Smart meter installation problems - poor signal?

Hey @rvintner 

Adding onto Jeffus’ ask if you’ve made progress, I’ve had the Forum Support reach out to you again to see if they can help - especially with this email, it sounds like some information isn;t right somewhere, and we’d like to get things set straight so we can get the issue resolved. Keep an eye out here for a Private Message. 

Jeffus and Abby, thank you for contacting me.

I received the message below from OVO yesterday.

Just a regurgitation of the previous mail from OVO.  But it remains as opaque as ever.  

As noted in my previous post above, this whole bit about “Therefore our systems show that you have a T3 aerial” is driving me mad.  I repeat again and again - I don’t have a smart meter and I don’t have a T3 aerial.  But “The System” says that I do.  But no one will look beyond The System and try and make an informed decision.

This has gone on for so long and no one can tell me why an Ovo installed smart meter works in my neighbour’s house but will not work in mine.  Everyone just falls back on The System Says No.  But how does that make any sense?

It looks like we have reached the end of the road and I will have to take this to the ombudsman and see if they can persuade anyone to look at this sensibly.

So frustrating….

Good Morning Mr Nunn,

Thank you for your Email.

As I explained previously the reason we know if a customer has a T3 aerial or not is through their Meter Point Administration Number and also through Smart Support. Therefore our systems show that you have a T3 aerial and this is something that our engineers do not install.

I am sorry that you are disappointed with the outcome of your complaint, but if this is not a service OVO provide then I cannot arrange an appointment for you. But thank you for your feedback, it is much appreciated and we will keep your comments in mind.

I have thoroughly investigated your complaint and there isn't anything further that we can do under your circumstances. However, just as a goodwill gesture for your disappointment, I would like to offer to credit £30 onto your account balance upon agreement of closing the complaint down as resolved.

If you would like to accept this then please let me know, and I will credit the account immediately. You can reach out either by simply replying to this email or by calling 0330 102 7400 and asking to speak to me. I have included your case reference number in the subject of this email. I am available Monday - Friday, 09:00 - 17:30.

Again, I am sorry for your disappointment, but if this is a service we ever offer in the future, we will be very happy to help you.

Kind regards,

Suzie

Advanced Resolutions Specialist

This reads like a Kafka novel, and I feel for you.

I take it you’ve checked that this MPAN that allegedly has a smart meter with a T3 aerial is in fact your MPAN? There have been cases where MPANs have got mixed up.

Just to be sure you know what this means: the MPAN is a unique identifier for the electricity supply to your house. It won’t normally change, even if the house is sold or a new meter is installed, and it’s pretty important that it’s correctly recorded on your account and everywhere else. 

The other vital piece of information is the Meter Serial Number, MSN. Nowadays, this gives an indication of how old the meter is - the first two digits are the year of certification - but this may not be the case for older meters like yours, if it’s due for replacement. 

These two numbers are uniquely tied together, and they should both be shown on your bills. In particular, I find it surprising that OVO support are claiming that you have a smart meter even though its MSN is indicating that its certification has expired (or is about to). Please check that the MSN on your bills matches the number on the meter itself. 

You can find your ‘official’ MPAN by contacting your electricity distributor, the DNO. That is in your area UKPN. You should then know whether your MSN and your MPAN are properly recorded on the national database. 

Since OVO Support ‘know’ that you have a smart meter with a T3 aerial when you know you haven’t, there must be something wrong in the details they’re finding for your supply point. 

It might help our understanding if you could post a clear photo of your meter so we can see its certification stamp and serial number.

For no good reason, I’m wondering if in that first paragraph, it is supposed to say “Therefore our systems show that you need a T3 aerial and that is something our engineers do not install”.

Although the outcome is still frustrating, the response makes more sense as I believe that DCC need to be involved to install the T3. 

Hi Firedog,

Thank you for your reply.  

Indeed, very Kafkaesque.  Or maybe more like Groundhog Day when it comes to going around and around with the same, obscure response.

Anyway, your reply is the first constructive and comprehensive one that I am yet to receive.  Thank you for your info and for the explanations, all of which I understand.

I have checked the numbers as suggested and they do correspond to what's shown on my bills.  So that part is correct.  Yes, it is an old meter (I will look to add a photo if I can), which is why, as you point out, I have been receiving various letters/e-mails from OVO saying that my meter is out of date and needs replacing (oh the irony!!).

I think that Suzie might be getting a little bit confused in her communication (it sometimes reads like a cut and paste reply).  However, she does write “our systems show that you have a T3 aerial”.  That is fairly unequivocal.  If you replaced “have” with “require” then it would make more sense but even when I have talked to Suzie on the phone she has been adamant that the system shows that I have a T3 aerial.

When all this began, back in May (I know, it has sucked up a huge amount in time and energy) the main issue, it seemed, was that The System was showing “predicted technical abort” re my property.  But nobody could explain how or why, other than an apparent engineer report from Scottish Power.  But I have lived here for fifteen years and never seen any engineer.  My guess, following on from your mail above, is that maybe the numbers that show on their System are wrong.  Although if they are showing as correct on my bill then I would be surprised if this is the case.

Anyway, I don’t know how to get to the bottom of this.  We are in a world where everyone is seemingly desperate to roll out smart meters and yet when i try to get one I meet with nothing but resistance.  I wouldn’t care other than the fact that I want to benefit from the hugely improved EV tariff  and also that this type of The Computer Says No drives me mad.

 So, I would welcome any further thoughts.  Maybe I call OVO and ask them to confirm the MPAN and MSN that they are looking at on The System.  And, if they are the same, why that MPAN leads them to believe that I have a smart meter and a T3 aerial when I don’t.  As I say, my guess is that Suzie, my Advanced Resolutions Specialist, is in a muddle and is confusing have with require.  But, even if that is the case, we go back to where we were, namely the question of how my MPAN and MSN indicate that I need a T3 aerial.  How does that work?  Surely a T3 aerial requirement would be based on signal strength etc?  So how does the number determine this?  Am guessing that it locates my property at a point on a map and The System is saying that a Smart Meter will not work here without a T3 aerial.  But, I ask again, then how does it work with my neighbour who, interestingly, is a technical boffin who sat on the steering committee for smart meter roll out (I know, you couldn’t write the script).

My summary of all of this is that it is all being based on what the computer is saying.  I get that, sometimes we need computers to help manage the daily tasks, but despite my best efforts, I can’t seem too engage human override on this to check that what the computer is saying is 100% correct when it relates to my actual property (not a dot on the map) in November 2023.  In my view, this will only be confirmed by a human being coming to the property to do the relevant checks.  But, as I see it, humans are expensive and no one wants to take that risk so it is easier to just fall back on the System says no.

Onwards and upwards.  

@rvintner 

Electricity smart meter serial numbers start with two numbers and a letter so that can be a good indication of what meter you have.

Hi Jeffus.

As per all the stuff above, I don’t have a smart meter.  My MSN starts K0.  As I understand it, this is why OVO have been sending me notes saying that my meter is old and needs updating because they can see from the MSN.  As per my note above, I think that my Specialist is confused although she is very specific in saying that The System says that I have a smart meter and a T3 aerial.

Is all slightly doing my head in.

You could try emailing the CEO

Raman-complaints@ovoenergy.com

I would also include a link to this thread

https://forum.ovoenergy.com/smart-meters-136/smart-meter-installation-problems-poor-signal-16310

It may be worth one last try before either going to the Ombudsman or switching suppliers to see if that helps. I doubt you will make progress otherwise now.

Thanks Jeffus.

I have sent one more mail asking OVO to confirm what MSN and MPAN that they are basing their decisions on. Because, as Firedog notes above, these can sometimes be noted incorrectly.

Failing that, I will do as you suggest.  I would like to think that this will genuinely be looked at by people higher up the chain, even if not the CEO, but I am sceptical.  But I will definitely try.

Thanks for your input.

If you have the ovo app, have a look at this page 

Account - Energy Tariff 

That should in theory show the latest details ovo are looking at.