OVO Smart Meters

SnakeDoctor_2

At the end of July OVO had Smart Meters installed at my house. The engineer told me that I could get the total kWh used by pressing the 9 button. When I asked him about my Economy 7 he referred me to OVO. When I contacted OVO they told me that I could get the total kWh used for both Day and Night by pressing the 6 button but didn't tell me which figures to use.

OVO kept referring me to the In Home Device (IHD) and sent me multiple copies of the useless User Guide.

I have emailed OVO numerous times asking them to tell me exactly which figures on the Meter will give me the information that I need; and what figures on the IHD Menu > History > Electricity > kWh > Month actually are, but they have decided to ignore my emails.

The Tariff figures on the IHD are also wrong but I’m not interested in using the IHD to calculate cost as I have a spreadsheet that does that – if I will ever be able to get cumulative kWh figures out of the meter.

Also, my MY OVO account started refusing my login attempts shortly after my not so Smart Meters were installed with error message ‘Really sorry but we're having trouble retrieving your estimated annual usage. Please try again, if the problem persists call 0800 5999 440’. As I am a new customer to OVO and I have my monthly usage figures for the last 10+ years, I am 100% sure that I can provide more accurate estimated annual usage figures than OVO can.


Does anyone out there have any documents that can explain to me what I need to do to get the figures for total electricity that has gone through the meter since it was installed, split into Day and Night usage?

Thank you.

[Deleted User]

a report out last week suggested that smart meters average a saving of less than 2%

matelodave

I wouldn't have thought that a smart meter would save anything - it's only if the consumer uses the information provided by one to reduce their consumption would they get any benefit.

I'd guess that most consumers who get a smart meter would be mildly interested in the display for a week or so and then totally ignore it.

Those who do take note of their consumption and do something about it can save both money and energy, those who don't won't.

System

You are absolutely right. We do not need smart meters to manage our energy. My MP though is a big fan:

New smart meters are being introduced which show exactly how much gas and electricity is being used. The technology behind the meters has been in part developed by local defence research and technology company, QinetiQ.

The Department for Energy and Climate Change is launching a national campaign to encourage people to sign up to have a new smart meter installed.

The meters help consumers understand what they are spending and help them to take control over their energy use and consequently their bills.

Then again, she welcomes every initiative and decision that comes out of Government.

A._Badger

Hengus wrote: »

You are absolutely right. We do not need smart meters to manage our energy. My MP though is a big fan:

New smart meters are being introduced which show exactly how much gas and electricity is being used. The technology behind the meters has been in part developed by local defence research and technology company, QinetiQ.

The Department for Energy and Climate Change is launching a national campaign to encourage people to sign up to have a new smart meter installed.

The meters help consumers understand what they are spending and help them to take control over their energy use and consequently their bills.

Then again, she welcomes every initiative and decision that comes out of Government.

Smart meters aren't about saving anyone anything. They are there so that when the lights start going out due to a succession of inept and corrupt energy policies, supplies can be remotely controlled.

SnakeDoctor_2

This thread seems to have been hijacked to discuss savings from having a smart meter installed. I never expected to have any savings as I do my own usage monitoring.

My question is about how to Read an OVO Smart Meter so that I can get Total Usage, since the meter was installed, split into Day usage and Night usage.

Does anyone know the answer please?

Thank you.

savva0122

I can't help you I am afraid however am in exactly the same situation. I have been having email conversations with Ovo for nearly 4 months and no progress whatsoever.
I agree the number 9 button is utterly useless
If I do get a sane response, then I'll let you know and would be grateful if you could do the same.
I really wish I hadn't been persuaded to have the flipping smart meter fitted.

orrery

I've had OVO install Smart Meters as a step to moving to Economy 7. They were installed just before Xmas (it took about 5 months!) and now I've requested the switch to E7 I've been told that OVO don't know how to switch them over to E7, and that they can't even give me date for this to happen.

This really is unacceptable.

PG4

I too had a not-so-smart meter installed last June/July. What a mistake. Numerous emails have produced little result other than to be told there is a problem that is being looked into and meanwhile their computer system can't cope with my readings. Meanwhile, no bills yet.
At the time of switching I was on economy 7, and I changed to a one-tier tariff in January this year, since when I think they have actually received readings from the smart meter. Although OVO haven't confirmed this, I don't think they have readings for the months I was still on Economy 7.
Meanwhile, like SnakeDoctor, I would like to be able to read my meter myself and keep my own records as I used to. No help from OVO on this, the booklet is useless, and no help found through Googling. Pressing button 9 is news to me! Quite honestly, there's such an array of buttons I would be afraid to play around. Surely someone out there can produce some guidance on reading these stupid smart meters? I was aged 72 when I started asking. Hopefully I will get the answer before I am 80? I'm not holding my breath.

orrery

PG4 wrote: »

Surely someone out there can produce some guidance on reading these stupid smart meters? I was aged 72 when I started asking. Hopefully I will get the answer before I am 80? I'm not holding my breath.

I had mine fitted in December and the installer was careful to deliver a training session afterwards. Pressing 9 is the recommended way. Here is my take on what it shows...

Pressing 9 scrolls the display through a number of readings (on both gas and electric meters). The only way I can read it is to video the display with my phone and press 9.

The electric meter scrolls through:
Import kWh - this is the reading you want *
Export kWh - ignore, useful if you have a solar system
Import kVAh - ignore
Export kVAh - ignore
Import Test kWh - ignore
Export Test kWh - ignore

The gas meter scrolls through:
volume m3 - the usual reading, in cubic meters
volume test - ignore
test kWh - ignore
credit - ignore
using now - ignore
cost now - ignore

* mine is single tariff, not economy 7. Presumably when on E7 the meter shows two readings here. Mine has E1 to the left, so maybe there is E1 and E2.

PG4

Thanks for your helpful advice, orrery. I will press that button 9 and take a look.