Smart meter broken for more than a year

iamparakeet

Does anyone else have a smart meter that has failed to report for more than a year? That's the case with British Gas and I.

They know about it, I think it's a widespread problem, maybe a problem with all original SMETS1 meters?

I think they are working through it, but they have steadfastly said they won't come and replace mine.

QrizB

robertandrews said:

Does anyone else have a smart meter that has failed to report for more than a year? That's the case with British Gas and I.

I imagine quite a few people do. I had a smart gas meter like that; Octopus tried various ways to reset it but eventually they replaced it.

robertandrews said:

They know about it, I think it's a widespread problem, maybe a problem with all original SMETS1 meters?

Something like 10% of smart meters aren't smart at any given time. It's not just SMETS1 ones.

robertandrews said:

I think they are working through it, but they have steadfastly said they won't come and replace mine.

If you don't have a tariff that requires smart metering, there's no real pressure on suppliers currently to make dumb-smart meters smart again.
That will change in a few years when market-wide half-hourly settlement is rolled out.

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/energy-policy-and-regulation/policy-and-regulatory-programmes/electricity-settlement-reform

iamparakeet

QrizB said:

robertandrews said:

I think they are working through it, but they have steadfastly said they won't come and replace mine.

If you don't have a tariff that requires smart metering, there's no real pressure on suppliers currently to make dumb-smart meters smart again.
That will change in a few years when market-wide half-hourly settlement is rolled out.

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/energy-policy-and-regulation/policy-and-regulatory-programmes/electricity-settlement-reform

But I do. The plan was taken out as a smart meter plan and I specifically wanted to be billed only for usage, rather than play around with the historic game of sometimes-being-in-credit, sometimes-being-in-debit.

Now on Standard Variable, the Product Type is still listed as "Monthly Variable Direct Debit".

Except, with a long-time faulty meter, they have had to resort to estimating. It's annoying me.

Half-hourly? Bring it on! But sounds like something that's going to require another new meter type, I assume?

QrizB

robertandrews said:

Except, with a long-time faulty meter, they have had to resort to estimating. It's annoying me.

You can (or should be able to) submit manual readings, just as though you had an old-fashioned meter.

robertandrews said:
Half-hourly? Bring it on! But sounds like something that's going to require another new meter type, I assume?

All current smart meters already support half-hourly billing. I'm on a half-hourly billed electricity tariff with Octopus.

robertandrews said:

Now on Standard Variable, the Product Type is still listed as "Monthly Variable Direct Debit".

If you're on a standard tariff, you might want to switch supplier to one with a (usually) more dynamic smart metering team. Personally I'd suggest Octopus. An added bonus is that you can ask friends or family for a referral code and you'll each get £50 of bill credit (I referred my father-in-law last month, it was straightforward and we've both already beeen credited).

Largs

Hi.  I have 3 SMETS version 2 that don't report readings.  They are nothing but a waste of space and money.   EDF engineer visited this week to look at 1 of 3 - said the gas meter was faulty (it only went in, in November) and said he had taken a reading, that he had meters in is van but couldn't swap them as his stock would not match up.  Another engineer would come and replace it.  I won't hold by breath for that.

EDF central offices told me it was a firmware update that was the problem but the engineer said he had never heard of that despite me showing him the email.  He said if British Gas are getting the electric readings but EDF are not, it's not a firmware.

I think the smart meter plan you mention might be fine, but you will have to be prepared to put through regular readings.  Daily I think.  I'm certain if I have posted anything wrong, someone will be along to correct me.

iamparakeet

QrizB said:

If you're on a standard tariff, you might want to switch supplier to one with a (usually) more dynamic smart metering team. Personally I'd suggest Octopus. An added bonus is that you can ask friends or family for a referral code and you'll each get £50 of bill credit (I referred my father-in-law last month, it was straightforward and we've both already beeen credited).

Didn't know switching had opened back up. Not on Meerkat or Cheap Energy Club. MoneySupermarket gives me one vendor, saving £1pm.

I guess I'd be switching just to get a working meter.

Thanks for the reply.

Largs

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