Smart meter still isn't Smart 1 year on

Oldisius

I'm a little bit at a loss what to do next, what my rights are. In October 2021 I had both an electric and gas smart meter installed by EDF (SMETS 2). The gas meter wasn't sending readings, and also not communicating with IHD. I reported, various attempts to connect,  engineer visit etc, and a new meter was installed Feb 2022. This replacement meter has also never sent readings to EDF (or the IHD, although I'm not too bothered about that).

I was told after attempts were made in Feb to fix that I'd have to leave it with them, they were working on a solution, and in the meantime I can send manual readings.

A few times over the last year I have tried to get an update, but every time I mention it I can't seem to stop the phone advisor from treating it as a brand new issue. I have twice had EDF advisors tell me that my gas meter is working and sending readings, only to ask them what date they last got a successful reading, at which point they acknowledge that it isn't working. Then they refer off to another team, and I never hear from them again.

It is even showing on my EDF account:

Current status Good – you don't need to do anything

Hide details

Meter serial no. xxx

Everything's working and we're receiving your meter readings.

If I switch suppliers, will the responsibility to resolve the issue fall on the next supplier, or will they be able to shrug off the issue as it wasn't their meter/installation? It's been over a year now, and I don't know how to proceed. I don't know how to make EDF resolve the issue, but fear that if I leave, I will be condemning myself to never having it fixed.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

northernsoul

My smart electricity meter sends back readings but my gas meter cannot connect to the electricity meter to facilitate sending the gas reading.
The gas meter cannot successfully send the signal through the outside wall and a single wall inside to reach the electricity meter.
Trails are going on with a' dual band' meter , but , having asked , these are not yet available.
Have to send Gas readings manually.
I feel there is no use banging on about it and hopefully a dual band meter , when available will solve the problems.
Why , the design, did not take into consideration going through multiple walls I do not know. Anybody , especially those making the specifications, should know that many houses have their electricity meter separate from the gas meter , and many times separated by walls !

Oldisius

I suppose it's plausible I have a similar issue - I've not been given any indication what the issue is. But it seems like it shouldn't be an issue  as there is 1 quite thin internal wall between 2 meters, and they are physically only about 2 metres apart. I know it's a different wireless system, but I can easily work on my laptop several rooms away from my wifi router, so if that signal can easily get through my walls... 

That said, if it is the case that the smart meter the technology isn't currently available etc, I could accept it and know I just had to live with it. But at the moment I feel in limbo, with no idea what is/should be happening. 

[Deleted User]

This sounds like a classic Home Area Network issue which can be down  to a number of factors including the distance between the communications and the gas meter or interference (foil-backed insulation etc). Note the gas meter and the IHD use the same Home Area Network. If the gas meter cannot connect to the communications hub then no gas usage information will get to the supplier or to the IHD.

There are technical solutions. The supplier can fit a dual-band communications hub and meter. There is also an Alt-HAN solution (primarily designed for high rise buildings).

What are your rights? All suppliers are party to the Smart Meter Installation Code of Practice. The following paragraph is relevant to your situation.

I would email the supplier and remind it of its obligations under the Code of Practice. They should give you a date when they expect to be able to update your smart meter system. There are reports of other suppliers deploying dual-band comms hubs. 

Oldisius

[Deleted User] said:

This sounds like a classic Home Area Network issue which can be down  to a number of factors including the distance between the communications and the gas meter or interference (foil-backed insulation etc). Note the gas meter and the IHD use the same Home Area Network. If the gas meter cannot connect to the communications hub then no gas usage information will get to the supplier or to the IHD.

There are technical solutions. The supplier can fit a dual-band communications hub and meter. There is also an Alt-HAN solution (primarily designed for high rise buildings).

What are your rights? All suppliers are party to the Smart Meter Installation Code of Practice. The following paragraph is relevant to your situation.

I would email the supplier and remind it of its obligations under the Code of Practice. They should give you a date when they expect to be able to update your smart meter system. There are reports of other suppliers deploying dual-band comms hubs. 

This is incredibly helpful, thank you.