Can't find my electricity meter

macman

Yes, the leccy meter contains the GSM unit that sends the data back home.The gas meter relays it locally to the leccy meter, presumably via a battery power supply.
Communication is more about terrain than distance: if you have a masonry wall between them, then it's likely that they can't communicate. Similarly, if your leccy meter is in a cellar, as mine is, it may not connect to the mobile network, of which a couple are available, or so I was told by EDF.

molerat

tim_p said:

If you can find your consumer unit (fusebox) then it *should* be within a metre or so of that.

In a new build maybe. Mine is a pretty good "or so" , 6m between them.

Gerry1

Talldave said:

The electricity meter must be within a couple of metres of the gas meter otherwise gas meter readings wouldn't have been sent. 

Not so.  Bulb suggests a range of 32 ft (10m), SmartMe suggests 15m as does Ovo.  However the range can be extended by 100m with a Smart Relay.

oldagetraveller1 said:

Both have to be close together then for a "SMART" meter system to work?

Does the electicity meter "talk" to the gas meter and send both readings?

My electricity meter is inside, next to the consumer unit, and the gas meter is in a closed box many feet (about 20 metre) away.

In the very unlikely event of having SMART meters installed, would that cause an issue.

Yes, the gas meter is battery powered and can only communicate via the comms unit next to the electricity meter.

Talldave

oldagetraveller1 said:

Talldave said:

The electricity meter must be within a couple of metres of the gas meter otherwise gas meter readings wouldn't have been sent. 

Both have to be close together then for a "SMART" meter system to work?

Does the electicity meter "talk" to the gas meter and send both readings?

My electricity meter is inside, next to the consumer unit, and the gas meter is in a closed box many feet (about 20 metre) away.

In the very unlikely event of having SMART meters installed, would that cause an issue.

Only asking because my knowledge about them is virtually nil, other than the readings are transmitted using the mobile phone communication network!

Yes. The gas meter doesn't have mains power so relies on a battery. It uses very low power radio signals to communicate with the electricity meter. The electricity meter has mains power so can do as much 'phoning home' as it likes.

I'm not sure what range the ZigBee smart meter profile used actually claims, but in the real world where people inconsiderately put brick & concrete walls in the way, the range will undoubtedly be crap. In blocks of flats I believe the meters create a mesh network to bounce messages around,  but in a house it's just your two meters and the IHD trying to talk (well gas meter talks to electric meter and electric meter talks to IHD).

I doubt 20m is feasible but maybe those with real world installation experience can confirm. 

Talldave

Gerry1 said:

Talldave said:

The electricity meter must be within a couple of metres of the gas meter otherwise gas meter readings wouldn't have been sent. 

Not so.  Bulb suggests a range of 32 ft (10m), SmartMe suggests 15m as does Ovo.  However the range can be extended by 100m with a Smart Relay.

Yeah and pigs might fly. Do they mention walls and cupboards?? And those figures might allegedly be achieved on installation day, but on a freezing winter's day three years later??

I'm using wireless temperature sensors over a few metres and I can barely get 4 or 5 months use before there's insufficient battery strength to communicate.  Yes a meter's battery is bigger but we've already seen reports of gas meter batteries failing with disastrous consequences. 

JC_Derby

tomlinson29 said:

Bit of a strange one. Our smart meter has stopped transmitting data back to the display unit, and to British Gas. So I need to find the actual electricity and gas meters themselves. I have located the gas meter but can't find the elec meter. It's a 3-bed end terrace house so not huge. We've checked everywhere.  So far I've tried the following:
- Contacting the previous owner - no response
- Checking the survey from when we bought the house - it says they couldn't locate it (stupid me for not following up at the time) 
- Asking the neighbours where their's is - right inside the front door, ours has obviously been moved during a renovation
- Asking British Gas - they don't have anything recorded

Any other ideas?? I'm stumped.  

Try  your local DNO as they should have service plans
But some suggestions
as an end terrace do you have an external garage (look in there)
your attached neighbour - where is their meter? the neighbour on the far end is likely to be a mirror of yours so where is their meter?

common internal locations -
front corner of front room between chimney breast and front wall at low level
Cupboard under stairs ( can have been converted to bathroom) meter could be hidden behind a cupboard door or behind tiling or just on the wall.
cupboard in front hallway in corner of house at bottom of stairs to the side of front door.
In cellar

sometimes can be in kitchen cupboards or boxed in at the back of a cupboard

JC_Derby

tomlinson29 said:

there is a consumer unit by the back door but i'm reliably informed its for the external lights etc because its so small. would this need to be connected in some way to the main CU? 
the gas meter is under one of the kitchen cabinets, i will have another look around there. 

thanks all

Probably where the electricity meter is too

do you or your neighbours have overhead wires attached to your house?

tomlinson29

Thanks everyone for the advice. We finally found it...it was behind a large mirror in the hallway with a hidden recess!