Can I connect a CAD to my smart meters if OVO open the Home Area Network (HAN)?

Dead easy - cheers!

Waiting on the change to propagate to the meter (24 hrs) then will see if we can get the Energyhive CAD to play ball. 🙂

Dead easy - cheers!

Waiting on the change to propagate to the meter (24 hrs) then will see if we can get the Energyhive CAD to play ball. :-)

Hey @markocosic

Just had an update from the team and I've amended my original response (sorry for any confusion) - please see above for more info.

Thanks,
Emma

Indeed. When actual device arrived and it came to pair up the smart team refused to comply.

I've just been on the phone for the best part of an hour.

The true situation is more complex.

Legally (and technically) your first answer was actually correct.

However the smart team are currently refusing to play ball and are lying in order to justify their position.

The smart team refused to have an adult conversation about this and are punting the customer care team out to take all the punches. (unsporting)

Customer care are going to have words with them this evening and provide an answer by morning. If the smart team wish to lie again in writing I'll be taking this up with the Ombudsman. (the failure to comply and the lie)

Just because Ovo haven't been able to connect to the HAN and pull back the 1-minute interval data that the smart meters provide yet doesn't mean that they should prevent the consumer from connecting a consumer access device to the home area network to do this themselves. (as BEIS intended)

We'll see what the morning brings. Having waited this long for the meters to be installed in the first place it would be frustrating to have to switch supplier and have them switched again just to access the data.

Hi,

The ability to connect a CAD to the HAN is something I would also like to be able to do.

As a new OVO customer, this is my first investigation into this.

The response from OVO so far would seem to be in direct opposition to the UK Gov position on the subject, https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/591322/09022017_-_Smart_Meters__Data__Growth_DR_-_updated.pdf (page 3 refers).

Looking forward to a positive response from OVO early in the new year...

Unfortunately it looks like Ovo have dug their heels in on this one.


Their last response on 22/12/17:

"Good afternoon Mr Cosic,

Following on from our conversation yesterday I have tried to call this afternoon but unfortunately I was not able to get through. [no record of any missed call - MC]

I am currently in discussion with our Smart team and as previously advised it is not our policy to pair unknown CAD devices with our Smart meters as we do not know the impact of the device or the security of the data. The Smart team have however advised that they are liaising directly with Secure to get further clarification and as soon as I have had a response from them I will be in touch.

My apologies that I have not been able to provide a more solid resolution today."


i.e. Ovo have pushed the reason for the delay onto Secure.


My response:


"Hi,


Thank you for the update. I'm sorry to hear that the smart team continue to make your life difficult by continuing to lie to you.

My (non defamatory) accusation - that Ovo are LYING about this CAD not having been tested with the SECURE meter and posing a potential security risk even though it is not a PPMID - stands.


You have until 31/12/2017 to:

1) Open up the HAN and connect this CAD using the details provided
2) Apologise for making statements and accusations that you did not in fact know to be true without the appropriate caveats
3) Apologise for dismissive and combative manner in which you have handled my simple request

Should you fail to do so I shall:

1) Make this a formal complaint. (start the clock ticking)
2) Ask the Ombudsman to review Ovo's potential failure comply with the terms of their supply licence. (this is a separate matter from a consumer complaint)
3) Ask the Competition and Markets Authority to review what I consider to be Ovo's anti-competitive behaviour in seeking to restrict access to the HAN to only the CADs that suit their commercial interests. (escalate to your in house counsel please)


This isn't how this process should work. Here's how is should work: (pp3, courtesy of 'redwood' on the Ovo forum)

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/591322/09022017_-_Smart_Meters__Data__Growth_DR_-_updated.pdf

Please get on with your job.


Thanks,"


I'm not impressed.


Should Ovo modify or otherwise suppress this posting I'll add this action to the file for the Ombudsman and the CMA.

I’m afraid it’s a lot more complex than just opening the HAN to try and pair the CAD. If we opened the HAN, it’s very likely that it wouldn’t pair. It needs to be whitelisted by secure as it can affect other functionalities we offer.

The team have also advised that each CAD type and firmware version has to be tested for stability on our system before whitelist requests can be accepted. Without this, we cannot be sure that the CAD device will not disturb the operation of the rest of the Secure system.

I imagine this isn’t the answer you were hoping for and you mentioned that you’d like to raise a complaint if we weren’t able to open the HAN. Please feel free to raise a complaint via our complaints webform here: https://www.ovoenergy.com/help/feedback.

Lucy

Has Ovo's Smart team finished choosing which hoops we need to go through to make this happen Lucy?

You have been given:
- The exact make/model of CAD (the Hildebrand unit in the link in my initial post)
- The EUI and the Install Code required to pair the exact unit (via email)

Ovo are now saying that the device *needs* to be given permission (whitelisted) in order to connect.

- That's what I'm asking you to do. Go ahead please.

Ovo are *also* saying that the CAD type and firmware version *need* to be tested for stability on their system. That's not true in the strict sense. *Ovo* choose to require this but it is not needed in order to open the HAN and pair the device.

I'll play your game though. Here are the details that you need:

- Hildebrand model CAD (per link above)
- EUI and Install Code (per email)
- Firmware version 0.8.6

Ovo's last position appears to be "Ovo states that this has never been tested"

Or is Ovo back-tracking on their original written statement; stalling on asking Secure meters the question and hoping that I will be satisfied with making a complaint in the same way that Ovo was hoping that waiving the exit fees would encourage me to leave before the contracted end date and you'd get away without having to give an answer or answer to the Ombudsman or the CMA?

Ovo are now saying that the device *needs* to be given permission (whitelisted) in order to connect - That's what I'm asking you to do. Go ahead please.

So if we haven't tried to get your CAD model whitelisted and testing to be done (all we can do is try out best), let's get the ball rolling with this @markocosic

Usually we'd ask you to send us some account info via more direct customer service channels (like a Facebook PM, Twitter DM or email) but if you'd prefer, feel free to PM me directly. I'll need your account number, name and DoB.

Tim

Whitelisting means taking the EUI / Install Code for the CAD that the consumer has given you and applying them to the meter - as you do with your own IHDs.


Testing? The excuse for saying "no" wheeled out by a man in the smart team by the name of Ken; who made the mistake of *refusing* to whitelist this CAD when given all the details needed (account number, name and security details, exact CAD make/model/firmware details, and the EUI / Install Code for the CAD) 8 days ago and used a lack of testing as his sole justification.


Ovo aren't allowed to do this (to my eye it's against the conditions of their supply licence and it's anti competitive behaviour) but I'll play the game because if that sole justification for saying no were to evaporate it's going to be difficult to say no twice.


Saying yes is hard because:

- It'll be a complete pain in the backside if hundreds or thousands of enthusiasts start asking you to pair their own devices with the smart meters. (wohoo - another department and set of processes...)
- You're working on your own version of what I'm asking for (collecting 'live' data from the meter using a CAD and the internet instead of 'batch' data the GPRS unit in the meter) that will be much easier for you to administer and means that you control a consumer's access to their own data

Understandable. But the smart metering game has rules.


I'm too impatient to wait for Ovo to built their thing to suit themselves. That particular CAD comes with an API that let's me get on with it now:
https://www.energyhive.com/content/about/develop

Also the whole point of the architecture that DECC / BEIS created is to avoid the vendor lock-in (supplier lock-in) that will happens if the only way to access your meter data is via one particular energy supplier.

That's less of a concern for the R&D project I have in mind than missing *all* of this winter's data due to delays installing the meter and delays pairing the CAD with it. (though imagine many others would object to their APIs and smart devices not working if they switch supplier)