Solar and smart meters

andy15959

I've managed to avoid having smart meters installed so far, have the issues with meters and solar been ironed out ? Anybody on here have them, opinions ?

JKenH

No problems with my smart meter installed 6 months ago by Bulb. It gives me an accurate real time read out of power going to/from the grid on the in home display provided so I find it very useful. It also gives me daily/weekly/monthly consumption in kWh and £. I switched to Octopus shortly after it was installed and it was seamless. Only had to wait 4 days to get on the Go tariff.

cool_techie

andy15959 said:

I've managed to avoid having smart meters installed so far, have the issues with meters and solar been ironed out ? Anybody on here have them, opinions ?

Hi Andy,

What are the specific issues between smart meters and solar? I have only heard of the non-smart meters having issues, going backwards, going dead etc.

I have recently installed a PV system and will be moving to a SMART meter soon. So interested.

Thanks, CT

andy15959

cool_techie said:

andy15959 said:

I've managed to avoid having smart meters installed so far, have the issues with meters and solar been ironed out ? Anybody on here have them, opinions ?

Hi Andy,

What are the specific issues between smart meters and solar? I have only heard of the non-smart meters having issues, going backwards, going dead etc.

I have recently installed a PV system and will be moving to a SMART meter soon. So interested.

Thanks, CT

Just heard similar stories, with the meter not being able to distinguish between generation and usage.

ASavvyBuyer

We have had a SMETS 1 Secure Smart meter since October 2018 and not had any problems with it. It accurately records import & export, and the IHD display is useful for showing whether we are importing or exporting. Having it has enabled us to try the Octopus Go, Agile & Go Faster tariffs, so that our average cost for any imported electric has varied between about 2p/kWh (on Agile last Spring) but on the Go & Go Faster tariffs, usually less than10p/kWh, but averaging about 8p/kWh during the whole time since changing to a Smart tariff.

We are still on deemed export (with EDF) as you don't have to change to measured export unless you want too.

Coastalwatch

andy15959 said:

I've managed to avoid having smart meters installed so far, have the issues with meters and solar been ironed out ? Anybody on here have them, opinions ?

Like Andy had been very cautious about having a Smart Meter installed but since having a Smets 2 installed last October I have to say my concerns over their usefulness appear to have been addressed. Octopus installed the meter since which time we have received bills in half hour increments should we wish to interrogate them for any reason.

We have a PV array too and find the In Home Display very useful as it shows whether we are importing or exporting in kW's or parts thereof. Currently on the Go tariff but awaiting the Go Faster details to enlist on to that.

So far, so good.

[Deleted User]

There are issues with SMETS2 meters which all suppliers are having to deal with; for example, HANs dropping offline but, 29 months on, I do not regret having them fitted. I have PV Solar and a PW2. Octopus changed my original L&G meter to a Kaifa 120 because of reported reactive power issues between the L&G meter and the PW2. It was just one meter model that was identified and it may not have been the meter. The IHD is a bit of a toy but there are many other sources of information which show usage and costs. Octopus has one of the best smart meter teams.

Coastalwatch

Coastalwatch said:

We have a PV array too and find the In Home Display very useful as it shows whether we are importing or exporting in kW's or parts thereof. Currently on the Go tariff but awaiting the Go Faster details to enlist on to that.

So far, so good.

Just received the Octopus details and by coincidence they are currently running a trial on the cheaper overnight Go Faster tariff. Within it they are offering options on duration and start times ranging from 20.30pm to 03.30am and duration variing between 3, 4 & 5 hours with respective rates of 4.5p, 5.0p & 5.5p/kWh.

They do state that it's a trial with limited places available, so first come, first served I guess. Great to have so many choices offered, possibly limited to those with higher consuming appliances and/or EV's.

Solarchaser

Coastalwatch said:

Coastalwatch said:

We have a PV array too and find the In Home Display very useful as it shows whether we are importing or exporting in kW's or parts thereof. Currently on the Go tariff but awaiting the Go Faster details to enlist on to that.

So far, so good.

Just received the Octopus details and by coincidence they are currently running a trial on the cheaper overnight Go Faster tariff. Within it they are offering options on duration and start times ranging from 20.30pm to 03.30am and duration variing between 3, 4 & 5 hours with respective rates of 4.5p, 5.0p & 5.5p/kWh.

They do state that it's a trial with limited places available, so first come, first served I guess. Great to have so many choices offered, possibly limited to those with higher consuming appliances and/or EV's.

That is interesting. 
I got a "you have been with us a year" survey today and specifically asked about the go faster tarrif,  so hopefully I'll be one of those firsts.
Hoping to catch the late evening showers with lower tariff as its the only thing I can't quite cover with the batteries.

I had a smets 1 with edf, and now on a smets 2 with octopus, no issues with either.
Though I've never seen export through the ihd, it just goes to zero if I'm exporting 

Coastalwatch

Solarchaser said:

That is interesting. 
I got a "you have been with us a year" survey today and specifically asked about the go faster tarrif,  so hopefully I'll be one of those firsts.
Hoping to catch the late evening showers with lower tariff as its the only thing I can't quite cover with the batteries.

I had a smets 1 with edf, and now on a smets 2 with octopus, no issues with either.
Though I've never seen export through the ihd, it just goes to zero if I'm exporting 

I didn't think mine would either, but I cycled through the display showing "So far today" "So far this week" etc and then up popped a "Usage now" which, on ours shows Import, but only as an indication, and Export is shown digitally in Wh's!

Our display is stated as being the IHD6, if it makes any difference!

Solarchaser

Coastalwatch said:

Solarchaser said:

That is interesting. 
I got a "you have been with us a year" survey today and specifically asked about the go faster tarrif,  so hopefully I'll be one of those firsts.
Hoping to catch the late evening showers with lower tariff as its the only thing I can't quite cover with the batteries.

I had a smets 1 with edf, and now on a smets 2 with octopus, no issues with either.
Though I've never seen export through the ihd, it just goes to zero if I'm exporting 

I didn't think mine would either, but I cycled through the display showing "So far today" "So far this week" etc and then up popped a "Usage now" which, on ours shows Import, but only as an indication, and Export is shown digitally in Wh's!

Our display is stated as being the IHD6, if it makes any difference!

Oh you got me excited there for a minute, but I searched through every setting and don't see it.
I have a chamelion technologies type 1 😕