Get S.M.A.R.T

LesThanPerfect

We have been banging our heads against a brick wall for ,coming up to, four years to get our combined energy provision through Smart Meters.
Our home is a new build and was fitted, as built, with SMETS1 type meters.
To date we have had 3 providers and none of them have been able to read the outputs, upgrade them to SMETS2 or replace them. 

The first attempts were aimed at over air software upgrades. After months we were told the meters were “dormant”, not on the DCC register and incapable of upgrade.
we then switched our attention to replacements with new SMETS2 meters.
After 18 months of inactivity and zero communication from Scottish Power we switched to Octopus (following their positive pitch on the likely length of time it would take for installation - 8 weeks vs SP’s 18months+).
Waddya know! Still no meters or signs thereof.
We are heavy users of power; far beyond “average” and care for my elderly mother who has electric heating on continuously and is housebound on parenteral nutrition.
The only viable access to cheaper tariffs and managing our consumption is through visibility that Smart Meters would provide.
Oft touted as “free” it’s exasperating that we wish to install SM, have paid (through a percentage of the standing charge) for years towards them but can get no traction in getting access. Even offered to buy two for our Utility engineers to fit them! 

Simple question; Has anyone else found themselves in a similar situation and can advise on the best route for complaint and resolution within industry regulation and process?
We’ve tried all we could find, including CA, and the route just circles back to your Utility doing zip.
Tx in advance 

[Deleted User]

Which part of the country do you live in? Suppliers will not fit smart meters in areas of the country that have, as yet, unresolved network connectivity issues.

LesThanPerfect

 Northants. There are no connectivity issues in the village. We’re in a rural location but a mere 8 miles from Northampton itself and close to all the major routes (M1, A5, A45, mainline railway et al). We’re connected to a 900Mb broadband supply and, within a healthy stones lob, there’s a 5G transmitter.
All of which highlights our current level of frustration. 

[Deleted User]

LesThanPerfect said:

 Northants. There are no connectivity issues in the village. We’re in a rural location but a mere 8 miles from Northampton itself and close to all the major routes (M1, A5, A45, mainline railway et al). We’re connected to a 900Mb broadband supply and, within a healthy stones lob, there’s a 5G transmitter.
All of which highlights our current level of frustration. 

Broadband is irrelevant. In your area, the DCC uses the 02/Telefonica 2G network. Have you asked smart.help@octopus.energy for an explanation as to why there is a delay?

LesThanPerfect

Yes
The reason for the forum posting is the interminable loop with both utility providers. 

There is no “reason” offered; you are merely constantly told to wait for an “available” appointment in the area. This is never forthcoming and, as highlighted by Octopus themselves, there are only two reasons to withhold installation; 1. The connectivity issue (as I’ve stated the new build has smart meters installed from new - they are sadly SMETS1 devices - and our earlier move-in neighbours and others in the village already have SMETS2 operability and 2. You have upgradeable (over the air) SMETS1 units which are reformatted to SMETS2 capability and not replaced. We were told eons ago that our installed units were dormant and unable to be upgraded and Octopus said they would verify the same before adding us to the SMETS2 replacement routines.
In essence we feel we have jumped from the frying pan (Scottish Power) into the fire (Octopus) as no progress or reasoning is forthcoming.

[Deleted User]

SMETS1 meters are not updated OTA to SMETS2: they are firmware updated to provide connectivity to a bespoke portal on the DCC network. As far as the consumer is concerned, they then become supplier agnostic. There is, I believe, an ongoing consultation to close off the SMETS1 enrolment and adoption programme. Any unadopted meters will then be replaced with SMETS2.