Help / advice for getting RTS meters changed after failed and cancelled appointments?

Hi ​@khr ,

The actual deadline is September 2025. There’s new kit rolling out right now, so you may want to check again as the new kit fixes most WAN issues up north.

Otherwise, try https://ovoenergy.com/feedback 

Thank you Blastoise186.  I hope the new kit works and relieved the deadline is a bit further off.  I am sorry you have to work so hard finding this information out as a volunteer. It would be much better if the OVO staff/Call Operators were as informed as yourself especially on the RTS specific phone line.  It has been extremely frustrating over the lack and poor communication from OVO.

There is a dedicated team known as Squad 70 who should be fully clued up on this stuff - and that’s the one you should have been dealing with the entire time.

I will see if we can get this fed back to internal teams as I’m concerned about your experience. One of the perks of being a Forum Volunteer - we can ask the Forum Moderators to fling stuff around the office if we feel it’s needed.

As for myself? Well, lets just say I’m incredibly well informed because I’ve got industry contacts...

Things are moving quickly with RTS, potential problems were known and waiting for new solutions, new problems are being identified ‘in the field’.
New solutions are being implemented ASAP. eg the new type communications hubs now becoming available.

As always with such ‘migrations’ the easier cases get done first, then the more tricky ones, the most difficult ones tend to be last. (But do have the experience gained from all the ones already done).

It’s moving that quickly that what was the best advice one week may be different the next week, and the general support agents can’t keep up with everything that is changing.

Remember that the general support people have to do their normal job of dealing with the usual range of daily customer queries, and they may not see many RTS queries at all.

I’ve been asking for appointments for 3 months now to change 4 RTS meters. SSE insisted on fitting smart meters to other properties a while back. They don’t work

First time, fair enough “we do realise smart meters don’t work in your area but we don’t actually know what’s happening, try again next month”. This is the only person I’ve spoken to who seemed to have accurate, if inadequate, information

Get letter  from OVO, make an appointment for 3 of the properties. Rang up & got appointment for 3 10 days ago. Was told a dumb meter would be fitted and only 1 tariff available. Economy 10. Agreed it for all 3.

Engineer came. I left him at the property, he said he’d only have time for this one . I didn’t check till 2 days ago. He’d fitted a new junction box, nothing else. Coincidentally I got another letter from OVO today telling me to make another appointment for this property.

Meantime I’d made an appointment for the remaining three for today. They are all holiday cottages and as well as my wasted time I have to withdraw them from bookings for a minimum of 3 days costing me around £2000. Engineer came 5 minutes before end of her first 2 hour window. She confirmed no new meter in the first property & looked at 2 of the others (no time for the 3rd). She spent 1 hour on phone to her bosses explaining that she did not have the right sort of meter to fit. I have no criticism of her, she was very helpful and sympathetic, but she’d been sent out with the wrong information.

I followed up that second letter from OVO requesting an appointment for the first property. Highly unsympathetic lady who said she’d been told this morning that they were not fitting dumb meters any more, but traditional meters and time clocks. I queried why the engineer had been sent out without this information and asked to raise a complaint. She refused to accept a complaint saying any complaint had to go to Ofgem. 

I have wasted hours of my life on this making appointments, waiting for engineers being told utter rubbish by OVO staff. The first I hear of the programme being delayed till Sept is this thread.

It is utterly incompetent. If Squad 70, or whoever know what’s happening why doesn’t everyone in OVO who handles these matters? I remember now, my first contact did say there was a team dealing with RTS meters, I guess this squad. She gave me a phone number. It went straight through to the normal OVO call centre.

Hey ​@Glenprosen,

Please accept our apologies for the difficulties you've encountered. The RTS shutdown has presented significant challenges for many, and we empathise with the frustration our members have experienced due to frequently changing information.

​@Firedog has raised valid points. OVO does not offer business or commercial plans. If you are generating income from the properties, it is recommended that you seek a supplier that provides such contracts. Currently, you are in breach of your contract terms, which could lead to further complications.

Regarding the meter replacement, the shutdown process has unfortunately revealed unforeseen challenges that our infrastructure and metering teams are diligently working to resolve. While we are actively developing solutions for all scenarios, there may be instances where an engineer will need to abort an installation if completion is not possible. These situations are reported through our engineering systems, allowing us to explore alternative approaches.

Just wanted to give an update, as I’ve had another frustrating day on trying to get my meters switched and just wanted to warn others. 

I yet again had to contact OVO to book an appointment as no one had contacted me within 2 weeks.  A few days later I found out SSE were doing a planned shut down of power to do work on a local transformer, on the day of the Engineer’s appointment.  Phoned the RTS hotline number thinking I would need to change the appointment but was told this was ideal and Engineers did not need the power on to test it was working.  I was very surprised at this and am kicking myself that I did not insist on changing the appointment.  I recognised the Call Operator voice as someone I had spoken to before (particular accent and confident manner).  This Call Operator had reassured me previously on booking one of the previous abortive appointments that the problem with my meter installation had been resolved, when it had not.

And you’ve guessed it, the Engineer turned up today and could not install the smart meter with out the electricity supply.  I now have to try and book another appointment.  On the positive, the Engineer is confident that he can install the smart meter and it will work with the new cell technology (like a sim card using mobile phone signals).  Well I hope it works as I’m hearing locally about smart meters not being reliable and breaking down,

Morning ​@khr,

I’m really sorry to hear this, it’s a shame to hear that this misadvice caused you to wait in, and for OVO to send an engineer out unnecessarily. I’ll make sure this is fed back internally.

I’m happy to hear that the engineer was confident about the next visit, and please do keep us updated as to how it goes. Fingers crossed for a positive outcome next time round! 🤞

Please see previous threads for background, I couldn’t seem to add to the above thread.

Update  

This time a SMS Engineer was unable to install a smart meter to replace the 2 RT meters (under THTC tariff) last week. 

He had to go through the procedure again of trying the system using WAN (Wider Area Network) signal just in case it was working - there was no WAN signal.  I understand they might have to go through this procedure again on the next appointment.  I do wonder if a signal from WAN is achieved, will the WAN continue to work and switch the heaters/hot water on/off with the Economy 10 programme?

There seems to be a problem with the new cell system using 2G/3G, that the previous Engineer had suggested would work on last failed appointment.  OVO apparently won’t be using 2G/3G cell hubs at the end of the year which means the meter would need to be changed again if it had been installed.  From information from my mobile provider the 3G network is being switched off in my area this month.  

 It also appeared that the OVO team liaising with the Engineer last week (I saw the text replies) were trying to get my meters changed to a dumb mode smart meter which was not programme to economy 10 and would have left me on a single tariff expensive rate and not switching storage heaters/hot water on/off.  To me this was leaving me in the situation of one of the scenarios as claimed if the RT had stopped working.  As the RT is working why leave me in this situation? .Was this just to reduce OVOs fines on not installing/switching enough smart meters?

I note on other threads going back a few months in the forum, 4G hubs should be used with a preprogramme economy 10.  The Engineer did not have this in his kit.  Why was I not offered this?  How long is 4G going to last?  Are there any other options?  What meter/communication hub should I be asking for?  I would be wonderful if there was an option without a smart meter,  

To anyone else with similar problems, I now understand the Radio Transmitter is not just about to stop working.  Some areas the RT is about to be controlled to switch off if there are no old meters still to switch.  I find this unlikely in  the Highlands.

Eventually, I want to change the heating and hot water system to something more efficient but at the moment I can’t with the 2 meters system.  I feel I am stuck with OVO but not getting unbiased and clear information to make an informed decision. I am not sure I’ve understood all this correctly and am left confused which is perhaps what is intended. 

I hope this information is useful to others.  Thanks to anyone who can answer the questions.