easily get a shot of the feeds and wiring at the moment, but it is definitely 2 phases, with only  two tails going into the of bottom of the meter from 2 of the fuses on the incoming cable. I'm sure about that. 

Thanks for the assistance.

Oh wow, that’s an old meter. It seems to have also developed a fault as well…

Could you show us some photos from more angles and distances as well? It’s definitely a three phase meter though!

I'll have to get the car out tomorrow, but can you tell me what information you are after?

Mostly just photos from as many angles and distances as you can manage really. :)

We can figure the rest out from there.

Hope these cover your needs. The L1 phase is used by the ground source heat pump and the new EV charger (not visible, the PEN device is on the rhs of the board). The L2 phase is for the majority of the house's circuits. We use night-rate on both phases.

Perfect! Let me grab @PeterR1947 as well. He’s more of an expert than I am in these matters.

On closer inspection however, your meter tails appear to be damaged. You might want to get onto OVO about that.

Thanks for those photos, @HexhamUser - I must say, I love a good meter photo. No one is ever the same. 

Full disclosure here is that I’m not able to advise on 2 phase vs single phase vs 3 phase, which yours is and if yours is safe. 

I can let you know that 3 phase smart meters aren’t available just yet for OVO customers, but I’m told we’re very close. I’m making a list of forum members interested in having one and I’ll add your name. In the meantime, I wonder if @Lukepeniket_OVO has a spare minute to tell us what he thinks about a 3 phase smart meter for a 2 phase supply?

ps @HexhamUser I can see you have a heat pump - nice new badge coming your way!

Hello all. and sorry for my lateness, got a nice 2 weeks off in the sun.

So yeah the 3 phase smart will handle all sorts of supply arrangements from 3 phase, Summation dual phase, the list goes on!!

Well spotted on the nicks in one of the meter tails! They hadn't gone through to the wire, but I've protected with some electrical insulation tape. I guess the tail can be replaced when (if?) Ovo fit a smart meter.

Erm, personally I think Luke might agree the best thing to do, would be to get the meter tails fixed first if possible. OVO isn’t ready to install Three-Phase Smart Meters just yet and I’m unable to tell you when they’ll be ready to do.

And if you get the meter tails fixed up now, it’ll be one less reason to cause an aborted/failed install later. But yeah, I hope you don’t mind us flagging up any safety issues we spot!

Or if you get Luke, he’d probably spot the fault and replace them before you even say anything. :)

Could you please add me to the list of people wanting to have a 3 phase smart meter once available

Just added you now, @Dacalder. The latest on this is that:

“As of August 2022, we're currently in a pilot, and will be contacting pilot-eligible customers (OVO customers on single rate tariffs) over the next few weeks and months. We are working with a select number of trained engineers around the country therefore we unfortunately can't install to just any willing participant (as much as we wish we could). Our advice is to make sure your contact details are up to date in your OVO account so that our teams can reach you.”

Is there any update on the progress of vector-sum 3-phase smart meter installations?

I’m getting some Solar PV soon and presume a Smart Meter is needed to take advantage of the SEG tariff (i.e. the pay-back for units fed to the grid).

OVO is starting to roll them out. It’s currently in a pilot phase. You might not need 3-Phase for a smaller setup though!

Hi @HexhamUser nice work getting solar! I’ve asked my smart meter contacts if there’s an update on the polyphase smart meter roll out.

In the meantime, you don’t need a smart meter if you have a generation export meter fitted with the panels, to be eligible for the Smart Export Guarantee

Is there any further updates on the roll-out of polyphase smart meters? My solar installation is coming in a week or so, and I won’t be able to make use of the SEG tariff. I don’t even know what my current old meter (Elster A1700) will do if the solar system tries to push current back to the grid. Hopefully, it won’t explode …

In answer to another reply, we are all-electric, so I don’t want to switch to a single-phase supply.

There’s no change in the advice I have, @HexhamUser - polyphase meters are being fitted for OVO customers on a small but growing scale. Are you on OVO’s variable plan, Simpler? As most suppliers are priced the same these days you might consider getting a quote from a supplier that can book in a polyphase smart meter today. 

Yes, I’m now on the variable plan.

Thanks for the update. DIsappointing that you have to suggest leaving Ovo as the solution😕

An update, but not encouraging. Phoned Ovo (in Feb) about polyphase meter, and after a bit of discussion with the person, I was told they could book me in for a poly-phase meter install, for about 4 weeks later in March. I checked they knew it was poly-phase required. 

A string of letters, postcards, texts all confirming the appointment then followed. A text from the engineer (a very helpful person) a couple of days before the date to confirm, which I did. Then he noticed on the system that a poly-phase meter was required, and guess what … he can’t do those.

Absolutely ridiculous: why can’t Ovo get this right, and at least not build up expectations?

Hey @HexhamUser,

Sorry to hear you were let down, 

I think @Tim_OVO’s advice here might be helpful to you. As you’re on the Variable Plan, it may be worth looking into other suppliers who will offer Polyphase Meter installs on a wider scale. 

Hope this helps. 

Still no progress for me. I have had my house’s electrics changed to only use a single-phase of our 2-phase supply, hoping that this would let Ovo install a single-phase Smart Meter. Promised an email and appointment 5 weeks ago, but still waiting. Phoned Ovo yesterday. Now I’m getting the story that: (1) I need to connect the DNO to get them to fit an appropriate fuse for a SM, and then I could make an Ovo appointment for a SM. I’ve never heard of this before. Has anyone?

(2) I would have to pay £300 approx when the meter was fitted to have a 3-phase engineer present (and Ovo presumably don’t have any in this area). This extra charge is completely unacceptable to me.

Is there any update on the progress of Ovo fitting 3-phase SMs, and if there is any prospect yet of 3-phase, dual-rate SMs being available any time in the conceviable future?

Hey @HexhamUser 

Sorry to hear you’re no further forward with this. Were there no other suppliers you found fitting the meters on a larger scale yet either?

I’m going to reach out and see if there’s any development on fitting the polyphase meters on a wider scale, and how you should be going about it. I know there are only a relatively small number of engineers across the UK who are qualified and skilled to work on these jobs so availability is limited, but I know they’ve been working on growing this.