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

Excellent news, thank you for all your hard work and persistence in bringing this to a satisfactory conclusion.

I've just placed an order with Energyhive for the same CAD, so lets hope I can get a speedy connection.

Saved, just incase they remove this post, it is a shame they did not fully respond and formally clarify their position. Still upshot is that the device can be paired. I shall look into grabbing one a repeating your process (hopefully with less aggravation).

Just sent an email to OVO requesting connection of my CAD to the HAN.

Same make, model and firmware as the one successfully paired for markocosic

I'll report progress as it happens.

Nice one redwood, keep us up to date. Hopefully the process is more streamlined for you and we can start ordering more CAD's

Progress (or lack of it) so far...

All via email unless otherwise stated.

Me to OVO 10:32 Can you please pair this CAD, here are all my account details and an .xml file with all the zigbee connection details

OVO to me 10:39 We have opened the HAN for 30 minutes

CAD failed to pair, so I contacted Energyhive and they could see the open HAN and suspected the .xml file had not been uploaded

Me to OVO 11:25 Can you please confirm the .xml file had been uploaded.

OVO to me 11:47 We have opened the HAN for 24 hours. No confirmation of successful .xml upload.

CAD failed to pair, Energyhive still suspect the .xml file had not been uploaded

Me to OVO 13:31 I asked them to confirm receipt of the .xml file and it's error free upload

OVO to me 13:46 Replied to say the Smart Metering Team now had the files and
would be in touch within 3-5 working days. still no confirmation of error free upload.

Me to OVO by phone 13:56 Spent 21 minute mainly on hold to be told someone would phone me back later today.

OVO to me by phone 16:02 Told it would take up to 2 to 4 weeks to get the CAD connected. Various "reasons" given for the delay. "we need to carry out security checks", "we can only upload .xml files in bulk", none of which appeared in the followup email.

OVO to me 16:18 Email confirmation of the above phone conversation.

===================== quote ========================

Thank you for your time today.

As discussed, after speaking with our smart metering team they have
advised that they can pair the CAD device you have purchased, however it
will take some time to get everything ready.

They have requested that the device is left plugged into the mains and
turned on, once necessary activity has been carried out on the network and
with Secure then we will remotely pair the device, this will be completed
within the next 2-4 weeks.

======================== end quote =====================

So questions:

Why was the HAN opened if the .xml file had not been uploaded?
Why was the HAN opened if OVO had "necessary activity" to engage in prior to pairing?
Why did it take so long to backtrack?

I also received a spurious email from OVO saying they could not pair a customers own IHD but happily supply me an OVO one!

Using email to communicate with OVO is frustrating. Each exchange is answered by a different person and no audit trail is maintained (at least not from the customer perspective).

Slow learners.

If the CAD is powered up and in the vicinity of the meter it'll pair within seconds of that XML file hitting Secure's head end servers and the update being pushed to the meter.

If it isn't done the same day it's because Ovo are refusing to or are purposefully dragging their feet as slowly as they dare without incurring the wrath of BEIS and Ofgem. PDF and forward your experience (this thread) to their smart metering implementation team and Ofgem if you'd like to hurry it along. ;-)

It is disappointing to see bare faced lies (e.g. security checks) being peddled by Ovo again.

--
Marko

The 2 to 4 weeks they said it would take have now passed and the CAD is still not connected.

I've just raised a complaint and also uploaded it to the forum as a new thread as it appears OVO no longer follow this one.

https://forum.ovoenergy.com/smart-meters-smart-products-33/i-m-not-asking-for-the-moon-on-a-stick-1437

@markocosic, @redwood, why the hostility? These guys are only doing their jobs. Are you willing to pay the cost consequences of connecting a non-standard device to their meter. Surely it is worthwhile trying to work constructively with the team?

I looked at CADs for plugging into my HA, and the mature open APIs just aren't there yet. If the industry standard connection cost for connecting to an unapproved device is more than a few £ or not fully recoverable from the customer, then no business is going to do this.

In the end, I just pull the data into my MySQL backend from the online interface. Just a lot simpler and easier. Even though I am retired, I still have better things to do with my life 🙂

If you roll back through the discussion @TerryE you'll find I tried to work constructively with the team but was told to shove it.

The low level folks at Ovo were just doing their jobs and I sympathise with their predicament. The instructions to tell the consumer to shove off came from a senior level.

As to cost:

If a company wants the privilege of making money by supplying gas/electricity to consumer then you've got to follow the rules.

I asked Ovo to connect a consumer access device to my smart meter. This is a cost that they agreed to cover when they decided to supply gas/electricity to consumers. The device was even tested and approved.

They lied, stalled, and generally told me to shove off until I asked BEIS and Ofgem to breathe down their necks and generally bloody well comply with the rules that they agreed to abide by - aka do their jobs - when becoming a licensed supplier.

Their hostility...not mine. And management hostility...not frontline staff.

Screen scraping the online interface wouldn't achieve the result I was seeking because it doesn't provide the same update rate on gas consumptions as the CAD does.

Simpler. Easier. But useless.

I do agree that it would have been *far* easier for Ovo to have worked constructively with the consumer than to have been so hostile in this situation. (black mark with the regulators over this episode)

@markocosic Hi Marko, yes OVO might be failing their regulatory duties, and you might be in the right, but letting your frustrations out at the moderators and agents working these tickets just won't help you get resolution. It's not good for you and its not good for them.

My suggestion is that if you can't get resolution, then accept this and either switch suppliers, or go the web interface route for now.

If OVO don't come up with a decent smart metered time-of-day variable tariff linked to the spot wholesale rate soon, then I will be switching myself at the end of my contract.