Shell smart meter issues - will changing supplier fix it?

indigoben

We had a smart meter installed earlier this year, but the gas part has never worked fully. The electricity works fine - gets to the IHD and back to Shell. The gas readings also get to the IHD, but they don't get back to Shell. We therefore have to keep giving them readings and can't see the usage online, removing a lot of the point of having the smart meter in the first place. I emailed Shell back at the end of May, and they said:

Having investigated your query, we would like to inform you we currently have a Proactive Quality Register (PQR) on your account. It is a flag applied to direct attention of a tech specialist to the account.

 

These PQRs usually appear as a result of an amendment, which in your case is connected to the gas smart meter. This particular PQR has been assigned to an individual and they are looking into it to work it off of your account. Once done, your gas smart meter will be featured via your online profile and the in-home display unit will show both fuels and charges.

Is this likely to be only a Shell problem? If we changed supplier would it be likely that it would work with them? We have no loyalty to Shell as we were dumped on them anyway, and everyone has the same rates at the moment anyway.

brook_heather

Try setting up the Bright app - if it pulls your gas data successfully then I would expect changing supplier to Octopus would also work.

Alnat1

My gas showed half hour reads on Bright and had done since I moved to Octopus in April. Octopus couldn't pick up the readings so installed a new smart meter on 7th June.  They still can't get the readings on the new meter but Bright shows them just fine.

They also replaced the electric meter at the same time, which was working fine and they were already getting readings. Now they can only get readings for my supply but not export.

QrizB

My smart meters were installed by EDF about a year ago. The gas one worked for two months but hasn't communicated with my IHD, Bright or my suppplier since then (I can read it manually and it's not especially inconvenient to do so).

I'm now with Octopus. I asked them if they could fix it and it's gone up through the regular CS channels and three(?) weeks ago was referred to their "specialist smart meter team". No success yet.

Alnat1

How long can they retrieve past data for on export? I remember reading it was less than the supply data but can't recall the actual length of time.

Being on Agile Outgoing I adjust my usage to allow as much as possible to go to the grid during afternoon/evening peak rates, especially if they are high that day. With a SW roof I get a lot of 4.30-7pm generation and it would be annoying if I only get paid some kind of "average for the month" rate.

westv

When I read about issues with smart meters it makes me even less inclined to book an installation.

Alnat1

They still work like the old meters, you can go and read them manually, so no worse.

It would be nice if they actually did what they should do though 

QrizB

Alnat1 said:

How long can they retrieve past data for on export? I remember reading it was less than the supply data but can't recall the actual length of time.

I think @[Deleted User] said 3 months for export, 12 months for import. I'm sure he'll correct me if I'm mis-remembering.

[Deleted User]

Alnat1 said:

How long can they retrieve past data for on export? I remember reading it was less than the supply data but can't recall the actual length of time.

Being on Agile Outgoing I adjust my usage to allow as much as possible to go to the grid during afternoon/evening peak rates, especially if they are high that day. With a SW roof I get a lot of 4.30-7pm generation and it would be annoying if I only get paid some kind of "average for the month" rate

Consumption data

Smart metering equipment in the home can store at least 13 months of energy consumption data recorded on a half-hourly basis, and at least 24 months of daily consumption data.

In addition, electricity consumption and tariff data can be made available at least every ten seconds over the Home Area Network (HAN), which can be accessed by an In-Home Display or another device, known as a Consumer Access Device[footnote 6].

Export data

Smart electricity meters can make data available on the amount of energy generated onsite at home or business and exported to the grid, storing at least 3 months of half-hourly export data.

Alnat1

I'll give Octopus another week before I chase them up then. 

indigoben

Thanks @brook_heather- I've setup Bright and it's pulled in both gas and electricity information, however on the gas it says 'Tariff not found' which seems to me like Shell haven't sent the information into the network. I'll give them another go, but it's very frustrating when Shell (as with all energy companies) are pushing us to have them installed.