Shell Smart Meter not sending readings

PinkSherbetPip

We had SMETS2 smart meters installed 11 months ago by Shell.  Everything had been fine up until 3 weeks ago, when I got an email from Shell to say both smart meters had stopped communicating and I would now need to send them meter readings.  Even though I have provided a meter reading daily, I still haven’t been billed for September.  The IHD is still connecting, but no longer showing the up-to-date unit prices. 

I contacted Shell via online chat and they said they would log the billing issue.  They also said that my meters were communicating intermittently and my IHD was showing the latest pricing…I was at work at the time, so couldn’t check this.  No usage is showing in my account, so not sure if it is correct that they’re connecting intermittently or not.  A day later, I had an email to say the billing issue was resolved, but 4 days on, it is still not showing in my account.  I have emailed them, but I haven’t received a response yet. 

Is there anything I can do about this?  Just wondering how I can get a response from them, are they in breach of anything?  Should they be sending anyone out to the meters?

I wouldn't have bothered having smart meters, if I wanted to take manual readings! Has anyone else had the same problem and been able to get it resolved?

[Deleted User]

This sounds as if it was a communications hub issue. What LEDs are flashing on your communications hub and how fast?

Communications hubs are the responsibility of the DCC. The supplier can ask the DCC to send out a remote hub reset command: similar to turning your PC off and on.

The supplier needs to have access to your meters to send out updated tariffs. 

The meters hold 13 months’ worth of import data.

There is nothing that an installer can do without the supplier’s cooperation. The supplier will know from its systems whether your smart meter system is working as it should. Communications hubs cannot be changed without DCC approval as they contain built in security.

Suppliers are not in breach of any Licence Conditions if you have functioning meters which you can read. I assume that you know how to read your meters?

PinkSherbetPip

Thank you for you reply.  All the LEDs are flashing...WAN, HAN and another one which is flashing red.  I'd say they are flashing every 5 or 6 seconds.  I also noticed the meter signal strength was -27dBm.  I'm not sure if this is for the connection to the IHD or network, but thought it was worth mentioning! 

I have read the meters once and now take the reading from the IHD, as it was the same reading.  I hope it is okay to do this.

I'm guessing there isn't anything I can do, if they're not in breach of any conditions.  I still haven't been billed for September, don't they have to produce a bill?  They have increased my DD from £270 to £405 and I am in credit.  I reduced my DD, but they advised it should be increased.  Our gas usage will definitely be down on previous years, as I'm only putting the heating on for an hour am and pm, and also cooking on the BBQ for as long as I can.

[Deleted User]

PinkSherbetPip said:

Our gas usage will definitely be down on previous years, as I'm only putting the heating on for an hour am and pm, and also cooking on the BBQ for as long as I can.

I'll leave others to comment on the meter issue, but this sort of point keeps coming up whenever there is an increased direct debit.

Your supplier does not know (and cannot know) that you will be changing your behaviour in the future.  They can see historical usage, they can see weather forecasts and have historical weather data, and they might track what 'other similar households' are doing (but again this is backward looking).

If you were a supplier, would you trust a member of the general public to say "you can let me pay less, I won't get into debt, honest"?

Alnat1

PinkSherbetPip said:

Our gas usage will definitely be down on previous years, as I'm only putting the heating on for an hour am and pm, and also cooking on the BBQ for as long as I can.

If we have a really cold winter, will you still only have the heating on for 2 hours a day? If the temperature stays below freezing for several days, you would be risking burst pipes and possibly a frozen boiler if your heating is off 22 hours out of 24. And you will be extremely cold!!!

PinkSherbetPip

[Deleted User] said:

PinkSherbetPip said:

Our gas usage will definitely be down on previous years, as I'm only putting the heating on for an hour am and pm, and also cooking on the BBQ for as long as I can.

I'll leave others to comment on the meter issue, but this sort of point keeps coming up whenever there is an increased direct debit.

Your supplier does not know (and cannot know) that you will be changing your behaviour in the future.  They can see historical usage, they can see weather forecasts and have historical weather data, and they might track what 'other similar households' are doing (but again this is backward looking).

If you were a supplier, would you trust a member of the general public to say "you can let me pay less, I won't get into debt, honest"?

Thanks, that's a good point and I'd not looked at it from that angle!  I am in credit by nearly £1100, not a small amount, so I am suprised that they keep increasing it, but understand what you're saying.

[Deleted User]

They've got so paranoid (with repeated nudges from OFGEM) about customers getting into debt that they're using way too much of a buffer in many cases - particularly for customers that are using estimated or irregular readings.

You can (or we can if you provide the data) do a quick bit of maths to come up with a sensible DD estimate, and arguing with your supplier once you have evidence can result in a more sensible buffer.

PinkSherbetPip

Alnat1 said:

PinkSherbetPip said:

Our gas usage will definitely be down on previous years, as I'm only putting the heating on for an hour am and pm, and also cooking on the BBQ for as long as I can.

If we have a really cold winter, will you still only have the heating on for 2 hours a day? If the temperature stays below freezing for several days, you would be risking burst pipes and possibly a frozen boiler if your heating is off 22 hours out of 24. And you will be extremely cold!!!

I would have the heating on a bit more if it was particularly cold and we were all in the house, eg over Christmas. I'm not heating the house, when one person is at home though.  At the moment, I'm just putting it on when we're having showers.  In the past, I have been guilty of having the heating on all day, when it could have been turned off for a period of time.  Instead I turned the thermostat down to 20!  We also have multifuel stoves, so we won't be without any heat at all, we're just not using as much gas as we were.  As for electric, we're spending less time in the shower, I hardly iron, no need for an extractor when cooking outside, washing on lower temperatures and making sure the kids don't leave things on standby!

PinkSherbetPip

[Deleted User] said:

They've got so paranoid (with repeated nudges from OFGEM) about customers getting into debt that they're using way too much of a buffer in many cases - particularly for customers that are using estimated or irregular readings.

You can (or we can if you provide the data) do a quick bit of maths to come up with a sensible DD estimate, and arguing with your supplier once you have evidence can result in a more sensible buffer.

[Deleted User] said:

They've got so paranoid (with repeated nudges from OFGEM) about customers getting into debt that they're using way too much of a buffer in many cases - particularly for customers that are using estimated or irregular readings.

You can (or we can if you provide the data) do a quick bit of maths to come up with a sensible DD estimate, and arguing with your supplier once you have evidence can result in a more sensible buffer.

Thanks, could you let me know how I work this out please?

[Deleted User]

PinkSherbetPip said:

[Deleted User] said:

They've got so paranoid (with repeated nudges from OFGEM) about customers getting into debt that they're using way too much of a buffer in many cases - particularly for customers that are using estimated or irregular readings.

You can (or we can if you provide the data) do a quick bit of maths to come up with a sensible DD estimate, and arguing with your supplier once you have evidence can result in a more sensible buffer.

[Deleted User] said:

They've got so paranoid (with repeated nudges from OFGEM) about customers getting into debt that they're using way too much of a buffer in many cases - particularly for customers that are using estimated or irregular readings.

You can (or we can if you provide the data) do a quick bit of maths to come up with a sensible DD estimate, and arguing with your supplier once you have evidence can result in a more sensible buffer.

Thanks, could you let me know how I work this out please?

You need actual meter readings twelve months apart, so you can work out your actual annual consumption in kWh for those twelve months.  Pick your own buffer factor (maybe 1.1 or 1.2 ?).

(kWh x unit price) + (365 x standing charge) = annual cost for that fuel

(annual cost for both fuels x buffer) - credit right now = 12 x monthly DD  

PinkSherbetPip

Hi, can anyone advise on the problem I'm having with my SMETS2 meter please?  All the LEDs are flashing every 5 seconds, what does this mean?