Help needed with understanding smart meter and registers

[Deleted User]

imeach said:

For a single rate meter on this model we are always told to press 9
OP, are you sure you weren't on economy 7 with 2 rates with your old supplier?

If R1 is the only register that has been used, I guess pressing 9 will give you the same result as pressing 6. Pressing 9 takes you through all the registers that have index readings (up to 4).

If you think Secure meters are confusing, this is what I have to do to get my R1 and R2 readings:

To take two rate meter readings from your Kaifa SMETS2 electricity meter:

• Press the top button (K1) to enter the menu system.
• With the arrow next to General Display, press and hold the top button (K1).
• Then press the bottom button (K2) to scroll down to Tariff Matrix. With the arrow next to Tariff Matrix, press and hold the top button (K1).
• With the arrow next to TOU Register, press and hold the top button (K1). T01 shows the total for R1, T02 shows the total for R2. T03 and 4 shows the unused Rate band.

alicef

Hello all

Well, I waited awhile and have checked the meter registers again.  The R02 figure hasn't moved and remains at 1874  (actually 1874.5) and the R01 has gone up.  
Could one of my previous suppliers have used R02 register for recording single rate tariff consumption, whilst the majority used R01?  Is this possible?

[Deleted User]

alicef said:

Hello all

Well, I waited awhile and have checked the meter registers again.  The R02 figure hasn't moved and remains at 1874  (actually 1874.5) and the R01 has gone up.  
Could one of my previous suppliers have used R02 register for recording single rate tariff consumption, whilst the majority used R01?  Is this possible?

Possible - but more likely that there was some promotional period or special measurement period where a supplier temporarily chose to use R02.

[Deleted User]

alicef said:

Hello all

Well, I waited awhile and have checked the meter registers again.  The R02 figure hasn't moved and remains at 1874  (actually 1874.5) and the R01 has gone up.  
Could one of my previous suppliers have used R02 register for recording single rate tariff consumption, whilst the majority used R01?  Is this possible?

A number of BG customers have been caught out when BG offered its Free Weekend tariff. The free units were recorded on the RO2 register. When they switched and gave their new supplier the total index reading, they were suddenly charged for the free units.

I have been on Octopus’ various time-of-use tariffs for over 3 years. Some are indexed on a single register and others use two registers. My smart meter now records offpeak on RO1 and peak on RO2. The ‘problem’ is that those who designed the system never envisaged that consumers would need to access manual readings. The rollout delay and SMETS1 meters made this a necessity.

With time-of-use tariffs, I suspect that most suppliers will start billing against 30 minute usage - not index readings. Bills running to over 30 pages will become the norm!

alicef

Many, many thanks @[Deleted User] and @[Deleted User] - it's all helpful stuff.

If you don't mind, I more questions?   

Will the DCC have details of who/what/when etc the 1874.5 units accumulated to R02.  (If I've used the units, and there was an appropriate charge then its right I have paid for them)

Will BGas be able to sort out how to move forward with my billing, given that for years I have supplied an Imp kWh figure and they seem to want to use the R01 reading - for example can the DCC zero the R02 and add the 1874.5 to the R01, so my reading and BG reading will be in sync as it were?  I really want to move from BGas but I don't want to take this meter reading discrepancy forward now that my SMETS1 has been put into smart mode.

[Deleted User]

alicef said:

Many, many thanks @[Deleted User] and @[Deleted User] - it's all helpful stuff.

If you don't mind, I more questions?   

Will the DCC have details of who/what/when etc the 1874.5 units accumulated to R02.  (If I've used the units, and there was an appropriate charge then its right I have paid for them)

Will BGas be able to sort out how to move forward with my billing, given that for years I have supplied an Imp kWh figure and they seem to want to use the R01 reading - for example can the DCC zero the R02 and add the 1874.5 to the R01, so my reading and BG reading will be in sync as it were?  I really want to move from BGas but I don't want to take this meter reading discrepancy forward now that my SMETS1 has been put into smart mode.

No. For data protection reasons, the DCC has no access to your usage data. The data is ‘passed through’ from the meter to the supplier’s Adapter software  ( the secure software the supplier uses to connect its systems to the DCC Network). Smart meters are just meters and there is no way of re-setting indexes.

There is no meter reading discrepancy. Just switch and when asked for meter readings give the supplier both (R1 and R2 )readings OR do nothing and the new supplier will get the readings from the smart meter.

alicef

Hi @[Deleted User]

Yes, I think you're right.  I should just bite the bullet and switch.  I'm not going to provide readings - the suppliers will have to sort it out.

[Deleted User]

alicef said:

Hi @[Deleted User]

Yes, I think you're right.  I should just bite the bullet and switch.  I'm not going to provide readings - the suppliers will have to sort it out.

Keep your own copy of the readings - dated - in case of future issues.  Apart from that though, let them work it out.  They are capable of taking the readings themselves so shouldn't be an argument.

alicef

Well 5 weeks down the line with my complaint. 

I reminded BGas today that they had 21 days before I escalate to the Ombudsman.  Well that finally woke someone up.  The member of the 'specialist referrals' team seems to be under the impression that I have applied the lower meter readings to the account. 

I would have thought that they could tell the difference between a customer supplied reading and an automated one?

Clearly no attempt had been made to read the complaint msg. trail.



 

 

alicef

An update. 

After some to and fro-ing, I had to prompt BGas today that my complaint would be escalated to the Ombudsman, as the 8 weeks had elapsed and no resolution had been proposed.  

Once again this stirred BGas into action - and the resolution is ... 

a brand new shiny SMETS2 meter installation.  Not quite sure, as yet, when this will happen and I can only assume that for some reason BGas cannot handle my upgraded SMETS1 meter.

I wonder how much all of this costs the end electricity consumer?