Data Collector Reading?

JohnSwift10

I've just had a gas bill from Sainsbury's with the reading as a  Data Collector Reading yet my smart meter is still not connecting to my IHD since I left BG 2 years ago.
Or is a Data Collector Reading a euphemism for a meter reader actually reading the meter? .

matelodave

The fact that it's not connecting to the IHD doesn't necessarily mean that it's not sending info back.

Have you checked the bill reading against the meter reading to see if they are anywhere close which might suggest that the meter has been enrolled onto the DCC.

My SSE leccy meter which went dumb in 2017 suddenly started to send data in August this year although I didn't notice it until September when the reading appeared on the bill marked "smart".  However my supplier has now gone bust so I'll have to see how long it takes for the new supplier to get it back on stream

Verdigris

JohnSwift10 said:

I've just had a gas bill from Sainsbury's with the reading as a  Data Collector Reading yet my smart meter is still not connecting to my IHD since I left BG 2 years ago.
Or is a Data Collector Reading a euphemism for a meter reader actually reading the meter? .

Is it an outside meter box? If so, a meter reader/data collector may well have read it. Even working smart meters have to be inspected from time to time and taking a reading is the way an inspection can be verifies to have happened.

wild666

matelodave said:

The fact that it's not connecting to the IHD doesn't necessarily mean that it's not sending info back.

Have you checked the bill reading against the meter reading to see if they are anywhere close which might suggest that the meter has been enrolled onto the DCC.

My SSE leccy meter which went dumb in 2017 suddenly started to send data in August this year although I didn't notice it until September when the reading appeared on the bill marked "smart".  However my supplier has now gone bust so I'll have to see how long it takes for the new supplier to get it back on stream

My BG smart meter went dumb in Jan 2018 when I left them but since Octopus took over the failed Avro account I can get smart readings in 30 minute segments even though the IHD got waterlogged in the floods of 2015/16. 

JohnSwift10

I just had a look in my meter box and there are 2 green lights and a flashing amber light so it doesn't look like it is connected to any network.

[Deleted User]

JohnSwift10 said:

I've just had a gas bill from Sainsbury's with the reading as a  Data Collector Reading yet my smart meter is still not connecting to my IHD since I left BG 2 years ago.
Or is a Data Collector Reading a euphemism for a meter reader actually reading the meter? .

Meter readers work for data collection services such as Morrisons Data Services; Lowri Beck etc. Meter reading is now a small part of their business. Companies such as Morrisons provide meter reading validations on switch; they update the National database for electricity and many now offer smart meter network integration to suppliers.

As far as billing is concerned, a reading taken by a meter reader is regarded as validated for billing purposes so it will be entered immediately in the relevant account. Manual readings provided by a consumer have to be validated by a data collection service to check that they are in line with past consumption and previous validated readings.

imeach

I wouldn't class meter reading as a small part of Morrison Data Services or Lowri Beck's business.
It's still a huge part

Verdigris

imeach said:

I wouldn't class meter reading as a small part of Morrison Data Services or Lowri Beck's business.
It's still a huge part

Nor me. Well, not in the case of M Group, who had well over 90% of the meter reading market when I retired. LB, not so much. There was never a shortage of work.