Can a gas only supplier change out a gas smart meter?

Sterlingtimes

My gas supplier is EDF. My electricity supplier is Octopus. My SMETS1 smart meters (gas and electricity) are Liberty. EDF cannot read my gas meter remotely.

EDF wants to replace my meter. Should I just say yes and allow them to replace the existing meter or meters?

QrizB

Your gas supplier is responsible for your gas meter. Yes, if they want to change it they can.

Is there a reason to keep your gas with EDF? If you're on the SVT, you could move your gas to Octopus and have it all under one roof?

Shedman

The gas smart meter communicates to the supplier effectively via the electricity smart meter (there's an additional communications hub that sits above the electric meter that does the communication for both meters).  We have electric with BG and gas with EDF.   BG fitted a smart meter first and then EDF fitted theirs a few days later and no issues. However, ours are both SMETS2 and all SMETs2 are cross compatible.

What I am not sure about is whether a Gas SMETS2 that EDF will fit would communicate via the the existing comms hub on the Octopus SMETS1 meter.  I seem to recall that there are different communication protocols/methods and, unless the the Octopus meter/comms hub has had a software upgrade so it speaks to the DCC, it may be a problem.  It is probably also the reason that EDF can't read your current gas mater.

Your best bet is to first ask Octopus whether your electricity meter has had this upgrade and get them to confirm that it will allow a SMETS2 gas meter to communicate via its comms hub and if it hasn't whether they will either upgrade it now or swap it out for a SMETS2 (and then get that installed first before getting EDF to fit their new meter)

Sterlingtimes

QrizB said:

Your gas supplier is responsible for your gas meter. Yes, if they want to change it they can.

Is there a reason to keep your gas with EDF? If you're on the SVT, you could move your gas to Octopus and have it all under one roof?

Thank you. So it does appear that the gas and electric meters may be changed out separately by respective suppliers. I have said "yes" and booked the date. It will be interesting to have a SMETS1 electric meter alongside a SMETS2 gas meter.

Shedman

Found this link that might be able to let you check whether your Octopus meter has been upgraded

https://smartmetercheck.citizensadvice.org.uk/

Sterlingtimes

Shedman said:

Found this link that might be able to let you check whether your Octopus meter has been upgraded

https://smartmetercheck.citizensadvice.org.uk/

Thank you, Shedman. It appears that my SMETS1 smart meters have not been upgraded. I should not be surprised if there is a problem when EDF turns up but it may be a route to forcing an upgrade.