British Gas Smart Meter Monitors

HappyHaines

We have a British Gas Smart Meter Monitor - no longer working = did a live chat with BG yesterday evening - advised that the monitors have been turned off as they are working on a new app that will allow you to monitor from a mobile devise and so on.  Not happy with this as you can no longer see your usage - the only was to see your daily or keep an eye on your usage daily is to sign into your online account (if you have access)
However the Smart Meter communicates with your online account and this is not always daily.  I have noticed that the Meter can feed back sporadically and on some occasions can bee a week apart from each communication.  NOT a very satisfactory way of keeping tabs on your daily usage if you are a pensioner (like us) or with a growing family etc.
I would also say that BG were not very forthcoming with a resolve and a time line for the run out of their new app one presumes it will be soon as they have turned off the monitors - but who knows, it only took them 7.5 months to resolve my account long on issue.

EssexHebridean

It seems a bit counter intuitive for them to prevent people from using the IHD, thus risking them getting out of the habit of keeping an eye on use if this was the method they always used, and THEN launch their app. 

Although it won't be as instantaneous as the IHD was, you could try using an app like Bright or Loop - at least this should let you keep an eye on what you've used, although it won't help with tracking down something using a lot of energy right now, sadly. 

Alternatively you could look for a switch to a more forward-thinking supplier like Octopus - you will find plenty of their happy customers on this board. With luck your existing IHD will then work again, but you will also be able to request their Octopus Home Mini which turns their regular customer app into a little IHD all of its own - very handy! If going to them remember to ask around amongst family and friends for a referral code as this will earn you and the person referring you £50 credit to your Octopus accounts. 

MeteredOut

To say I'm skeptical "that the monitors have been turned off" is putting it mildly (not skeptical that you were told that, but skeptical that it is actually the case).

Do suppliers even have the ability to do that?

QrizB

MeteredOut said:

To say I'm skeptical "that the monitors have been turned off" is putting it mildly (not skeptical that you were told that, but skeptical that it is actually the case).
Do suppliers even have the ability to do that?

I think that your supplier can add or remove devices on the smart meter HAN. So yes, they could remove your IHD.

I can think of no good reason for them to do this without being asked by the customer.

EssexHebridean

It's not logical is it - I can't even think why they would need to remove the customer's ability to use the IHD just because they were planning on creating an app. (Unless the app was going to be a paid one separate to their usual customer account hub and they wanted to ensure maximum take-up of it, perhaps?) 

Marksfish

IHD working here, about the only thing British Gas provide me that is working properly. That said, their app has no way of monitoring their smart tariffs, and is woefully inadequate.