Smart meters

Ginger0ne

I have recently changed my supplier. I sent last/first reads to my old/new suppliers. I noticed after about a week my new supplier had my read and a much higher read on the app. When I enquired as to why, they asked me to take another read and send a photo. When I went to do this I found my meter now corresponds to their higher read. I took a photo when I took my original read so I know i didn't make a mistake. 
Has anyone ever had their meter changed remotely? 
I have asked what is going on and they just keep asking me to take a new photo ... this would just show what the meter says now, its so frustrating!!!

Robin9

Ginger0ne said:

I have recently changed my supplier. I sent last/first reads to my old/new suppliers. 

Sending reads to your old supplier is not necessary - it can only confuse the system. The new supplier drives the process.

QrizB

Ginger0ne said:

I have recently changed my supplier. I sent last/first reads to my old/new suppliers. I noticed after about a week my new supplier had my read and a much higher read on the app. When I enquired as to why, they asked me to take another read and send a photo. When I went to do this I found my meter now corresponds to their higher read. I took a photo when I took my original read so I know i didn't make a mistake.

Welcome to the forum.

Smart meters have four import registers, plus a total import, plus an export register. Is it possible that your first photo was of a different register to your second one?

Can you share both your photos here? We might be able to explain what has happened.

Has anyone ever had their meter changed remotely?

I don't think it is possible for your supplier to remotely change your meter reading.

Robin9

On the meter there will be a sticker showing the old meter and new meter reads.

Does this info appear on your bill ?

[Deleted User]

As stated above, each smart meter has 4 registers. The reading shown on the IHD is the sum of all the registers that have been in use since the meter was first installed.

There is no industry convention on which registers have to be used for any given tariff. For example, for a time, I was on Octopus Go which was using two registers. My offpeak usage was recorded on the R1 register and peak on R2. I am now on Flux - a 3 price tariff - and all my usage is recorded on R1.

Should I decide to switch suppliers, then if asked for a meter reading I would look at the actual meter and provide both the R1 and R2 readings.

On a switch, the new supplier’s data collector calculates an opening and closing reading/ s which it passes to both suppliers via an industry data flow.

Gerry1

Your opening reading can be tweaked by The Mysterious Third Party.  As long as the same figure is used for the closing reading of the old supplier it doesn't make much difference.  However, you can challenge it if it's way out.

https://help.so.energy/support/solutions/articles/7000046241-opening-reading-validation-process

CSI_Yorkshire

Gerry1 said:

Your opening reading can be tweaked by The Mysterious Third Party.  

But not on the meter.

[Deleted User]

CSI_Yorkshire said:

Gerry1 said:

Your opening reading can be tweaked by The Mysterious Third Party.  

But not on the meter.

Agreed - but I also agree with @Gerry1

People tend to think that a difference of say 100kWh in favour of the old supplier = 100 x the unit price as a cost to them. In truth, the actual cost is 100 x (new unit price - old unit price) which in truth may not amount to very much. If the switch reading is higher than the meter reading, then only the standing charge will be billed until meter index passes the opening reading.