Smart Meter - OVO

dougzz

I got pestered by OVO to have smart meters installed. I was indifferent to the change other than the downside of a day off work hanging about for the installers. The company that did the installation was Lowry Beck, they turned up on time, made no mess and seemed very good, I was happy with it all. But this was mid August, and I still don't have the new meters and readings registered in my OVO account. I made contact with OVO and on the phone they said it should not take more than 3 months, but in email they said up to 16 weeks. They said it was not them but a national database and they had to wait for that to be updated.
But reading here about lack of compatibility between suppliers it would seem the meters are dealt with by the suppliers, and it is OVO.
Any wiser people explain the exact process and who is responsible.
Thank you.

Terry98

I was under the impression that OVO IT staff were overworked and that was the reason for the delay. Like you, I was originally told it would take a few weeks to update the account and now it is 16 weeks because of the IT problems they have had with new customer accounts.

When my account is eventually updated I bet it's wrong! Will they include the Green Energy Rebate,the correct online discount,the correct interest etcetera,etcetera? My account has not been updated for over five months now!

lstar337

I think 'IT problems' has become the standard reply for suppliers that are doing a crummy job.

I feel sorry for the IT people at this companies who are constantly carrying the buck!

OVO_Energy

Hi Dougzz and Terry98. We’re sorry to hear that you’vehad problems with this and we would really like the chance to turn thingsaround. Please email your account details to [EMAIL="socialmedia@ovoenergy.com"]socialmedia@ovoenergy.com[/EMAIL] and we’lldo what we can to get this fixed for both of you. Thanks, OVO

Terry98

Ovo_Energy_company_representative wrote: »

Hi Dougzz and Terry98. We’re sorry to hear that you’vehad problems with this and we would really like the chance to turn thingsaround. Please email your account details to [EMAIL="socialmedia@ovoenergy.com"]socialmedia@ovoenergy.com[/EMAIL] and we’lldo what we can to get this fixed for both of you. Thanks, OVO

I am still waiting for a reply to a message I sent to socialmedia@ovoenergy.com over four weeks ago!!!

Anyway, I will send another one with my account details in the hope you can sort out the problems with my account.

ianc2020

Like the previous posters I had these stupid meters fitted, I have been told by OVO (on 27 Dec) that all should be resolved by mid January 2015. I find it impossible to take a manual meter reading as so much garbage appears on the screen and there are no instructions as to what numbers I should read. The in-home display should give this this information but doesn't.
To compound matters I am now locked out of my online account due to a glitch 'which IT are aware of and effects a number of customers, they are working to fix it'.
My advice - don't let them change your meter and think twice about using OVO.

orrery

ianc2020 wrote: »

I find it impossible to take a manual meter reading as so much garbage appears on the screen and there are no instructions as to what numbers I should read. The in-home display should give this this information but doesn't.

Yes, as I posted on another thread, I'm having issues with OVO and Smart Meters (and you're right, the display is a complete waste of time as it doesn't give me any of the information I need).

I bought an electric car and therefore asked to be switched to Economy 7, and in the discussion with OVO it seemed that (as they had to swap my meter to do E7 anyway) Smart meters were the right way to go ("as they can be switched over to E7 by a remote signal overnight" - OVO's words, not mine).

I've waited nearly 5 months to get the meters fitted and then when I phoned to ask for the E7 switch they told me it would be done by the following Monday morning. I then got an email telling me that they couldn't do it because they "don't know how" - not only that but they can't give me a timescale.

If I have one major grouse with OVO it is this "We can't give you a timescale". Someone at OVO needs to realise that such a response isn't acceptable. Whoever needs to sort this out within OVO needs to work out what is necessary and put in a plan to sort it, with timescales. CS then need to pass cautious target dates on to their customers.

On the subject of reading the meters - I use my phone to video the display as I push '9' - the gas meter is round a corner, so I can't easily see the display, and the remote display unit doesn't give the meter readings (why, oh why, oh why doesn't it do the one* thing I need it to do?). Doing this, I've managed to decipher what the meter tells me.

* OK, there are 2 things I need it to do, the other is to show me a live reading of what power I'm importing or exporting, and it does, but it always times out and drops back to a useless default screen - even when on mains power. :mad:

atlord

I had my SMART meters installed on Friday. The installation was very well done. The problem that I have is that although the meter is reporting the hourly usage (seems accurate) when I look at the 'Day' in "History" it only shows 2 days and these days remain as Mon & Tue regardless even though the monitor shows correct time and date. I have Emailed and spoken to OVO who simply say "may take a month or up to 3 months for the remote to show the correct information. I can understand that the correct tariffs and all other data will take some sorting but why can't the program on this remote simply put the accumulated hourly data into a daily format on the correct day and subsequently into a 'Week'.
Feel as if I am being fobbed off although I am generally satisfied with OVO as a supplier.

Hammer_Time

ianc2020 wrote: »

Like the previous posters I had these stupid meters fitted, I have been told by OVO (on 27 Dec) that all should be resolved by mid January 2015. I find it impossible to take a manual meter reading as so much garbage appears on the screen and there are no instructions as to what numbers I should read. The in-home display should give this this information but doesn't.
To compound matters I am now locked out of my online account due to a glitch 'which IT are aware of and effects a number of customers, they are working to fix it'.
My advice - don't let them change your meter and think twice about using OVO.

Thank you for the heads up!!! I will not be asking for a smart meter and put off getting one a long as possible.

orrery

atlord wrote: »

...and spoken to OVO who simply say "may take a month or up to 3 months for the remote to show the correct information.

Look at your tariff to see when it comes in line. Mine only took a few days, and got updated in stages.

deanos

i had smart meter installed and cant log into my account, same as my mums they say it can take 16 weeks !

also found out if you switch supplier it wont work with them, not very smart are they