Avro Energy Smart Meters

MikeJ37

I had SMETS2 gas and Electricity meters fitted in September. Bills since then have all been estimated. I've just been told that Avro energy can't read them at present. Has anyone else come across this?

[Deleted User]

I can’t speak specifically for Avro but no supplier has the ability to directly read a SMETS2 meter. Meter data is passed to the Data Communications Company. All suppliers have to register as a DCC User and then use a piece of sophisticated software known as an Adaptor to communicate with the DCC. They then have to ensure that their chosen Adaptor software can pass data into their billing systems. All the communications from your meter to the supplier and vice versa are encrypted with GCHQ designed layered security. I suspect that not all suppliers have resolved all the technical difficulties associated with the rollout of SMETS2 meters. 

JohnB47

I read on another thread that Avro are fitting SMETS2 but are having difficulty taking readings from some (all?) of them. I was on the verge of accepting an offer of a SMETS2 from them but when I heard that I thought I'd hold on a while longer. I accept that I will have smart meters eventually but I'm trying to avoid problems by waiting until all the issues are resolved.

[Deleted User]

JohnB47 said:

I read on another thread that Avro are fitting SMETS2 but are having difficulty taking readings from some (all?) of them. I was on the verge of accepting an offer of a SMETS2 from them but when I heard that I thought I'd hold on a while longer. I accept that I will have smart meters eventually but I'm trying to avoid problems by waiting until all the issues are resolved.

You may have a long wait. 

matelodave

JohnB47 said:

I read on another thread that Avro are fitting SMETS2 but are having difficulty taking readings from some (all?) of them. I was on the verge of accepting an offer of a SMETS2 from them but when I heard that I thought I'd hold on a while longer. I accept that I will have smart meters eventually but I'm trying to avoid problems by waiting until all the issues are resolved.

Don't hold your breath

Mickey666

If the smart meter is not being read automatically, can’t customers read them and submit a monthly reading as normal?

matelodave

That sounds like common sense, however it's not as common as you'd hope nowadays.

TBH my life hasn't really change much at all since I got a smart meter, not when it was smart and not even when it stopped sending info back when I changed suppliers. My world didn't stop rotating, the sun didn't stop shining and surprisingly my leccy still comes out of the wall and I can still get a reading from it and get a bill when I send in the readings to my supplier same as I did before.. I don't think my brain has curdled either.

Correction, it has changed a bit - I don't have to go outside in the rain, wind or snow to read it anymore, I can use the IHD to do that in the comfort of my armchair.

MidlandsGlory

Had Avro installed smart meters installed just before Christmas. Oh dear! just about to put another chase up call to the subcontractor. To say it didn't go well is an understatement 6 hours he struggled!!!!
The electricity meter was fairly straightforward but the gas meters (several tried) wouldn't link so they came on/off/on/off/on the wall. Eventually the 1st gas Smart one was put back on and went into a total sulk and wouldn't respond at all. Next day it calmed down up and started responding but is still not linked to the hub on the electricity meter so can't be remotely read and doesn't show on the in-house monitor.
I was supplied with a dreadful little in house box made by Geo, called a Trio. Its wireless range is so pathetic there is no spot anywhere in the house it can communicate with the meter, it only works in the garage on the other side of the wall the meter is on, so about 18" away. I though I had got around it by using the Geo app on my phone to connect to it, but apparently the utility company send software updates regularly to the monitor which wipes out the wifi settings, getting bored of re-entering them now.

I dug out my old British Gas monitor that clips on the meter tails and sends the signal to its in-house screen effortless so at least I can see the current consumption reliably again (I like to check the power on the way out so I know nothing is on that shouldn't be as I know the normal house standby load).

My advice if contacted? .....just say no.

[Deleted User]

MidlandsGlory said:

Had Avro installed smart meters installed just before Christmas. Oh dear! just about to put another chase up call to the subcontractor. To say it didn't go well is an understatement 6 hours he struggled!!!!
The electricity meter was fairly straightforward but the gas meters (several tried) wouldn't link so they came on/off/on/off/on the wall. Eventually the 1st gas Smart one was put back on and went into a total sulk and wouldn't respond at all. Next day it calmed down up and started responding but is still not linked to the hub on the electricity meter so can't be remotely read and doesn't show on the in-house monitor.
I was supplied with a dreadful little in house box made by Geo, called a Trio. Its wireless range is so pathetic there is no spot anywhere in the house it can communicate with the meter, it only works in the garage on the other side of the wall the meter is on, so about 18" away. I though I had got around it by using the Geo app on my phone to connect to it, but apparently the utility company send software updates regularly to the monitor which wipes out the wifi settings, getting bored of re-entering them now.

I dug out my old British Gas monitor that clips on the meter tails and sends the signal to its in-house screen effortless so at least I can see the current consumption reliably again (I like to check the power on the way out so I know nothing is on that shouldn't be as I know the normal house standby load).

My advice if contacted? .....just say no.

The problems that you have experienced are best dealt with by your energy supplier not their sub-contractor. For security reasons, SMETS2 meters are not home WiFi enabled. The comms hub connects to your IHD via a secure Zigbee WiFi network (known as the Home Area Network) which uses a much lower frequency than domestic WiFi. That said, the IHD may be home WiFi network enabled to allow the manufacturer to roll out firmware updates. Third-party IHD/CADs are available from companies such as Hidebrand; these devices need to be connected to your comms hub by a registered DCC user (eg; your supplier or Hildebrand).

I had SMETS2 meters installed three weeks ago. My gas meter also failed to commission as it times out after 59 minutes if the commissioning process stalls.  Rather than call back the sub-contractor, my installer just asked me to push 2 buttons on the meter whilst it monitored the installation process remotely. My supplier also reconfigured the IHD and set up an export MPAN for my solar SEG payments.

The moral of my post is that when it comes to smart meters not only suppliers are the same.

MidlandsGlory

[Deleted User] said:

MidlandsGlory said:

Had Avro installed smart meters installed just before Christmas. Oh dear! just about to put another chase up call to the subcontractor. To say it didn't go well is an understatement 6 hours he struggled!!!!
The electricity meter was fairly straightforward but the gas meters (several tried) wouldn't link so they came on/off/on/off/on the wall. Eventually the 1st gas Smart one was put back on and went into a total sulk and wouldn't respond at all. Next day it calmed down up and started responding but is still not linked to the hub on the electricity meter so can't be remotely read and doesn't show on the in-house monitor.
I was supplied with a dreadful little in house box made by Geo, called a Trio. Its wireless range is so pathetic there is no spot anywhere in the house it can communicate with the meter, it only works in the garage on the other side of the wall the meter is on, so about 18" away. I though I had got around it by using the Geo app on my phone to connect to it, but apparently the utility company send software updates regularly to the monitor which wipes out the wifi settings, getting bored of re-entering them now.

I dug out my old British Gas monitor that clips on the meter tails and sends the signal to its in-house screen effortless so at least I can see the current consumption reliably again (I like to check the power on the way out so I know nothing is on that shouldn't be as I know the normal house standby load).

My advice if contacted? .....just say no.

The problems that you have experienced are best dealt with by your energy supplier not their sub-contractor. For security reasons, SMETS2 meters are not home WiFi enabled. The comms hub connects to your IHD via a secure Zigbee WiFi network (known as the Home Area Network) which uses a much lower frequency than domestic WiFi. That said, the IHD may be home WiFi network enabled to allow the manufacturer to roll out firmware updates. Third-party IHD/CADs are available from companies such as Hidebrand; these devices need to be connected to your comms hub by a registered DCC user (eg; your supplier or Hildebrand).

I had SMETS2 meters installed three weeks ago. My gas meter also failed to commission as it times out after 59 minutes if the commissioning process stalls.  Rather than call back the sub-contractor, my installer just asked me to push 2 buttons on the meter whilst it monitored the installation process remotely. My supplier also reconfigured the IHD and set up an export MPAN for my solar SEG payments.

The moral of my post is that when it comes to smart meters not only suppliers are the same.

After the gas meter came to life (like you pressing the buttons) I called it in and they said it could take up to 5 days to connect so I left it for 7. All the lights on the electricity meter are active apart from the gas one, the IHD doesn't show any gas meter presence and logging into my Avro account under meter readings, electricity now has no history and has gone from dual rate meter input to single so I guess that is setup OK. Gas shows all the old meter history so I guess its not been recognised.
The IHD does indeed have a home wifi module fitted and will connect, the module manufacturer has a generic app in the Android store that can be paired via their cloud. It just seems to keep forgetting, a bit daft if its supplied capable of doing this feature.
I may try Avro, but its a toss up between which is harder to get hold of, Avro or the installer! 

[Deleted User]

This blog explains in detail why smart meter issues are best addressed by your supplier. The installer cannot put things right without the knowledge/support of the supplier:

https://octopus.energy/blog/solving-smart-meter-issues-octopus-energy/