New smart meter problems SSE

sammyjammy

I know that I'll probably need to put myself through the hell that is SSE chat but thought it was worth an ask.

I had smart meters fitted on 22nd June, all went well on the day, the man told me it might take a few days to pick up tariffs etc.

So today its 1st August. The display has my per kwh prices correct but not my standing charges (I'm on a fix).  When I log in to the website it still has my readings from my old meter, I thought it was supposed to automatically take readings?

[Deleted User]

The supplier needs to remove your old meter from the National Database and then replace it with the new one. This process can take a few weeks. 

When setting up your smart meters, the supplier has to send out bespoke security certificates followed by tariff information to each of the meters. The comms hub picks up this information and via the HAN sends it out to the IHD. This all sounds very simple; however, I have have SMETS2 meters for over 3 years and my IHD never adds the daily standing charge to the IHD. 

As comms hubs are the sole responsibility of the DCC and not the supplier, my supplier just isn’t interested as it only needs usage to issue a correct monthly statement. I am not that bothered as I can see my usage on the IHD and also get up to date usage and cost information via the free App BRIGHT. Try it. The settings can also be changed to show cost.

lohr500

Are you looking at the small in house display unit, or the actual meter itself to get the kwh prices and standing charges? 

We have no gas, but a dual rate electricity tariff with EDF. Initially our in house display unit showed the correct consumption, but the pricing was wrong. Then after changing to a different dual rate tariff in July last year, it stopped working completely.

However, the usage, relevant price per kwH and the standing charge are all shown correctly on the meter when I scroll through the display.


As far as system updating the website with your readings, I'm not sure about this. I guess there could be a number of reasons.

If you are billed quarterly, perhaps the readings only get updated on the website quarterly, even though they are being received by SSE.
Or perhaps the meter isn't communicating to the DCC, hence no readings are getting updated.

You could download the Bright App on a smartphone and register for free. You can then view the smart meter data that is being received by the DCC. If it is getting as far as the DCC then SSE should be able to see it. If it isn't getting to the DCC, then there is a communication problem that needs resolving.

Do you have an option to enter your readings manually on the SSE website? If so, I would enter them so there are no surprises when it comes to billing time.


 

sammyjammy

Thanks both for the concise and helpful info, MSEers to the rescue again!   I will try and be patient.  I haven't checked the actual meters as they are in the scary spider ridden cellar but will do so.

I'll also try the Bright app, anything not to have to contact them.

[Deleted User]

sammyjammy said:

Thanks both for the concise and helpful info, MSEers to the rescue again!   I will try and be patient.  I haven't checked the actual meters as they are in the scary spider ridden cellar but will do so.

I'll also try the Bright app, anything not to have to contact them.

The UK smart meter programme is a complete mess. We all look to our suppliers to put things right; however, the DCC is responsible for the network and all the secure communications hubs. Individual meter and device (IHD) manufacturers design; build and certify their meters/devices for use on the DCC network. These guys are also responsible for all meter firmware updates. Your supplier is just left with many unhappy customers with very few levers to pull.

The French have gone for a much simpler smart meter system called Linky. All the meters are the same (built by selected manufacturers) and data is transmitted by powerlines to series of regional hubs.  

matelodave

We were with SSE for a year or so and had a smart meter fitted. It never had the correct standing charge although the kwh price was correct. We've been with around seven different suppliers since then (five of whom went bust) and now we are with EoN-Next since last October who have managed to get both the s/c and kwh info correctly configured onto the IHD.

I've not bothered to check whether the IHD does the sums correctly by adding the S/C to the daily costs - perhaps I'll have a shufti to find out.

I can get the consumption and cost info info from the Bright App as it does add the two together and although it's got consumption data going right back to November 2020 it doesn't do the sums correctly as it's using current pricing. Stuff between October 2021 and April looks like it was using the appropriate tariff for that period but anything before looks very suspect.

[Deleted User]

matelodave said:

Stuff between October 2021 and April looks like it was using the appropriate tariff for that period but anything before looks very suspect.

The IHD calculates costs based on the tariffs sent to the meters and usage from the gas proxy meter.

 I wait with interest to hear the shouts of outrage from those who have been persuaded to switch to Octopus Agile when they realise that the costs shown on their IHDs are incorrect. Octopus just sets an average unit price even though the unit price changes every 30 minutes.

Mstty

I don't think anyone that got onto Agile capped at 35p kWh will be moaning. Most likely doing a little jig with a smile on their faces.

Alnat1

 Jig jig jig  

My IHD isn't working but I can do sums