EON smart meter stopped commucating

NanookOfTheNorth

Hi

This is currently with the ombudsman (early stages) and on the last few days before EON have to reply EON have advised the smart meter needs a firmware update but there's no date known when that firmware update will be available.  Basically the smart meter (gas and electric) has been working until end of June then since then failed to send the readings to EON and the in house display just says it's trying to connect.

I now have 7 days to accept or decline their offer via the ombudsman web site, if I dont accept then it's up to the ombudsman to decide the resolution.

EON are currently offering and written apology, no fix, but a £150 credit to the account for their "shortfalls in service"

Has anybody had a similar thing? 

If I reject this and the ombudsman decide the "compensation" may disappear completely or be a lot less.

I presume EON are still installing smart meters which work which if so it's cheaper to pay me £150 and not spend the time replacing my meter or the bit that needs fixing. Given the cost of gas and electric it's a useful thing to know usage without having to get meter readings outside.

Is a fix to the smart meter really unobtainable, which if so then I'd best to accept their offer and just wait in line for when the firmware update does become available. The smart meter was installed in January 2020

Thanks

ArbitraryRandom

Eon can't fix the problem - suppliers are responsible for arranging installations and communicating with customers, but not for the database/firmware updates; those are the responsibility of the manufacturer of the meter. 

More info here: https://forum.ovoenergy.com/smart-meters-136/how-do-smart-meters-get-smarter-a-guide-to-smart-meter-firmware-updates-9382

You could try a third part app (bright or similar). Sometimes they get the readings when the supplier is struggling. 

NanookOfTheNorth

Thanks ArbiraryRandom - I appreciate it wont be EON directly that fix it, but if they're saying a firmware isnt available then presumably they're either fobbing me off, or the manufacturer havnt got the firmware yet.

I did try the Loop Energy app but they too came back saying they're unable to communicate with the meters

ArbitraryRandom

NanookOfTheNorth said:

Thanks ArbiraryRandom - I appreciate it wont be EON directly that fix it, but if they're saying a firmware isnt available then presumably they're either fobbing me off, or the manufacturer havnt got the firmware yet.

I did try the Loop Energy app but they too came back saying they're unable to communicate with the meters

Sorry but maybe I wasn't clear - the updates aren't sent to a single meter.

Firmware updates are scheduled by the manufacturer and sent out to a wide area - so it's not that the firmware doesn't exist, it's that you have to wait for the next scheduled update to be sent to your area by the DCC and Eon have no way of knowing or influencing when that will be. 

It could be a week, it could be 6 weeks, it could be longer. 

QrizB

ArbitraryRandom said:

Firmware updates are scheduled by the manufacturer and sent out to a wide area - so it's not that the firmware doesn't exist ...

Although, if the problem is a buggy update, it *is* quite possible that the patched firmware hasn't yet been approved for use.

NanookOfTheNorth said:

I did try the Loop Energy app but they too came back saying they're unable to communicate with the meters

Loop etc. all get their data from your meters via the same comms hub. If it's not working for EON, it won't work for anyone else either.

[Deleted User]

Two years ago, Kaifa Electricity meters had a firmware issue. The meter returned index readings but no usage data. It took the meter manufacturer 3 firmware upgrades and 7 months to resolve the problem. The meter still recorded usage and the 30 minute data is stored in the meter for 13 months. There was nothing the supplier could do other than put pressure on the meter manufacturer.

If an Ombudsman Decision is rejected then you have effectively withdrawn your complaint against the supplier.

MultiFuelBurner

What make and model is your smart meter as others may come to the forum with the same issues.

NanookOfTheNorth

Thanks all for your replies.   Its a Chameleon dated 2019, IHD3-PPMID-V2 with Zigbee 1.3.0

[Deleted User]

NanookOfTheNorth said:

Thanks all for your replies.   Its a Chameleon dated 2019, IHD3-PPMID-V2 with Zigbee 1.3.0

That isn’t your smart meter: it is your In House Dislay which connects to your smart meters via a network established by the communications hub known as the Home Area Network. Your smart electricity meter sits in your meter box.

QrizB

Dolor said:

NanookOfTheNorth said:

Thanks all for your replies.   Its a Chameleon dated 2019, IHD3-PPMID-V2 with Zigbee 1.3.0

That isn’t your smart meter: it is your In House Dislay which connects to your smart meters via a network established by the communications hub known as the Home Area Network. Your smart electricity meter sits in your meter box.

Your smart meters will look something like the pictures in this post:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/77312502/#Comment_77312502

If you look at the photo of the electricity meter, the bottom half - in that post, the EDMI ES-10A - is the actual electricity meter, the top half - the EDMI Standard 420 - is the comms hub.

Reed_Richards

I now have a Smart Meter made by Kaifa on top of which sits a Comms Hub made by Edmi.  I would have thought that failure to send readings would be a problem with the Comms Hub, not the Smart Meter.  I know people tend to think of the two as a single integrated unit but when things go wrong you may need to get more specific.