Smart meter

[Deleted User]

Not all suppliers agree with you. 

British Gas

British Gas told us: 'As the majority of installs are not completed by British Gas, we therefore rely on the customer to inform us that their meter is running backwards. However, as the customer notifies us every three months of their meter reading, we're normally able to identify at that stage if the meter is running backwards.'

EDF Energy

EDF said: 'The initial responsibility for identification of meters that have no 'backstop' lies with the surveyor/installer of the microgeneration system. They should advise the customer on this. However, installer knowledge in this area when the FIT was introduced was limited. Microgeneration Certification Scheme installer training, accreditation and quality-assurance procedures have all been updated since introduction to include checking for meters suspected of having no backstop.'

SSE

SSE believes it's the responsibility of both the energy supplier and the customer: 'SSE has a list of compliant meters that we check at the registration stage of FITs. If the customer has an incompatible meter, then we exchange it for them. In addition, we have a two-year meter-read obligation. It is also suggested that consumers check their meters when they receive an estimated bill.'

Regulator Ofgem told us: 'Where a customer suspects that the installation of electricity-generating equipment has affected the operation of their import-supply meter and it's no longer accurately measuring the electricity supplied to them, they should contact their import supplier at the earliest opportunity. 

Source: Which

That said, as reported on this forum over the years, many installers told their customers to expect the meter to reverse when solar was being exported. I suspect that they also failed to inform the DNO of the installation.

Raxiel

[Deleted User] said:

Not all suppliers agree with you. 

British Gas

British Gas told us: 'As the majority of installs are not completed by British Gas, we therefore rely on the customer to inform us that their meter is running backwards. However, as the customer notifies us every three months of their meter reading, we're normally able to identify at that stage if the meter is running backwards.'

EDF Energy

EDF said: 'The initial responsibility for identification of meters that have no 'backstop' lies with the surveyor/installer of the microgeneration system. They should advise the customer on this. However, installer knowledge in this area when the FIT was introduced was limited. Microgeneration Certification Scheme installer training, accreditation and quality-assurance procedures have all been updated since introduction to include checking for meters suspected of having no backstop.'

SSE

SSE believes it's the responsibility of both the energy supplier and the customer: 'SSE has a list of compliant meters that we check at the registration stage of FITs. If the customer has an incompatible meter, then we exchange it for them. In addition, we have a two-year meter-read obligation. It is also suggested that consumers check their meters when they receive an estimated bill.'

Regulator Ofgem told us: 'Where a customer suspects that the installation of electricity-generating equipment has affected the operation of their import-supply meter and it's no longer accurately measuring the electricity supplied to them, they should contact their import supplier at the earliest opportunity. 

Source: Which

That said, as reported on this forum over the years, many installers told their customers to expect the meter to reverse when solar was being exported. I suspect that they also failed to inform the DNO of the installation.

None of those statements constitutes an obligation on the consumer though.

jerogers12

Smart meters "communicate" though the mobile phone network. Unfortunately the signal from ALL suppliers in my property is very poor to non existent. As a result Octopus who administer my energy supply cannot communicate with the meter. I have been trying to sort this out with Octopus for 18 months since the meter was installed and despite various attempts, including several visits from meter fitters, they have failed to suggest a practical solution. Their latest response to me was literally "You have a poor mobile signal, TOUGH"! The meter is therefore not fit for purpose and I cannot access any of the benefits.
I recently completed the MSE survey on smart meters and would be interested in the results. The survey on mobile phone providers was not encouraging!

[Deleted User]

jerogers12 said:

Smart meters "communicate" though the mobile phone network. Unfortunately the signal from ALL suppliers in my property is very poor to non existent. As a result Octopus who administer my energy supply cannot communicate with the meter. I have been trying to sort this out with Octopus for 18 months since the meter was installed and despite various attempts, including several visits from meter fitters, they have failed to suggest a practical solution. Their latest response to me was literally "You have a poor mobile signal, TOUGH"! The meter is therefore not fit for purpose and I cannot access any of the benefits.
I recently completed the MSE survey on smart meters and would be interested in the results. The survey on mobile phone providers was not encouraging!

Not entirely true. Smart metering is regional. The Northern Region uses UHF radio for its connection, whereas the South and Central Regions use the Telefonica mobile network. The smart meter network is run by The Data Communications Company not individual suppliers: the DCC also provides all communications hubs.

There is a solution to your problem which only the DCC can initiate. In areas where mobile communications are poor, the DCC can designate the area as MESH rather than WAN. I have no idea how complex this is - or the criteria for doing so. That said, the principle is that all the communications hubs in a given area mesh together. Where a meter cannot connect directly to the DCC network, then data will pass across the Mesh until a meter is found which does have a connection to the DCC network.

jerogers12

Thanks for that. Makes sense! Pity Octopus couldn't have suggested that. Will ask them to contact DCC on my behalf.

[Deleted User]

jerogers12 said:

Thanks for that. Makes sense! Pity Octopus couldn't have suggested that. Will ask them to contact DCC on my behalf.

It appears that Meshing is more complicated than I first thought. Note the requirement for Data Collector Units.

Q: What is a mesh network?

Unlike a cell-phone network, which has large antennas that capture and transmit data, with individual phones moving around and connecting to the closest antenna in order to utilize the network, a mesh network has no centralized antennas. Every meter in the network can connect to every other one (within a certain distance- roughly a mile or two in the case of some smart meters that have been tested). Information moves around and then is collected by centralized hub antennas usually mounted on utility poles called Data Collector Units (or DCU’s).  There are also collector meters, which collect data from other meters- these tend to have higher emissions and (we believe) tend to be more associated with reported health problems.

Spoonie_Turtle

[Deleted User] said:

jerogers12 said:

Thanks for that. Makes sense! Pity Octopus couldn't have suggested that. Will ask them to contact DCC on my behalf.

It appears that Meshing is more complicated than I first thought. Note the requirement for Data Collector Units.

Q: What is a mesh network?

Unlike a cell-phone network, which has large antennas that capture and transmit data, with individual phones moving around and connecting to the closest antenna in order to utilize the network, a mesh network has no centralized antennas. Every meter in the network can connect to every other one (within a certain distance- roughly a mile or two in the case of some smart meters that have been tested). Information moves around and then is collected by centralized hub antennas usually mounted on utility poles called Data Collector Units (or DCU’s).  There are also collector meters, which collect data from other meters- these tend to have higher emissions and (we believe) tend to be more associated with reported health problems.

What's the source for that paragraph?  Slightly concerning remark there - either fuels the conspiracy theorists or throws doubt on the reliability of the information, depending on your inclination.

[Deleted User]

Spoonie_Turtle said:

[Deleted User] said:

jerogers12 said:

Thanks for that. Makes sense! Pity Octopus couldn't have suggested that. Will ask them to contact DCC on my behalf.

It appears that Meshing is more complicated than I first thought. Note the requirement for Data Collector Units.

Q: What is a mesh network?

Unlike a cell-phone network, which has large antennas that capture and transmit data, with individual phones moving around and connecting to the closest antenna in order to utilize the network, a mesh network has no centralized antennas. Every meter in the network can connect to every other one (within a certain distance- roughly a mile or two in the case of some smart meters that have been tested). Information moves around and then is collected by centralized hub antennas usually mounted on utility poles called Data Collector Units (or DCU’s).  There are also collector meters, which collect data from other meters- these tend to have higher emissions and (we believe) tend to be more associated with reported health problems.

What's the source for that paragraph?  Slightly concerning remark there - either fuels the conspiracy theorists or throws doubt on the reliability of the information, depending on your inclination.

It wasn't a conspiracist website and my response was related to meshing of UK smart meters.

Spoonie_Turtle

Dolor said:

Spoonie_Turtle said:

Dolor said:

jerogers12 said:

Thanks for that. Makes sense! Pity Octopus couldn't have suggested that. Will ask them to contact DCC on my behalf.

It appears that Meshing is more complicated than I first thought. Note the requirement for Data Collector Units.

Q: What is a mesh network?

Unlike a cell-phone network, which has large antennas that capture and transmit data, with individual phones moving around and connecting to the closest antenna in order to utilize the network, a mesh network has no centralized antennas. Every meter in the network can connect to every other one (within a certain distance- roughly a mile or two in the case of some smart meters that have been tested). Information moves around and then is collected by centralized hub antennas usually mounted on utility poles called Data Collector Units (or DCU’s).  There are also collector meters, which collect data from other meters- these tend to have higher emissions and (we believe) tend to be more associated with reported health problems.

What's the source for that paragraph?  Slightly concerning remark there - either fuels the conspiracy theorists or throws doubt on the reliability of the information, depending on your inclination.

It wasn't a conspiracist website and my response was related to meshing of UK smart meters.

Fair, and obviously I know you're not a conspiracy theorist!  Nor would you willingly perpetuate any myths.  It just struck me as something that future trolls/conspiracy theorists might pick up on and the explanation without meshing would have worked without it. 
[The reason I asked for the source so that anyone wanting to evaluate the veracity of the statement could see where it came from and make their own informed decision.]

The_Hawk

Spoonie_Turtle said:

Dolor said:

jerogers12 said:

Thanks for that. Makes sense! Pity Octopus couldn't have suggested that. Will ask them to contact DCC on my behalf.

It appears that Meshing is more complicated than I first thought. Note the requirement for Data Collector Units.

Q: What is a mesh network?

Unlike a cell-phone network, which has large antennas that capture and transmit data, with individual phones moving around and connecting to the closest antenna in order to utilize the network, a mesh network has no centralized antennas. Every meter in the network can connect to every other one (within a certain distance- roughly a mile or two in the case of some smart meters that have been tested). Information moves around and then is collected by centralized hub antennas usually mounted on utility poles called Data Collector Units (or DCU’s).  There are also collector meters, which collect data from other meters- these tend to have higher emissions and (we believe) tend to be more associated with reported health problems.

What's the source for that paragraph?  Slightly concerning remark there - either fuels the conspiracy theorists or throws doubt on the reliability of the information, depending on your inclination.

A quick search traces it this website: https://stopsmartmeters.org/frequently-asked-questions/mesh-network-issues/