BG Smart Meter

PennineAcute

After moving into my new house in May, I had my smart meters installed on Wednesday 22 June.  The engineer left me the dispay unit and told me to plug it in  and left (now I know why he did this).  Although the gas meter and display unit can connect, I get no data from the meter.

I contacted them last night to be told this is a fault they know about and in the meantime, I would have to give readings myself.  When I mentioned that I cannot do this online, as they system says I have a smart meter, I was told to phone them through.  One reading is needed on 30 June and another 6 months later.  I do have a two week grace period, outside of them I will be given an estimated bill.

So BG install smart meters knowing there is a problem - but they do not worry as they have now ticked another box.  I now have to mess around giving readings on 30 June and then New Year's Eve (no chance).

Do you think a complaint will do anything, or do I just put up until they can find the cause?

Astria

If they were only installed on the 22nd June I would wait at least a month as it can take until then before they start working in some cases.

The internal meter should work immediately however, but I wouldn't depend on the figures that gives you for any price calculations.

PennineAcute

Cheers for this.

I mainly wanted the smart meters so I could keep my spreadsheet updated.  Much easier than going outside and reading the meters (that was the plan, anyway).  The electricity figures that my monitor gives me tie in with my meter reading.  They also tie in with loop.  They can get my electricity readings, but sadly not my gas.

As you say, I'll give them a month and then try annoying them again.

[Deleted User]

Hi,

is your gas meter maybe too far away to communicate?

Astria

Do you gas readings show on your indoor display?

Some indoor meters are a bit crap in that when they lose connection with the meter they simply show the last information received, so you can't depend on them.

PennineAcute

My two meters are outside.  Elec at the front and gas at the back.

The monitor shows that it is connected to the gas meter, but the meter does not send any info.

[Deleted User]

Connected is not the same as commissioned. Once commissioned, you will see the MPRN in the screen above.

PennineAcute

[Deleted User] said:

Connected is not the same as commissioned. Once commissioned, you will see the MPRN in the screen above.

Can you tell me more about commissioned, please?

[Deleted User]

PennineAcute said:

Dolor said:

Connected is not the same as commissioned. Once commissioned, you will see the MPRN in the screen above.

Can you tell me more about commissioned, please?

As I understand it, there are a whole series of industry actions that take place once smart meters are installed. The principle of smart metering is one meter:one supplier.  Part of the commissioning process is the removal of the old meters from the two national databases. The new meter serial numbers that have to be added to the database.

The supplier also has to send out bespoke security certificates to each of the meters. Until these have been installed, the supplier cannot pull smart meter data; update firmware etc. The principle behind the layered security is that the meters will not react to any instructions unless the various security certificates are in place at the supplier; at the DCC and in each meter.

Once the commissioning process has been completed, then the supplier should send out two messages: one, ESME commissioning complete and, two, GSME commissioning complete. If I recall, when Octopus replaced my broken SMETS2 gas meter 18 months ago, commissioning took about 3 weeks. Energy industry processes are notoriously slow: ask yourself, why does it take nearly 3 weeks just to switch/transfer an energy supply? The answer is that there are a myriad of organisations involved in getting energy to a home, and all processes are carried out by industry data flows.

If you haven’t done so already, sign up for the free App BRIGHT. It is by far the easiest way of seeing consumption and the cost: the latter assumes that the supplier has sent the correct tariffs to each of the meters. Hildebrand owns BRIGHT and as a Registered DCC Other User it can, with consumer approval, use its bespoke Adapter software to connect to the DCC Network and pull certain bits of data such as 30 minute usage.

Astria

Also, when it says "Connected to gas meter" it doesn't actually mean that - it typically means it's connected to your electric meter as that is the comms hub, but that would be confusing to customers. It will take a bit of time before the gas meter will actually communicate it's information to your electric meter for it to pass on. That can be why it says it's connected but can't actually get any information.

PennineAcute

[Deleted User] said:

PennineAcute said:

[Deleted User] said:

Connected is not the same as commissioned. Once commissioned, you will see the MPRN in the screen above.

Can you tell me more about commissioned, please?

As I understand it, there are a whole series of industry actions that take place once smart meters are installed. The principle of smart metering is one meter:one supplier.  Part of the commissioning process is the removal of the old meters from the two national databases. The new meter serial numbers that have to be added to the database.

The supplier also has to send out bespoke security certificates to each of the meters. Until these have been installed, the supplier cannot pull smart meter data; update firmware etc. The principle behind the layered security is that the meters will not react to any instructions unless the various security certificates are in place at the supplier; at the DCC and in each meter.

Once the commissioning process has been completed, then the supplier should send out two messages: one, ESME commissioning complete and, two, GSME commissioning complete. If I recall, when Octopus replaced my broken SMETS2 gas meter 18 months ago, commissioning took about 3 weeks. Energy industry processes are notoriously slow: ask yourself, why does it take nearly 3 weeks just to switch/transfer an energy supply? The answer is that there are a myriad of organisations involved in getting energy to a home, and all processes are carried out by industry data flows.

If you haven’t done so already, sign up for the free App BRIGHT. It is by far the easiest way of seeing consumption and the cost: the latter assumes that the supplier has sent the correct tariffs to each of the meters. Hildebrand owns BRIGHT and as a Registered DCC Other User it can, with consumer approval, use its bespoke Adapter software to connect to the DCC Network and pull certain bits of data such as 30 minute usage.

Yes, I had signed up to the Loop Energy app.  It's the same thing.  Reads my electricity perfectly.  Sadly, not the gas.