Smart Meter - IHD error, only showing £1.66

MeteredOut

MattMattMattUK said:

[Deleted User] said:

MattMattMattUK said:

[Deleted User] said:

MattMattMattUK said:

[Deleted User] said:

funkygal said:

Thanks for the swift responses!

That's interesting, I did google the £1.66 error but couldn't find much. I have an ongoing complaint with EDF but they take so long to respond so I'm thinking of going down the Ombudsman route too.

I do have the Hugo app which shows my usage, albeit, a day behind. 

Just so frustrating, just want real time reads, ergh! 

Just be aware. Suppliers are not responsible for the communications hubs that provide data to the IHD. This responsibility has been retained by the network operator: the DCC. Meter and device manufacturers are responsible for their meters/devices and for firmware updates.

There is nothing that a supplier controls within the smart meter system other than its Adapter (the software that it uses to connect its billing system to the network). If it is a communications hub firmware issue, then all suppliers have to wait for the device manufacturer to roll out a firmware update.

In this instance it is slightly more complicated, EDF did something, they will not say exactly what, but it ended up disconnecting a lot of IHDs. They also broke the system to enroll new IHDs, so I have three IHDs, one was previously connected and worked, the other two are new, however on the page you have to go to on the EDF site to self enroll your new meter it is unable to recognise any account numbers and they have the same problem internally. The smart data is available via their website and Bright, but they are unable to connect an IHD due to a backend problem that they are aware of and have refused to fix for over a year. 

The fact they caused the problem, know what it is and they have refused to fix it for more than a year is why I am taking them to the ombudsman. 

Comms hubs establish 2 distinct networks: the Home Area Network and the Wide Area Network. The gas meter and the IHD connect to the HAN. The supplier communicates with your comms hub via the WAN: as does BRIGHT. There is no ‘backend’ solution as such that a supplier can deploy to fix your HAN. By the sound of it, you may have a comms hub firmware issue that the DCC will take forward, or an IHD firmware issue that the device manufacturer will fix with a firmware update that your supplier will deploy.

As far as commissioning is concerned, any supplier or Register DCC Other User can pair an IHD to your comms hub. 

It is this part of the EDF system which they have broken, it refuses to recognise a large percentage of their account numbers so you cannot pass verification, the same happens if they try to do it themselves on the internal system, it says that the account numbers are invalid despite them working correctly everywhere else. I have had two engineer visits and both have said that the HAN is correctly configured and that they do not understand why EDF keep sending engineers as they know what the problem is and it is entirely to do with the EDF commissioning system being broken. EDF said that I would be able to connect a third party IHD successfully if I bough one myself and had it connected separately (eg. not via EDF), but the issue was with their system and the enrolment of IHDs so in this situation the issue is with EDF's backend systems. 

You will be pleased to know that EDF is rolling out the Kraken Technologies platform (an Octopus Energy Group product). That said, I struggle to understand why if EDF can communicate with your meters and bill you correctly which requires correct database listing and bespoke meter security certificates, there is an issue with your IHD pairing.

Kraken will be great, but EDF do not expect to have completed the deployment until the end of 2024 so I am not holding my breath. I know two other people with the same problem with EDF, the senior person at EDF who I spoke to before they issued a deadlock letter saying that they were not going to fix it told me it caused problems for "many many people". It is all really weird, but seems to come down to the fact that EDF have broken their ability to commission IHDs and they are not willing to fix that. They issued the deadlock letter in mid-December so I will be sending it all of to the ombudsman in the next week, not sure if the ombudsman will actually do anything, but it will be interesting to see what, if any response comes from EDF.

I had my smart meters installed by EDF early December 2023 and they were commissioned ok. Both gas and electricity were feeding through to both the IHD and EDFs online usage pages.

I was on a legacy (non Krakken) account, 6 monthly bills.

EDIT: Just realise the response above was to an old thread.

EssexHebridean

funkygal said:

One year on and still the same problem. So far they have offered me £100 as a goodwill gesture, or to fob me off. Anyone else had any luck?

I’d have their hand off for that - you can buy a new IHD and have some change as well! Great result I’d say - grab it quick before they change their mind! 

lohr500

I've recently had £100 from them after numerous complaints about the IHD not working and them sending two replacement IHDs, neither of which worked.

All was well until we switched to a complex tariff a couple of years ago, after which the IHD stopped working.

At least the smart meter works correctly and shows the correct rates for the different times of use, do our billing is correct.

I've given up now pushing for the IHD to be fixed and just use the Bright App and a plug in Tapo energy monitor to track our usage.

It just annoys me every time I see the stupid adverts featuring the Einstein lookalike telling me why I should have a smart meter to help me Dave energy!!

funkygal

EssexHebridean said:

funkygal said:

One year on and still the same problem. So far they have offered me £100 as a goodwill gesture, or to fob me off. Anyone else had any luck?

I’d have their hand off for that - you can buy a new IHD and have some change as well! Great result I’d say - grab it quick before they change their mind! 

So I can buy my own IHD and it would definitely work??

EssexHebridean

Definitely is a big word! Others have more experience of third party IHD's than I do though, so hopefully if there are any contraindications to it working revealed in this thread, someone will be able to point that out. 

funkygal

EssexHebridean said:

Definitely is a big word! Others have more experience of third party IHD's than I do though, so hopefully if there are any contraindications to it working revealed in this thread, someone will be able to point that out. 

Ok thanks. I'd rather get it resolved than be fobbed off, I would have taken it if they admitted that they don't know how to fix it, it just looks like no one has an answer. Maybe I should have just accepted it. 😩