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

Have you managed to email in about this or did you want to PM me your details instead @markocosic?

Tim

We've had three emails that weren't helpful followed by three calls of > 30 minutes each where we started to get somewhere.

I'm keeping the thread up to date so that others don't have to ask the same questions or go through the same arguments again. 🙂

Hi,

January 5th has come...and passed...with none of the promised response from Ovo or the CAD being paired with the smart meter.

Ovo: you are in breach of the terms of your electricity supply licence:

(condition 49 for starters)

https://epr.ofgem.gov.uk//Content/Documents/Electricity%20Supply%20Standard%20Licence%20Conditions%20Consolidated%20-%20Current%20Version.pdf

I'm no longer prepared to tolerate your delaying tactics and am therefore starting the clock by escalating this into a formal complaint so that the regulator can breath encouraging words down your neck.

Do you have an explanation for your actions that you'd like to share?

--
M

Sorry you've not had a response yet @markocosic. I'd encourage you to keep contacting the team via email if this is how you'd prefer to communicate with us. As we don't have any of your details on here, we're unable to chase this up via the Forum. If you change your mind and would like us too, just pop one of us a PM with your details so we can help.

As for the license agreement you've stated, the most relevant section indicates that the licensee must take all reasonable steps. As far as I understand the situation, OVO are looking into white listing your CAD as requested, so I wouldn't say OVO are in breach of their electricity supply licence at present.

Either way I really hope this gets sorted and we can get things back on track!

Lucy

**Edit** - Why is this thread marked as solved, when it is not as it gives a totally different impression at the top of the thread than the reality (which is it is ongoing)

I am also interested in this and closely tracking what happens with markocosic. I hope you can get this sorted and we don't all have to open cases with the regulators to get CAD's added. I appreciate the process is likely onerous for OVO, but if your in the smart meter game its part of the territory. Possibly you could nip this all in the bud by developing (if you are not already) an open API for customers to interrogate the data themselves.

Not wishing to muddy the water!

But in this thread https://forum.ovoenergy.com/smart-meters-smart-products-33/when-is-the-new-chameleon-in-home-display-ihd-being-made-available-558 OVO state they are trialling the Chameleon IHD.

Chameleon also make a CAD so could this provide a route to achieving the desired goal. Both Secure and Chameleon are involved in the preparation of this paper http://www.beama.org.uk/asset/EBA9BBB9-756E-48A0-B6C38EBFBC3EEEAB/ (download) so one would hope for a degree of compatibility.

Posting a reply on this forum prods Ovo into action @Lucy_OVO - they're reading and reacting to this discussion...and paying more attention to it than they do to emails or phone calls because it's embarrassing.


With regards to Ovo's interpretation of their compliance with the terms of their supply license:

"As for the license agreement you've stated, the most relevant section indicates that the licensee must take all reasonable steps. As far as I understand the situation, OVO are looking into white listing your CAD as requested, so I wouldn't say OVO are in breach of their electricity supply licence at present."


Ovo's response has been:

"Sure, no poblem."
"Actually, no, sorry."
"No, we don't have to do this for you."
"Can we bribe you to switch supplier please?"
"We'll ask our meter supplier to say no on our behalf."
"Oh, and we've marked the issue as resolved."

Ovo has demonstrably tried to shirk their obligations. Ofgem will see through this.


"Either way I really hope this gets sorted and we can get things back on track!"

Indeed.

Having refused your money in lieu of a failure to deliver your only option is to deliver, and the longer it takes for Ovo to stop refusing to pair the SP1.1b compliant Consumer Access Device that is already in operation with this model of Smart Meter, the more hypocritical Ovo are going to look.


It took >3 months and several missed visits to install the meter. (Aug 9th>14th Dec) This happens. Ovo use the same contractors as every other utility company and they're not spectacular. Fair enough. We'd like the data before winter is over please and it's really not as complicated an ask as Ovo are making out.

I don't have any faith in an (Open and not crippled by rate limits) Ovo API via Chameleon IHD appearing before winter is over.

(this was suggested this as a solution before being offered the bung go switch supplier and become somebody else's problem)


Would Ovo refuse the use of 3rd party gas meters in place of their supplied meters?

Something like a Diehl Aerius is available with non-proprietary, non vendor-locked, European standard protocols that facilitate remote reads:

http://www.diehl.com/pl/diehl-metering/produkty-i-rozwiazania/pdb-details.html?tx_diehlproducts_pi1%5Bproduct%5D=69794451566&tx_diehlproducts_pi1%5BbackPid%5D=522&tx_diehlproducts_pi1%5Baction%5D=show&tx_diehlproducts_pi1%5Bcontroller%5D=MeteringProduct

It would have to *replace* the utility meter rather than sit downstream due to pressure drop limitations though.

This has now been referred to the enforcement team at Ofgem and delegated to the Deputy Head of Smart Meter Delivery at BEIS.

The latter are not responsible for enforcement but have taken an interest in Ovo's refusal to pair the (non-Ovo) CAD (that could send data to non-Ovo controlled destinations) with the smart meter.

We await the results of your next internal meeting to discuss Ovo's policy in this area.

Update:

The Consumer Access Device has now been paired. (EnergyHive firmware version 0.8.6 with the Secure Meters smart meters)

This was indeed easy: all Ovo need is the exact make/model of CAD, the EUI, and the Install Code, and the CAD to be powered up and in range of the smart meter.

That exact make/model/firmware version of CAD had indeed been tested with the Secure Meters smart meter too.

The smart meter team at Ovo, once you're permitted to speak with them, know how to do this.


A formal complaint was raised, and it was requested that Ovo acknowledge:

"1) Their obligations under the terms of their supply licence. Admit, in writing, that you're obligated to make a reasonable effort at pairing a consumer access device with a smart meter.

2) That it is possible to pair this particular consumer access device (EnergyHive, can also be branded Hildebrand or Labrador), firmware version 0.8.6, with the Sscure Meters.

3) That I as a customer actually asked for something perfectly achieveable

4) That Ovo, shall we say, consistently made it more difficult than it could have been to communicate with the appropriate individuals within Ovo who could resolve the issues, and indeed communicated a number of what transpired to be false statements in the process

5) That Ovo have learned from this and promise not to do it again

and that Ovo would:

A) Turn over all internal meeting minutes, internal and externals correspondence, and call recordings to XXX at BEIS (not myself) such that they make take a view on changes that may be needed to expedite the delivery of useful smart metering in the UK

😎 Commit to enacting a formal process by which consumers may request that an "pre-approved [by Ovo] consumer access device" is paired with their smart meter within 2 weeks of first requesting this; and having this process documented online and in operation by 31/08/2018"


Ovo replied with:

"Good morning Mr Cosic

Thank you for your patience whilst your complaint was investigated.

Following your conversation with XXX on LinkedIn, I can confirm that your Consumer Access Device (CAD) has been paired, and your complaint has been closed.

If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch. You can contact us by replying to this email, or emailing feedback@ovoenergy.com directly. You can also call the Complaints team on 0800 408 6699, our lines are open 9am-7.30pm Monday to Thursday and 9am-6pm on Friday.

Kind regards

Stacey Seeley​
Complaint Resolution Agent"


Thus ignoring every reasonable request in the complaint and attempting to brush it under the carpet on their systems.


The smart metering folk there are ok. The front line consumer facing folks are good sports too. The upper echelons appear have adopted the kind of comfortable "treat the consumer with total contempt" approach that the media would have you believe was exclusive to the Big Six. If you refuse to be bullied by them a consumer can pair their own consumer access device though.


PDF this whilst it still exists here. 😉