SSE smart meter issues!

AquilaEagle

A few months ago I switched from npower to SSE. With npower I had smart meters, which were gen 1. I have tried to have smart meters installed with SSE but I have very poor, sometimes no mobile reception at my house. SSE have failed to get the electricity smart meter connected to the network twice and both times not contacted me post the failed installation. It's the same guy came back the second time. I've had to take a day off work each time. Not even attempted the gas meter as he couldn't get the electric meter connected.

What I can't understand is how npower got them in and SSE can't. Anyone else had similar issues and/or a resolution. How's best to escalate at SSE?

Thanks :mad:

AquilaEagle

Can't edit, also wanted to add, is it worth keeping having them come to try to install?

Talldave

The gas meter communicates via the electricity meter, so if the electricity meter isn't communicating then the gas meter won't be able to send any data. Whether it's a total waste of time pairing the gas meter to the electricity meter is debatable. If the signal situation improves but they still need to visit to connect the electricity meter then they could do both at the same time.

AquilaEagle

That makes sense, thanks Talldave!

If the electric meter didn't connect while he was here do you know if it keeps trying? I suppose I should call them and check!

Talldave

AquilaEagle wrote: »

That makes sense, thanks Talldave!

If the electric meter didn't connect while he was here do you know if it keeps trying? I suppose I should call them and check!

Honest answer is I don't know. As a software engineer I would have designed it to do that (just like mobile phones do), but sadly this is the energy industry who seem totally inept at anything IT related.

That said, the first time connection/registration process is obviously slightly different to the day to day connection once it is up and running, so it might need an engineer on site to get the meter into the right mode.

I'm sure someone more knowledgeable will be along soon......!

Carrot007

AquilaEagle wrote: »

If the electric meter didn't connect while he was here do you know if it keeps trying? I suppose I should call them and check!

No, there is setup that needs to be done with someone on site.


To be honest it is a terrbly designed system but thats what you get when you pass on defining a spec (which the government did, they just said do it, don;t care how and then kept adding things that should have been said from the start).


As for signal differneces. Differnet equipment etc. There is a dtabase that says what needs to be installed for certain sites. And of courtse the more complex the more expensive it is . Maybe SSE are not willing to do anything but simple ones.


I am on my second smart m,eter at this site and it does lose connection at times but since it was set up ok in the first place it does work mostly. And if it does not for a time (which has occured), I just moan at the supplier!


Still before smart I just submitted a read every month. Which was probably overkill, but easy enough!


(and to be honest the gen 1 and 2 meters are on the whole the same but with different software and add ons. Another thought, on one of my smart meters the comms unit was sperarate and on one it was in the meter, I bet the seperate one has less signal problems, could be your issue).

misterbarlow

There is now a new process for poor signal areas that all installers should be following.

The installer should first try meter with a standard comms hub, if this fails then they try a mesh comms hub with an aerial, which tries to connect via RF to any other nearby mesh comms hubs that do have a signal.

If this still fails they are supposed to just leave a basic comms hub only on site, powered up by the old original meter, and report it back to DCC that there is no signal.

DCC then have 90 days to liaise with telecoms providers and get a signal to it.
Once DCC can talk to the comms hub, it gets passed back to the supplier to be rebooked, who come and put the new meter back on it.

matelodave

It's obviously a well thought out system