Meters show £, how can I get to show units?

AndrewAfresh2

British Gas recently switched me from prepay to direct debit for both gas & electric, but the meters still show a monetary balance. How can I get them to show units used? Pressing buttons A & B just makes the monetary balance display again, no units or kwh. Thank you for any helpful replies!

Gerry1

Please tell us the make and model of each meter.

AndrewAfresh2

@Gerry1
Top of elec meter says Landis & Gyr E470,
Gas I don't know which numbers are the model so have added a pic and hope you can see it?!

t0rt0ise

Looks like you haven't been changed to credit meter at all. But see what others here say.

Xbigman

When did the switchover take place? It can take weeks, sometimes months for smart meters to update. The big question is, what happens when your displayed credit reaches zero.



Darren

Gerry1

Landis + Gyr are hopeless because several generations of SMETS1 and SMET2 meters are all called E470.  This is highly confusing because most searches will bring up meters which don't look like yours.

Basically you press and hold the green A button until TIME appears and then press it repeatedly.

Unfortunately you still seem to be on prepayment.  Each push of the green A button with bring up a screen with a letter.  Your photo shows the F screen, which is the amount due on your instalment plan and any standing charges each week.

https://www.edfenergy.com/for-home/help-centre/faq/meters?steps=23147-23141#chapter-23138-2

Here's one of the least worst videos showing how your L+G E470 SMETS1 meter would work in credit mode.

https://youtu.be/MuXbKfXZkpw

It's intended to show how to find the Export reading if you have solar panels, but the same method will show your normal (Imported) usage. Best to click on the cogwheel and select a slower speed.  The kWh reading (Rate 01 Act Imp) appears at 0:35.

It just shows what a fiasco the whole smart meter rollout has become.  No-one bothered to write user guides: the idea was that all the readings would be taken remotely, so you should never need to go near your smart meter.  But as we've seen, the project was bodged because the original SMETS1 meters didn't work if you switched suppliers (as we've all been urged to do), so all the not-fit-for-purpose meters had to be expensively replaced or upgraded.

AndrewAfresh2

Thanks, the method in the video works for my elec meter - however when I press & hold button A on gas meter, it simply travels between metre index number and credit balance

AndrewAfresh2

AndrewAfresh2 said:

Thanks, the method in the video works for my elec meter - however when I press & hold button A on gas meter, it simply travels between metre index number and credit balance

Should I ask British Gas to install a new meter?

ariarnia

no you don't need a meter change. you might just need to wait for the update to happen or get hold of them to check it has actually been done on there system. 

but for now can you do us a quick favour. if you have been moved to dd then you have an online account and bills yes? 

can you quickly check that the meter number on your bill (normally near your address) is the same as the number on the meter? 

i just want to rule out a mix up before you have to spend ages trying to get hold of someone. 

AndrewAfresh2

ariarnia said:

no you don't need a meter change. you might just need to wait for the update to happen or get hold of them to check it has actually been done on there system. 

but for now can you do us a quick favour. if you have been moved to dd then you have an online account and bills yes? 

can you quickly check that the meter number on your bill (normally near your address) is the same as the number on the meter? 

i just want to rule out a mix up before you have to spend ages trying to get hold of someone. 

thank you very much - the meter number looks correct, I will call them