Why are OVO disabling the real-time smart usage features!?

Rather than provide a poor service which results in a poor customer experience and customer contact - we’re going to stop providing the features to focus on other technology that will provide a better customer experience.

Are you able to say what this 'other technology' is? Is it something which will replace the current realtime display, so provide us with this data still? Or actually allow us to connect our own CAD to get this data from it?

This doesn't stop you from being able to see any usage information as you can still access this on your In Home Displays (IHDs).

No I'm afraid it does. I don't want to keep having to go to the kitchen just to see usage, or wait 24 hours to see the previous days usage, especially as the IHD does not provide realtime gas consumption, and considering this is readily available in the online realtime information, I doubt this will be enabled at any point on the IHD, thus rendering it useless.

You'll need to disconnect your Chameleon IHD from your Wi-Fi and (if you have one) turn off your Smart Gateway. Your IHD will continue to work as a display unit but won't send us data anymore - we'll get this directly from your smart meter.

To be fair, it would be more useful to just turn it off...

Like I said in my original post. If you can give us access to the smart gateway (which is already paired to the meter) then we could collect the usage stats ourselves. When you turn your services off the smart gateway isn't going to stop collecting data, it just won't have anywhere to send the data!

I could always brute force it I suppose...

Hey everyone,
This doesn't stop you from being able to see any usage information as you can still access this on your In Home Displays (IHDs).

Emma, a couple of points :

- For Real Time Electricity I don't have an IHD, will you be offering me a free IHD to cater for the degradation of service ? Thank you !
- Like ErTnEc I access the Real Time Usage Statistics when out of the property to understand the in day effects of different items and process I run during the day. Can you please provide me with a free security camera I can point at the free IHD please.
- Like ErTnEc I need Real Time Gas Usage and I believe that this is not offered therefore your free IHD would not match your current service

Await your response.

I run HMO's and have been a long term customer of Ovo. The live functionality is critical for me to monitor usage remotely. IHD will not cut it for my properties. It has even alerted me to when someone has fiddled with boiler controls and switched heating or hot water generation off and I have fixed the fault before being alerted. Get rid of all the new features a put it back to basics and we will all be happy. It use to be 100% reliable went downhill with the stupid analytical stuff that is not required. How do we lodge a formal objection?

@chrissfoot please keep us updated of your progress 🙂

I've got nothing new to say:- I'm just adding my message to show that there's another dissatisfied user. I will be writing a complaint (not that I expect it to make much difference - but at least no-one in Ovo could say that they switched this of and nobody noticed - or cared).

The data I get from this has been invaluable in getting my central heating running efficiently, optimising the charging of my electric car, telling me when my fridge needs defrosting, even telling me when my security lights have tripped.
The IHD is almost useless (and deeply flawed *Pippit 500*).

I want access to *my* consumption data. The Ovo web page *was* better than nothing - I would really prefer to log my data directly.

I have considered leaving Ovo for cheaper suppliers - but the gateway data and the enthusiasm of the company to look after its customers (even the geeks) always brought me back.

Now tell me why I should pay more to stay with Ovo when you no longer supply an exceptional service?

Exactly the same as MOF I reduced cycling of the boiler to nothing with the data that was visible. IHD not of any use to me as I dont live in the properties but pay the energy bills. Could even tell if someone was using an electric heater which is against the insurance policy of the properties. OVO you mush be able to leave it running for those that require it and perhaps throttle back on the useless extras that have been added. Can someone please explain what the better solution is or is that just snake oil for the uninitiated?

At this point it looks very much like this is a cost saving exercise! I hope they manage to save more than they lose from all the customers (like me and the others detailed on this thread) who will now switch to a cheaper supplier! I have always heralded OVO as different from all the other suppliers as they have always seemed to genuinely care about customer satisfaction. It seems this is no longer the case.

@chrissfoot please keep us updated of your progress :-)
No progress so far but the freeware i'm using is rate limited ;)

On a related note, is there any way to remove the "Solved" tag on this post since it clearly isn't solved and it probably means that no-one from OVO will look at it again while it remains "Solved"

Typical over moderated ITIL system. Maybe if we put a few swear words in it may get someones attention. Pish poor no consultation, this ran smooth for years and overtime standard stupid updates/security patches have been at the detriment of the end user (us). See it all the time "if it aint broke dont fix it" comes to mind.