The import readings on my Secure Liberty S1 meter don't match the energy purchased figure on my Solar PV and Home Energy Inverter - Which figure is correct?

Hi @Mbu1982  and welcome

From where are you getting these two different readings?

• the meter itself
• your online usage page
• the [color=#409040]OVO[/color] App
• a bill

Do you have a [color=#D00070]SMETS1 Smart Meter[/color], and is that why you’ve arrived on this particular topic?

From the meter itself. The monthly usage over 12 months is significantly lower than what the import readings are giving.

Are saying @Mbu1982  that both readings are being taken from the same (electricity) [color=#D00070]Smart Meter[/color]?

1: Which manufacturer/model?

2: Was it installed by OVO or acquired by them at a later date?

3: Has it now been migrated to the [color=#b09020]National Smart Meter Network[/color], or don’t you know?

Please don’t worry about using the correct technical language. Just tell us what you’re observing and we’ll sort it out from there!

It is the secure Liberty 100.  The same one as the original guide. This is a general enquiry as I am looking at coming over to OVO but I am in the middle of a dispute with my current provider.  
 

It should be on the smart meter network.

Thanks @Mbu1982  - there’s no problem about you not being an OVO customer (yet). Many members of the [color=#3b6889]F[/color][color=#298070]o[/color][color=#138b55]r[/color][color=#339931]u[/color][color=#54a03a]m[/color] are actually with other [color=#40b0b0]Energy Suppliers[/color].

2: The way in which the Switching Process operates means that you don’t have to resolve everything before moving away from a [color=#40b0b0]Supplier[/color] with whom you’re in dispute.

But if you intend switching before the end of your contract date, then make sure that you’ve implemented their Complaints Procedure. If you want to discuss this further, then first read the (new) Tutorial about Switching to OVO and then add your comment/question there (not in this topic).

3: A SMETS1 Smart Meter will initially have operated on a proprietary network organised or owned by the [color=#40b0b0]Supplier[/color] who installed the meter.

They are gradually being moved across the National Smart Meter Network. That’s why I asked if you knew whether your particular meter had been migrated yet. But we can help resolve this if it turns out not to be the case.

4: Please confirm for me… are both of the usage figures you gave (600kWh and 800kWh) obtained from the display on the front of the same Liberty 100 meter?

Yes, when I press 4 it gives me the historical usage. When I press 9 it gives me the import readings. The calculated kWh usage calculated from the import readings is much higher. 

The plot thickens…. I am being billed for the 800kWh labelled as import. You have guessed it completely right. My troubles started with the installation of my Solar PV and battery storage system.  The usage calculated from the import readings is around 1000kWh more than the history consumption readings taken from the same meter. My solar usage readings are over 2000 kWh usage less than the import readings. Instead of my cheap bills getting even cheaper, they have risen dramatically.

They installed a check meter into my property and that gave the same usage as the import readings but still different from the historical data readings. 
 

I hope this makes sense?

Oh dear!

This situation is more complex than it first appears, isn’t it @Mbu1982 ?

Let’s stick with the subject of this topic for the moment and ask the Moderators, @Jess_OVO and @Tim_OVO to find someone who can provide an answer about the Secure Liberty SMETS1 Meter and the figures obtained from buttons 4 & 9.

Once I understand that, I may ask us to move to a different topic to discuss the practical matters of the Solar Panels and your Storage Battery. We need to have that discussion in an area where we can draw on insight from others. They won’t find us here in a topic about Secure meters!

In the meantime could you do two things:

1: Complete your Forum Profile page. That’s where we look for essential background information such as your area of the country and whether you also have an Electric Vehicle.

When you’re asked “When did you join OVO” you can make up an answer. “Next year” would be appropriate

And find something equally light-hearted for the question about which Plan you’re on!

2: Have a look through the topic Photovoltaic Solar Panel Installation to make sure you understand the basic information that’s already been offered by existing members here.

Finally, please note that I’m a participant on the current OVO Battery Storage Trial. However, most of the technical material is not on the open/public part of the Forum. Nevertheless we can go as deep down that technical hole as you wish!

Hi @Mbu1982 and welcome to the OVO online community,

I see you’ve already met our community Plan Zero Hero, @Transparent whose done some brilliant trouble-shooting into what could be behind the discrepancies you’ve noticed when checking your monthly usage on your Secure Liberty smart meter.

I handily do have access to the user-manual for this meter and have discovered the expected information that should be shown on the meter.

In terms of the import reading - this is the viewed by pressing the ‘9’ button if you’re on a single rate plan or ‘6’ for dual-register meters. This is the reading that should be used on any suppliers billing (and we do always advise checking that your smart meter is communicating the readings consistently and your billing is based on actual smart readings rather than estimated readings)

The historical usage data view is accessed by pressing ‘4’, as you’ve already discovered. This will allow you to scroll back through the usage figures for the last 12 months starting with the last completed month (for example were you to check this now the first months data available would be the month of September). 

We’re obviously not in a position to comment on another suppliers billing process but here at OVO your billing schedule may not necessarily align with a calendar month - we produce our monthly summaries for our members around the same date each month but this may be at any point in the month, so I wonder if this could explain the discrepancies you’ve spotted.

It’s also worth mentioning that any suspected meter issues should be raised directly to your supplier, they’re responsible for maintaining or replacing your meter if it’s found to be faulty.

Hope this helps get to the bottom of things - do keep us updated, we’re always happy to offer advice here where we can.