Smart meters only give "estimated" readings....

[Deleted User]

For future reference. The hub also contains a gas proxy hub (a mirror) to store gas meter usage data; tariff information etc taken from the meter.

sandra_jean

70sbudgie said:

sandra_jean said:

I switch off and the pilot light on the boiler goes off. I hear the boiler stop working. I took photographs of the actual gas meter at the time of switching off and then later. The readings were identical. These photographs (of the actual gas meter, not the smart meter reading) together with photographs of the  Gas+Electric, Electric and Gas readings on the smart meter were sent to e-on. It's only the smart meter that keeps going. At 9.47 this morning when I switched off, the gas reading on the smart meter was £2.13, 25.29 kWh. At 10.01 it had increased to £2.36, 28.36 kWh. It all seems tailor-made to confuse, and THAT always makes me suspicious of trickery of some sort.

Are you able to share the photos that you took? Only one each of what you are calling the actual gas meter and the smart meter. You will need to black out any meter serial numbers that can identify you.

The top picture is the gas meter, the bottom the smart meter. At least, I have identified them as I have always understood them to be. E-on asked me for photographs of the gas meter AND the smart meter.

[Deleted User]

sandra_jean said:

70sbudgie said:

sandra_jean said:

I switch off and the pilot light on the boiler goes off. I hear the boiler stop working. I took photographs of the actual gas meter at the time of switching off and then later. The readings were identical. These photographs (of the actual gas meter, not the smart meter reading) together with photographs of the  Gas+Electric, Electric and Gas readings on the smart meter were sent to e-on. It's only the smart meter that keeps going. At 9.47 this morning when I switched off, the gas reading on the smart meter was £2.13, 25.29 kWh. At 10.01 it had increased to £2.36, 28.36 kWh. It all seems tailor-made to confuse, and THAT always makes me suspicious of trickery of some sort.

Are you able to share the photos that you took? Only one each of what you are calling the actual gas meter and the smart meter. You will need to black out any meter serial numbers that can identify you.

The top picture is the gas meter, the bottom the smart meter. At least, I have identified them as I have always understood them to be. E-on asked me for photographs of the gas meter AND the smart meter.

CORRECTION: the top photo is the SMART gas meter and the bottom photograph is the In House Display as per the graphic above.

EssexHebridean

sandra_jean said:

TadleyBaggie said:

One more time...the IHD is not the smart meter.

Then why did e-on ask me for photographs of the gas meter AND the smart meter? 

Could have been because you were using the term "Smart meter" to describe the IHD and they didn't want to confuse, could have been because they themselves weren't sure what you were referring to with two separate devices both apparently being called the same thing - in either of those cases I can see why they might phrase it the same way to try to avoid any further confusion - ultimately their role is to try to sort out issues, not to educate consumers on the correct terminology. Hopefully though we've been able to help set you straight on the terminology side so if you have to call the supplier again you'll be better informed and more able to cut to the chase of the issue you have? 

sandra_jean

Oh 'eck. I thought I was sending the gas meter and the smart meter, in that order. I think I'd better shut up because I'm clearly wrong about it all. But I do wish e-on had been a little clearer in their answers and instructions. But thank you everyone for your help. I'm grateful.

EssexHebridean

sandra_jean said:

Oh 'eck. I thought I was sending the gas meter and the smart meter, in that order. I think I'd better shut up because I'm clearly wrong about it all. But I do wish e-on had been a little clearer in their answers and instructions. But thank you everyone for your help. I'm grateful.

Yes - it does sound as though E-on have in fact added to the confusion one way and another! Glad the forum has been helpful though - and you know what they say "every day is a school day" and now you've learned far more about meters than you knew before - it's not that you're wrong, just that you're confused about the terminology. Think of the IHD as a little computer that's inked to your Smart meter in order to help by providing you with data about your use - but don't fall into the trap of relying on everything it tells you as gospel as even discounting the issue of the time lag, it may not stay accurate on anything else either. The good news is that nothing that happen on the IHD makes even a jot of difference to what you are charged - it is only the figures on the smart gas meter itself that can do that.

[Deleted User]

sandra_jean said:

Oh 'eck. I thought I was sending the gas meter and the smart meter, in that order. I think I'd better shut up because I'm clearly wrong about it all. But I do wish e-on had been a little clearer in their answers and instructions. But thank you everyone for your help. I'm grateful.

Don’t worry about it. Everyday is a school day even for those of us in our later years. 

victor2

Glad you now understand it @sandra_jean - you're far from being alone in being confused by the smart meter issue.

I have an elderly relative who constantly refers to her IHD as the smart meter and gets confused when it shows high gas usage when the boiler is not actually firing, because it was running when the 30 minute snapshot was taken. It doesn't matter how many times, and different ways I explain it, it doesn't sink in.

As already said, the TV ads about smart meters, showing someone looking at the IHD, don't help at all.

sandra_jean

EssexHebridean said:

sandra_jean said:

Oh 'eck. I thought I was sending the gas meter and the smart meter, in that order. I think I'd better shut up because I'm clearly wrong about it all. But I do wish e-on had been a little clearer in their answers and instructions. But thank you everyone for your help. I'm grateful.

Yes - it does sound as though E-on have in fact added to the confusion one way and another! Glad the forum has been helpful though - and you know what they say "every day is a school day" and now you've learned far more about meters than you knew before - it's not that you're wrong, just that you're confused about the terminology. Think of the IHD as a little computer that's inked to your Smart meter in order to help by providing you with data about your use - but don't fall into the trap of relying on everything it tells you as gospel as even discounting the issue of the time lag, it may not stay accurate on anything else either. The good news is that nothing that happen on the IHD makes even a jot of difference to what you are charged - it is only the figures on the smart gas meter itself that can do that.

A heartfelt thank you.

vic_sf49

BG customer services don't understand the difference either.

I was trying to report my smart gas meter (on the wall outside), as they were no longer getting/pulling readings from either meter, but the gas meter display was showing black squares where the numbers would be.  I'd pressed the button to wake the meter up as usual, but no numbers.

They kept telling me to restart it, or unplug it for 30 mins, even though I repeatedly explained/shouted "NOT THE IN HOME DISPLAY GADGET" at them on chat.

Luckily the meter kicked itself up the behind, and started displaying numbers again.