Can OVO fit a 3 phase meter which measures solar exports if we switch over?

Welcome @adammason !

I’m Blastoise186, one of the forum volunteers. I don’t work for OVO myself though, so I can’t make any promises or commitments on OVO’s behalf.

I do have some good news and some bad news. I’m afraid Three-Phase Smart Meters weren’t available officially on OVO the last time I checked, however they are definitely going to be available in the near future. OVO has been testing them out recently ahead of making them available, just to make sure the billing platform learns how to handle them properly.

Most Smart Meters are capable of dealing with exports as well, it’s really more about how they’re configured than anything else. While I don’t have any further news for you right now, I’ll ask @Tim_OVO and @Jess_OVO if they know of any updates.

thanks for your quick reply!

I currently have an emlite EMP1.av which was installed by my current supplier. Its supposed to send readings in automatically but it was only installed 3 months ago and I still haven't had automatic readings (and I haven't got a smart home display). 

No worries. :)

I’m really sorry to tell you this, but unfortunately you don’t currently have a Smart Meter. That particular model is incapable of passing either SMETS1 or SMETS2 specifications because it cannot support smart communications at all by the looks of things. Unless it’s got some kind of Automatic Meter Reader (AMR) device attached to it, I doubt you’ll ever get automated readings out of it, let alone smart readings.

And this is after I spent a fair while reading the entire user manual for it! I’m no electrician, but if I can figure out a 108 page Aclara SGM1400 Series user manual, a 30 page emlite one is nothing to me. :)

It does have an optical port, but that’s not going to be useful to you anyway, because that’s for a different purpose which never really gets used in the UK beyond manufacturing and testing.

Technically speaking, you’d want something like the Aclara SGM1430 Series, as those are all Three-Phase SMETS2 Smart Meters. I think this is what OVO is testing.

Im not surprised to learn that! Its been 3 months and Im still submitting readings to my supplier who are totally hopeless in sorting this out, never replying to my messages and it seems they don't understand what they have fitted!

Its a new build house and Ive still no idea how much energy I'm using! I found that Ovo have good reviews for smart metering and wondered how long Ovo would take to fit one for me once tested. 

Well, assuming there’s no blockers like not having any WAN coverage, and assuming that the right meter type is available… OVO could probably arrange an upgrade within a few weeks of them being available depending on factors like engineer availability and stocks. Single-Phase upgrades can be done by any OVO engineer, but Three-Phase upgrades require additional training which only some engineers have.

Of course, you’d be welcome to switch anytime anyway and if you’d like to do that, you can get a quote via https://switch.ovoenergy.com .

I know of only a handful of suppliers capable of creating new connections for new build houses, so let me guess… British Gas is your supplier? I’m getting the vibe it’s either them or Scottish Power somehow...

It was BG who connected then switched to So Energy early last year but they have been hopeless (especially if they haven't realised they have fitted the wrong type of meter!). They put the new meter in and said it would take a while to send automatic readings in (forever if its the wrong meter!).

If I switch the service can only improve! :)

I’ve utilised my detective skills to dig deeper.

Based on https://help.so.energy/support/solutions/articles/7000065159-our-metering-services-and-charges-listed it appears that SO Energy are not ready to install Three Phase Smart Meters at all at this time, and you should have been told this fact prior to agreeing to any changes.

You may want to raise a complaint to them directly, as it might help prevent this situation happening again.

hmm that's fascinating!!! they told me that it was a smart meter but not the type that comes with an in-home monitor screen. They also said it would take a while to be set-up to send automatic readings. 

Either they don't know its not a smart meter or they are just fobbing me off !! 

this is so enlightening !!! 

They are so difficult to deal with, I've been trying to get my account updated with meter readings. I had a call from someone on the metering team to give them readings and they couldn't understand why they were lower than previous readings despite me explaining to them it was a new meter so would obviously have lower readings!! I then had to send them photos to prove the readings were lower! clearly lefthand does not speak to righthand!!

At least I now know the meter was never capable in the first place !!

I’ve heard that story far too many times I’m afraid, that I don’t want to admit the exact number. I help out here on this forum as well as elsewhere, so this isn’t new to me. A lot of suppliers can trip up for several reasons, but this is one that really shouldn’t.

If you get them to do an ECOES Lookup, that might help to prove the meter was replaced. All electric meter exchanges are supposed to be logged against your MPAN on the ECOES database, which is the national electric meter database that every supplier has access to. Xoserve is the equivalent one for gas meters.

Your DNO can probably also do that for you as well.

thank you I think ill get UKPN to look it up as I might actually get a response from them!