Smart Meter - OVO

orrery

windup wrote: »

the ovo smart meter fiasco...

It is a fiasco, and I'm surprised that a company like OVO, with their reputation for customer service allow this to continue. I'll be moving to someone else (probably Ecotricity) when my contract period comes to an end.

From what I hear this will leave me with Smart Meters that no-one else will be able to use.

ecarter19

I got them to install one because I thought I would be able to make a simple switch to Economy 7. Apparently not - they need to change the meter again despite what Lowri Beck had told me!
Not that it matters because the one they installed does not work - apparently need mobile phone signal and wifi is not use so utter waste of time.

bluenev

I asked OVO to fit Smart meters as this would add an instant GAS USAGE to my current instant SOLAR and MAIN Electicity use.
An email arrived and a date was set, 23rd Apr15. Both Smart meters fitted by Siemens chap on the day.
I was shown how to get energy use from the Pipip 500 In House Display(IHD) but no smart meter booklet... so I'm finding the 9 button may be useful but am using the IHD accum. figures as meter readings... (nb Gas is kwh not m3! Divide by approx 11 for volume!)
23rd May15 - new statement arrived showing figures to meter removal dates and correct CLOSING READINGS from old meters for 23rd Apr15.

I am adding this entry to the mix as if I'd read the above first, I may not have gone ahead.
Hopefully, your Economy 7 will be sorted.

The Instant usage meters for electric and gas do help to reduce energy use... and ensure that you have switched off the gas rings after cooking!!!

On another note I use imeasure.org.uk to review energy use vs weather and it also tells me how much money I am saving by making my home very eco friendly.

System

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/energy-bills/11622798/Billing-glitches-for-first-customers-of-11bn-smart-meter-roll-out.html

Terry98

Hengus wrote: »

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/energy-bills/11622798/Billing-glitches-for-first-customers-of-11bn-smart-meter-roll-out.html

Interesting...
'Faults have been reported by 5,400 smart meter customers with energy firm Ovo. The meters themselves are functional but customers are unable to view or pay their bills, as existing IT systems cannot cope with the technology, the firm confirmed.'

At the foot of the article it says Ovo have 430,000 customers and
90,000 of them have had smart meters fitted!

Another recent article here
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/bills/article-3084432/ERROR-Smart-energy-meters-leave-hundreds-thousands-households-billing-limbo.html

bluenev

Interesting indeed. Ovo fixed the chap's meters from the Daily Mail article.
Most meters have a finite life and become inaccurate as one of my colleagues home meters did 130% overread. So why not swap the old style for a more useful device that helps people watch their budgets better?
When the old style meter is replaced a closing reading is needed along with a zero from the new. These are entered manually for the old style and Smart meters by an energy company.
OVO have so far manually entered my old meter closing readings and sent me a statement showing £6 usage for the old meters. They have also Zero'ed the account awaiting connection of the Smart meters (or my readings).
I am happy that with a little patience and a tin foil hat that OVO have this covered.
thanks ovo.

bluenev

I'll keep everyone posted as my Smart readings are added to my account by OVO.

lstar337

bluenev wrote: »

Most meters have a finite life and become inaccurate as one of my colleagues home meters did 130% overread.

It is very unusual for a meter to drift at all, let alone by that much.

MNM2903

so i switched my parents over to OVO and the smart meters are free. From what i can see the issues with them are technical ones where they dont update etc. Does this actually cost anymore money or does it simply just fail to give accurate readings of what your spending?

is there a downside as using OVO shows that it will save me money and as its payg im on it means we only use what we put on?

just worried ive switched my parents to something thats going to cost them more?

orrery

MNM2903 wrote: »

so i switched my parents over to OVO and the smart meters are free. From what i can see the issues with them are technical ones where they dont update etc. Does this actually cost anymore money or does it simply just fail to give accurate readings of what your spending?

is there a downside as using OVO shows that it will save me money and as its payg im on it means we only use what we put on?

just worried ive switched my parents to something thats going to cost them more?

No, the smart meters are free. They do their main job (as long as they have 3G coverage) by allowing them to read remotely by OVO every month.

The customer benefits are mostly a fiction. They are also not the smart meters that we will all end up with as they haven't agreed the requirements yet, as far as I understand it.